The Great Masurian Lakes Trail is a unique European inland waterway route. We can started from Lake Brzozolasek in Pisz to the canal in Węgorzewo. The length of this sail line in a straight line is 111 km, of which canals is about 17 km.
Channels linking the Great Masurian Lakes (order from south to north):
Jegliński canal – connects Lake Roś and Seksty (part of Lake Śniardwy)
Canal Tałcki – connects Lake Tałty and Tałtowisko
Grunwaldzki Canal – connects Lake Tałtowisko and Kotek
Mioduński Canal – connects Lake Kotek and Szymon
The Szymon Canal – connects Lake Szymon with Lake Szymonecki
Kula Canal – connects Lake Jagodne with Lake Side
Gizycki Canal – connects Lake Niegocin and Kisajno
Niegociński Canal – connects Lake Niegocin and Tajty
Beautiful Mountain Channel – connects Lake Tajty and Kisajno
Sztynorcki Canal – connects Lake Dargin with Lake Sztynorcki and the port of Sztynorcie
Węgorzew Canal – connects the “bow” of Węgorapa
Brożajcki Canal – connects Węgorapa with Gołdapa (closed)
Masurian Channel (unfinished) – was to merge the Great Masurian Lakes with the Baltic Sea
By sailing in Masurian it is impossible to avoid sailing yachts on the engine on the channels 
How to beat the channels of Masurian and do not lose unnecessarily nerves. It is not a difficult task as we are sailing alone and the traffic on the channel is small. In the current season, we have to deal with obstacles and swimming on the canals may involve more attractions.
Niegociński Canal, an alternative combination of lakes Niegocin and Kisajno is closed due to renovation. The only route connecting the northern route of the Great Masurian Lakes with its southern part is the Giżycko canal.
Gizycki Canal connects Lake Niegocin with Lake Kisajno. It has a length of 2.13 km and a depth of 1.9 m. The canal passes first under a railway bridge, then under a swing bridge, and then under a footbridge and two more road bridges. The rotary bridge was built in 1898 and is manually operated by one operator. The entire opening operation takes about one person for about 5 minutes.
Due to the increased traffic of sailing boats and motor boats, the opening hours of the bridge have been extended.
HOURS OF OPENING THE BRIDGE 2017
July-August 2017
Water movement:
- 08.05 – 08.25
- 10.35 – 11.25
- 12.05 – 12.55
- 13.35 – 14.25
- 16.05 – 17.25
- 18.35 – 18.55
- 20.35 – 21.15
Remember the basic rules:
- Channels have right-hand traffic. Swimming does not pose much of a hassle, problems arise when getting crowded, overtaking or overtaking large units. So let’s keep to the right and let’s not forget that there are other boats, yachts and ships.
- Do not move very slow. Motor yachts at low speeds lose maneuverability, Let’s flow at a speed of about 6km / h.
- Swim with the lowered sword. It’s important, a boat without a sword has much worse maneuverability
- Keep a safe distance from the stern of the yacht in front of us. It is worth to take heart the principle of limited trust, why unnecessarily lose the nerves or bail.
- Do not switch to traffic just before someone. Let’s pass him, the channel is not a good place for violent maneuvers.
- Don’t stand by the shore. Do not block the channel by stopping by the shore. On the channel can only be moored at designated points (E5). The reason is the desire to avoid the narrowing of the canal by standing at its periphery. On the Giżycko Canal: Due to the rotary bridge, the east coast stop is only permitted for passenger ships. Yachts are waiting at the western shore.
- Pass through the lock. The maneuver should be planned beforehand (always prepare plan B), discussed with the crew (everyone must know what to do).
- Do not try to protect the yacht with your own body, do not expose your legs. In a collision situation, the leg is very easy to crush trying to stop a heavy yacht.
- We have a holiday, we plan to have enough time to go through each section and take into account the handicaps. We encourage you to bring with you a lot of mutual kindness, peace and good humor.
We do not have a brake, we brake the engine. Mass of yacht, therefore the yacht has a great inertia. It takes a while before the yacht dispenses and stops. Wind and current susceptibility – the yacht does not always flow precisely, especially at low speeds, we must consider the strength and direction of wind or current.
On the channels, our yacht will behave a little differently than the open waters, adjust the speed to the conditions encountered, so that we have time to react and correct the course. Meeting another person in the channel is not a scary thing, but it needs focus and attention.