Ostende and red diesel - BEWARE

[Colvic Watson]

I've seen one, as I mentioned earlier. Next time I'll take a photocopier, and a scanner onboard.

S'OK most in here believe you. After all you've only seen evidence of what the Belgian govt stated that they would do, it's not like it should come as a surprise to anyone.

 

[Vara]

I've seen one, as I mentioned earlier. Next time I'll take a photocopier, and a scanner onboard.

Sorry, I may have given the impression that I was doubting the integrity of some of the posters, that was not the intention.

but to take this issue forward I need to have something more solid than....I was told by an imaginary friend on an Internet forum! As does the RYA, our elected representatives and other interested parties I will be contacting when I have hard evidence.

The nice thing about being retired is that I can devote time and energy to mini campaigns on things that interest me.

 

[Daydream believer]

I agree 100% with Colvic Watson that since the Belgian law is that it's illegal to have red diesel you can't be surprised if you get fined regardless of what documentation or attitude you carry.

However... we are more or less committed to taking part in a 'beginners' really to Ostend at the end of next week, so how can we be 100% sure that we have all of the required paperwork etc. in the correct format?

* Boat name is on both sides of the bow


We have no home port or boat name on transom. Issue? If so what constitutes a 'port' in this context?

On this one - which I have just noticed I can comment - It happened to ME & is NOT second hand

A few years ago I was in Ostend at start of the season. 2 officials - dressed in brown fatigues so assume pilice- boarded & asked to see papers
They pointed out that as I had not got boat name on stern I was liable to a fine. However, they accepted I was a visitor & they did not want to deter tourists they would let me off with a verbal caution

later in the year I stayed there for 2 weeks with my wife. Moored stern on in a box just to the right of the RNSYC
Some officials came aboard & said that there was to be a TV film about the joint action between Belgian, Dutch & British against drug smuggling.
Would we like to be filmed.
Being anti drugs we were more than willing to oblige. The cameras were set up on the pontoon & a couple of customs chaps came aboard & filmed the usual checks & filmed them asking us questions.
An hour after the filming a young policeman came & said that his chief ( who was standing on the wall some way away watching) had noticed we did not have our name on the stern. - no mention of port-We were liable to be fined. I protested that as it was not a condition on UK boats the EU would not insist that we needed it in Belgium. He said he could not comment. He advised us that they were going to examine the film. If the part of the stern did not come up on the film they might turn a blind eye. However, if the film showed the whole transom we would be fined. ( I think he said something like 2000 euro but forget )
I used a felt tip pen & wrote the name on the stern & the young officer came & told me to remove it immediately as his boss thought we were taking the p..ss
Later that evening he returned ( his boss once again stood on the sea wall-- too gutless to come himself) to say all was OK as the stern did not show on film. If we returned to Ostend without said name we would definitely be fined

I now have the name & SSC (for the club) on the stern in minimum 50mm high letters. I have always had the name on the bow both sides

 

[Daydream believer]

I spent August (2015) 24 nights in Ostend.
I had significant amounts of red in the tank although I had receipts for white fuel used in France on a 7 week cruise just before visiting Ostend
In that time I managed to evade any customs visits as i was always lucky enough to be drinking in the RNSYC
Over the period I saw approx 6 UK boats staying . Most for only a couple of nights
I saw 4 of them boarded by police &/or customs- They only went for UK boats & did not touch Dutch boats
i asked each owner after the visit if they had been questioned on fuel
They all said they had not been questioned. They all had amiable chats with the officials. Only one of them said he had changed to white fuel

Simon - the new HM at Ostend says very few UK boats go there anymore & the RNYC & other YC's have protested to the authorities re the effect the legislation has had on UK boats visiting Belgian ports & loss of income but did not comment on the effect of that

As an aside- Ostend is getting more expensive now Robert has retired & the system of charging has been computerised

 

[Koeketiene]

As an aside- Ostend is getting more expensive now Robert has retired & the system of charging has been computerised

Noticed that too

 

[sailorman]

+2 & my last night wqas very noisy as the club had a moules friet night with LOUD so called music until 03.30, we were leaving at 06.00. i will be looking for a free night nxt yr

 

[Marmalade]

Have to admit that we went into Mercator this year - as we were bruised from a really bouncy night last year in NWlies, and there were NWlies forecast. Also - with almost no British yachts in RNSYC the camaraderie reason for berthing there has lessened. We enjoyed a couple of beautifully still nights.

 

[sailorman]

Why not the RYCO

 

[Marmalade]

Habit as much as anything - never been to RYCO on the boat - have passed by when mooching around the neighbourhood - but we love Oostende for the bars and restaurants and RYCO is a way out of town.

 

[Daydream believer]

Why not the RYCO

The RYCO pontoons look old & run down. The marina is in a rather industrialised area with views of the aggregate yard etc & it is quite away from the better parts of the town,
We pedaled bikes to Blankenburgh this year & went past. There seemed very few spare slots & some of the boats looked run down making the whole site look very depressing

 

[Colvic Watson]

Mercator is a great marina, right in the centre of an interesting city and for no more than the swell filled fish dock near the entrance. Sadly Belgium is off the list until they start welcoming us yachties again so it's direct to Flushing next summer.

 

[sailorman]

The RYCO pontoons look old & run down. The marina is in a rather industrialised area with views of the aggregate yard etc & it is quite away from the better parts of the town,
We pedaled bikes to Blankenburgh this year & went past. There seemed very few spare slots & some of the boats looked run down making the whole site look very depressing

its some 30 yrs since i have been up there, we were storm bound in September in an 8m boat, the shops were noticeably cheaper than in town

 

[Stork_III]

The RYCO pontoons were replaced with new electrics and water, about 5 years past, and were then good.. Prior to that they were definitely very ropey especially the electrics. I have always found them very helpful and welcoming. The clubhouse restaurant is very good.

 

[ex-Gladys]

I went to RYCO in 2013, and would go back at the drop of a hat. Patrick, the Harbour master, is very friendly and helpful. The facilities are good, and as said above, the restaurant is lovely. The downsides are: a very steep ramp at low tide, and the smell as the tide drops. There's a tram stop 5 min away (max) that takes you right into the centre, and it's not an unpleasant walk either... Don't tell too many people though!

 

[Daydream believer]

and it's not an unpleasant walk either... Don't tell too many people though!

You have to be joking. It is through an industrial area !!!!
When you come out the marina into the main road there is nothing of interest
Unless you like dodging traffic on the main road or cyclists on the cycle track

But to each his own I suppose

 

[sailorman]

You have to be joking. It is through an industrial area !!!!
When you come out the marina into the main road there is nothing of interest
Unless you like dodging traffic on the main road or cyclists on the cycle track

But to each his own I suppose

That is certainly correct

 

[Colvic Watson]

Is RYCO the one "Robert" used to manage?

 

[Stork_III]

You have to be joking. It is through an industrial area !!!!
When you come out the marina into the main road there is nothing of interest
Unless you like dodging traffic on the main road or cyclists on the cycle track

But to each his own I suppose

You've not seen the teddy bear decoration in the lock pool on the leftover the bridge then?

 

[sailorman]

Is RYCO the one "Robert" used to manage?

No

 

[Daydream believer]

Is RYCO the one "Robert" used to manage?

Robert was in the North Sea Yacht Club's area just inside on the right.
Now managed by Simon plus an assistant (Albert) at busy parts of the year