Tag: Belgium

Into the canals

We made a 4.30am start from Blankenburg, leaving the port in the darkness with the bright lights of Zeebrugge port ahead. It was a very calm morning and we motored down tied with just the staysail to stabilise us. Despite being a neap tide, the current was very strong and we were making over 6kt as Zeeland hove into view. We had to wait for a large container ship to pass before turning across the Westerschelde to enter Vlissingen. There were a number of other boats waiting for the ship lock into the canal, as apparently there had been a problem with the lock. We passed through a few minutes after the time for the “blue wave”, where a convoy of boats passes through the bridges opening in sequence.

Our destination was just a few miles up in the historic city of Middleburg. Before we could relax and have a kip after our early start, we were introduced to box moorings. I’m sure we entertained the onlookers but with help, managed to get settled.

Molly motoring up to Middleburg (photo courtesy of E. Frenks)

Cruising along Belgium

Saturday sound Molly of Mylor, Puffin Bach, Plum and Moon River in Nieuwport. We had a morning to available to explore before moving on to Blankenburg with the afternoon tide.

The impressive West Front museum. Nieuwpoort was totally destroyed during the Great War and this museum has many artefacts from that time and focusses on the regeneration of the town after the conflict. The walkway around the top of the museum provides and excellent view of the old town.

The “Goose’s Foot” – the river feeds six canals. Early in WW1, and attempt was made to stop the advancing Germans by opening all the gates and flooding the land with seawater. This was only partially successful. The largest canal has a lock which leads to Bruges and beyond.

The ketch Catherina crossing the bows of Plum off Oostende

Molly and Plum moored at Blankenburg with Puffin and Moon river behind

Dinner and planning for the next day’s entry to the Zeeland canals aboard Molly

Channel Crossing

This summer’s main event is to attend the NL OGA 20th anniversary rally in the centre of The Netherlands.

The first leg was a night departure from Gosport, to Eastbourne. After a couple of days visiting my parents, this was followed by a passage to Dover in the company of my father. At Dover, I was joined by my friend Ben, ready for the Channel crossing itself.

We slipped our lines just after 5am and were cleared by VTS through the Eastern entrance. We motored to SW Goodwin and then turned towards France and crossed into the shipping lanes. AIS makes it much easier to judge when to cross.

By the time we had cleared both lanes, the tide had turned against us. The wind was dead astern and we made good boat speed along the French coast but our speed over the ground slowed to just below 3kt at worst. Eventually the tide turned back in our favour, so the last 15M of coastline passed at 5-6kt and we gratefully entered the river leading up to Nieuwpoort harbour about 13 hours after leaving Dover.

Video: Gosport to Eastbourne