'New Look' Ostend

[Koeketiene]

What the Ostend harbour entrance should look like as from this Summer.

This is a link to a .pdf file (approx 7MB) about the entire project.

The text is in Dutch, but all the pictures are in English and should tell the story well enough.

 

[jerrytug]

That will be a brilliant spot to drop the hook,just off the beach! (as if...)

 

[Koeketiene]

That will be a brilliant spot to drop the hook,just off the beach! (as if...)

In Summer, most locals prefer to drop the hook a tad further to the North - just off the Bredene nudist beach

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Brill... that should stop the swell into RNSYC!

 

[davidfox]

Looks good, whats the latest on the Red diesel situation? is it still a problem with the Belgiums or have they started to take a veiw? Have not heard much about it recently, any negative feed back from anyone last summer? I must say i would like to go over this spring again, i feel the need for some fluorescent seafood from one of the 100's of stalls

 

[sailorman]

Looks good, whats the latest on the Red diesel situation? is it still a problem with the Belgiums or have they started to take a veiw? Have not heard much about it recently, any negative feed back from anyone last summer? I must say i would like to go over this spring again, i feel the need for some fluorescent seafood from one of the 100's of stalls

ask Gus Lewis RYA

 

[Champagne Murphy]

Went in there twice, no probs. Robert in his usual forceful way!

 

[Koeketiene]

Looks good, whats the latest on the Red diesel situation?

Went twice - no-one bothered me.

According to Robert, the 'red diesel witch hunt' is somewhat on the back burner.
Douane tried to fine 2 Belgian flagged yachts for having red diesel bought in the UK (the only diesel available).
Those two owners - with deep pockets and armed with expensive lawyers - decided to fight the fine and take the Douane to court.
After much legal wrangling, the judge said he would not rule till there came clarification from Europe (expected some time this year).
Till that ruling comes Douane seems to be lying low. Though officially their stance on the issue hasn't changed.

Depending on the ruling, I expect that either the whole issue will disappear or that Douane will go after yachts with a vengeance.

 

[sailorman]

Went in there twice, no probs. Robert in his usual forceful way!

Were you "Mentally Prepared"

 

[Champagne Murphy]

Were you "Mentally Prepared"

We were this time, he didn't even come down from the club to yell at us!
"Murphy! Is that you? If anyone tries to berth outside you you're to tell them to p--s off!"
All at 100db in front of a packed marina. The next couple were in a really lovely Brit couple in a wooden boat, we hadn't got the heart to say anything but Robert had gone home by them!

Perhaps we could start a thread on 'Robert stories'

 

[sailorman]

We were this time, he didn't even come down from the club to yell at us!
"Murphy! Is that you? If anyone tries to berth outside you you're to tell them to p--s off!"
All at 100db in front of a packed marina. The next couple were in a really lovely Brit couple in a wooden boat, we hadn't got the heart to say anything but Robert had gone home by them!

Perhaps we could start a thread on 'Robert stories'

Dont forget vor Anker 26/05

 

[Champagne Murphy]

How long? How much book ahead? Classics? etc, etc

 

[sailorman]

How long? How much book ahead? Classics? etc, etc

us with MABs dont / cant book. Robert does not refuse custom .
we expect to go over Thursday, rtn Sunday

 

[Champagne Murphy]

Ah! You interest me strangely (Bertie WoosteR).
I'll pick a moment to run it past the management

 

[sailorman]

Ah! You interest me strangely (Bertie WoosteR).
I'll pick a moment to run it past the management

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=oostende+vor+anker+2012&qpvt=oostende+vor+anker+2012&FORM=VDRE

 

[davidfox]

Went twice - no-one bothered me.

According to Robert, the 'red diesel witch hunt' is somewhat on the back burner.
Douane tried to fine 2 Belgian flagged yachts for having red diesel bought in the UK (the only diesel available).
Those two owners - with deep pockets and armed with expensive lawyers - decided to fight the fine and take the Douane to court.
After much legal wrangling, the judge said he would not rule till there came clarification from Europe (expected some time this year).
Till that ruling comes Douane seems to be lying low. Though officially their stance on the issue hasn't changed.

Depending on the ruling, I expect that either the whole issue will disappear or that Douane will go after yachts with a vengeance.

So it looks like it might be safe to go over for the Vor Anker this year, I must say I wondered how long it would take until they lost interest.

 

[wingdiver]

Went twice - no-one bothered me.

According to Robert, the 'red diesel witch hunt' is somewhat on the back burner.
Douane tried to fine 2 Belgian flagged yachts for having red diesel bought in the UK (the only diesel available).
Those two owners - with deep pockets and armed with expensive lawyers - decided to fight the fine and take the Douane to court.
After much legal wrangling, the judge said he would not rule till there came clarification from Europe (expected some time this year).
Till that ruling comes Douane seems to be lying low. Though officially their stance on the issue hasn't changed.

Depending on the ruling, I expect that either the whole issue will disappear or that Douane will go after yachts with a vengeance.

It would be nice to get some certainty on this as I'm fed up with trundling along the south coast for my summer hols.
We need some official statement but there seems little chance.
The RYA site is about a year out of date and too vague.
The Dutch stuff is about as bad.
As for the Belgian position, despite Robert being 'God' I can't take his word that I will not get picked on and fined - as he will not pay it for me if I do. With 1600 litres on board (in my tanks) that would be foolhardy in the least. Especially galling to think i could be fined when I have paid more per litre for it than the locals over there do for their white!
You would have thought the ports and marina towns would be up in arms at their respective governments due to the lack of local trade in their bars and shops from UK yachtsmen.
Perhaps thats why there was an amnesty for the Vor Anker last year - or am I just cynical.

 

[Koeketiene]

You would have thought the ports and marina towns would be up in arms at their respective governments due to the lack of local trade in their bars and shops from UK yachtsmen.

You overestimate the importance of trade from UK yachtsman.
Contrary to popular belief this side of the Channel, UK sailors are not big spenders when going abroad.
Many prefer to eat on board (Fray Bentos, etc...) while swilling down whatever pint of beer they got for less than £1 in Tesco.
Bars and restaurants along the Belgian coast aren't really all that cheap and well, the food just looks too foreign.

Not so long ago, substantially more UK yachts visited Belgium. This was for one reason and one reason only: to stock up on duty-free fags and booze. General Stores employed 5 people and delivered to all marinas along the Belgian coast - from Nieuwpoort to Zeebrugge.
Then HMRC boarded and fined a couple of yachts off Harwich returning from an Ostend rally and trade dried up virtually overnight.
General Stores is now a one-man band and delivers to Ostend only. Even the East Coast's most well-known 'smuggler' now shops at Delhaize.

So, UK yachts stopped visiting Belgium in any great number long before this whole red diesel thing kicked off.
And the Dutch and the Germans seem to have taken up the slack. Mostly because more of them tend to avoid the UK as they risk being fined for having red diesel in their tanks when returning to their own countries.

This picture was taken in Ostend last year, in mid 'red diesel scare'. The place does not look empty to me.

Perhaps thats why there was an amnesty for the Vor Anker last year - or am I just cynical.

I think you are. That amnesty was never 'official' (as in written) - just a claim made by the organisers. It did not carry any more or less weight than my report from Robert.
And again, UK participants are just a drop in the ocean. They never make double digits.
When you check the Oostende Voor Anker website/Facebook page, for the 2013 edition there are currently 154 entrants - only 6 of them British. Given the fact that the festival is massively oversubscribed each year, I doubt that there would be one empty berth if the 6 UK entrants did not show up.

 

[sailorman]

You overestimate the importance of trade from UK yachtsman.
Contrary to popular belief this side of the Channel, UK sailors are not big spenders when going abroad.
Many prefer to eat on board (Fray Bentos, etc...) while swilling down whatever pint of beer they got for less than £1 in Tesco.
Bars and restaurants along the Belgian coast aren't really all that cheap and well, the food just looks too foreign.

Not so long ago, substantially more UK yachts visited Belgium. This was for one reason and one reason only: to stock up on duty-free fags and booze. General Stores employed 5 people and delivered to all marinas along the Belgian coast - from Nieuwpoort to Zeebrugge.
Then HMRC boarded and fined a couple of yachts off Harwich returning from an Ostend rally and trade dried up virtually overnight.
General Stores is now a one-man band and delivers to Ostend only. Even the East Coast's most well-known 'smuggler' now shops at Delhaize.

So, UK yachts stopped visiting Belgium in any great number long before this whole red diesel thing kicked off.
And the Dutch and the Germans seem to have taken up the slack. Mostly because more of them tend to avoid the UK as they risk being fined for having red diesel in their tanks when returning to their own countries.

This picture was taken in Ostend last year, in mid 'red diesel scare'. The place does not look empty to me.

I think you are. That amnesty was never 'official' (as in written) - just a claim made by the organisers. It did not carry any more or less weight than my report from Robert.
And again, UK participants are just a drop in the ocean. They never make double digits.
When you check the Oostende Voor Anker website/Facebook page, for the 2013 edition there are currently 154 entrants - only 6 of them British. Given the fact that the festival is massively oversubscribed each year, I doubt that there would be one empty berth if the 6 UK entrants did not show up.

The Cloggies are well known for "Living off of the ship" when abroad too.
they might buy bread & milk , local.

 

[Koeketiene]

The Cloggies are well known for "Living off of the ship" when abroad too.
they might buy bread & milk , local.

More so when they're in France as most of them don't speak the lingo.
Again, according to Robert, they tend to spend quite a lot in Belgium.
In Summer, the RNSYC restaurant is filled with Cloggies every night. When was the last time you ate there?