Danube · km 493
No depth reports available from AFDJ.
Water depth is not draught. Platform Zero Incidents cites a safety margin of 20–40 cm based on German case law, depending on the riverbed, vessel type and good seamanship. This is not a fixed legal minimum. Under-keel clearance is the space between the vessel and the bed. Dynamic squat while underway reduces that space. Viadonau gives 20–40 cm as a guide for squat. Meeting and overtaking can increase it further; MARIN describes an overtaking manoeuvre with more than 70 cm of squat. Sources: Platform Zero Incidents, CCR, German court ruling, viadonau, MARIN
Latest reading: On 28/10/2026 at 01:00 the Giurgiu gauge read -206 cm, 3 cm higher than 24 hours earlier. Source: AFDJ.
Gauge Giurgiu is on the Danube, at kilometre 493.
At RNW -25 cm, the site uses 250 cm fairway depth and a 30 cm margin: Giurgiu +245. This is a reference calculation, not a current sounding. In practice Giurgiu +300 is used here, +55 cm against the official rule.
Depth reports: AFDJ.
Water-level forecasts: the 5-day forecast from AFDJ (red). Upstream lies Ruse, downstream Oltenița.