Our Boats for Danube Delta Trips

Every trip with us is made in an open boat: no roof, no windshield, no side walls. Nothing stands between you and the Danube Delta. You see the pelicans passing overhead, you hear the reeds and the birds, you smell the water lilies and the willows. These are boats we chose and shaped over many years for one purpose: slow, quiet trips with a clear view of everything around you.

Why open boats

The best moments in the Danube Delta happen all around you, often above you: a flock of pelicans gliding over the lake, a white tailed eagle circling high in the sky, a heron lifting from the reeds beside the boat. From an open boat you see all of it, in every direction, and the guide can turn the boat towards whatever catches your eye.

This is the complete experience: you see, hear and smell the Danube Delta. It also means you are outdoors, on the water, so come prepared. Take a rain poncho, a sun hat, sunglasses and a light long sleeved layer, and you are ready for any weather. The Danube Delta is one of the driest areas of Romania, and a little rain has its own charm on a nature trip.

Built for a fragile place

The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve is a place with a very fragile natural balance. Many lakes and channels are less than one meter deep. On their muddy bottom live the insect larvae that feed the fish, and the fish feed the birds. A good trip boat has to cross this water without stirring up the bottom, and leave room under the hull for the fish and for the birds that dive in front of the boat.

That is why we looked for the right balance between the number of people on board, the power of the engine and the draft of the boat. All our boats have a shallow draft and carry the smallest engine the manufacturer recommends, with propellers built for traction, not for speed. We cruise at a moderate pace and stop often, for wildlife, plants, views or a story from the guide.

In the Danube Delta today the greatest threat to nature is speed boats. Their waves wash over the nests built on floating vegetation and at the edge of the reeds, and the noise pushes birds off their feeding places again and again. This is why our boats move slowly in the channels.

The guide at the back of the boat

On all our boats the steering console is at the stern. The guide drives the boat and faces you at the same time: he sees what attracts your attention, a bird, a flower, an otter on the bank, and can bring the boat closer or stop. Talking is easy, the explanations come naturally along the way, and the guide always has the route ahead in view.

There are enough life jackets on board for all passengers.

Our story with boats

In 2006 we began modifying our boats to suit the way we wanted to show the Danube Delta. In 2008 we built our first boat from scratch, with a local boat builder, and kept adding one boat a year. In 2011 we found Corsar Nautic in Galați, a manufacturer with a manager ready to listen to our requirements, and together we developed the CRUISER line. Since 2020 all our boats are made by them.

The boats we use

By Romanian law a trip boat carries at most 12 people: on our boats that means up to 10 guests, the boat driver and the guide. On birdwatching and photo tours we take at most 8 guests per boat, so everyone has space for their optics and cameras.

Corsar 630 Open

A small, stable and safe boat for up to 6 guests. It has a 40 to 50 hp engine and a very shallow draft, so it reaches the shallow corners of the lakes in summer, where bigger boats cannot go. We use it mainly for private day trips with small groups.

Corsar 710 Open

An efficient, comfortable boat with a 90 to 100 hp Yamaha engine. Its shallow draft lets it cross the lakes without clouding the clear water the aquatic life depends on. We use it for shared and private day trips, depending on the size of the group.

Corsar 730 Cruiser

A medium to large boat, very stable and comfortable, with room for the guests’ luggage. It has a 115 hp engine, the minimum for this model. We use it mainly for multi day tours in the Danube Delta.

Corsar 850 Cruiser

Our largest boat, built for birdwatchers and photographers. The wide benches let everyone keep a backpack with cameras and optics at hand, safely, with room for travel luggage too. It has a 150 hp engine, and its hull shape gives a surprisingly shallow draft: it passes easily through water 40 to 50 cm deep.

Other boats you will see in the Danube Delta

Covered boats. Most boats in the Danube Delta have a roof, a cabin or a tarp. They are built to carry people from one place to another, often at high speed. A roof keeps off the sun, but it also hides the sky, where the pelicans and the eagles fly.

Traditional fishing boats. Some visitors ask for a ride in a lotca, the local wooden fishing boat, for a fully authentic experience. The traditional lotca is a boat for fishermen, who grow up keeping their balance in it from childhood; for anyone else it tips over easily. Authentic is beautiful, but not under water.

Big ships. Large groups, one or two coaches together, can board a single ship with their guide. They suit people who find it hard to step into a small boat. From the deck of a big ship you see the wide channels; the lakes, the narrow channels and the wildlife close up stay for the small boats.