Nieuwport to Dunkerque - Canal or Coast?

[[199490]]

I’ll be heading back to the boat this weekend and, for family reasons, my wife won’t be accompanying me. My intent is to move from Nieuwport to Dunkerque and spend some time visiting wartime sites ( my great uncle died there in WW1 and a cousin of my mother was evacuated in 1940).
The obvious route seems to be the canal to Veurne and on to Dunkerque but I am wondering whether I should run down the coast instead. It would be my first time at sea in the boat ( the river estuaries in Netherlands excepted) and would give me some new experience and give a chance to open her up a bit ( spent the past month and a half pottering about at canal speeds).
Weather looks to be reasonable and the passage straightforward.

 

[DAKA]

I’ll be heading back to the boat this weekend and, for family reasons, my wife won’t be accompanying me. My intent is to move from Nieuwport to Dunkerque and spend some time visiting wartime sites ( my great uncle died there in WW1 and a cousin of my mother was evacuated in 1940).
The obvious route seems to be the canal to Veurne and on to Dunkerque but I am wondering whether I should run down the coast instead. It would be my first time at sea in the boat ( the river estuaries in Netherlands excepted) and would give me some new experience and give a chance to open her up a bit ( spent the past month and a half pottering about at canal speeds).
Weather looks to be reasonable and the passage straightforward.

I would go sea , as you say you can open her up without worrying about wash

 

[Parabordi]

I’ll be heading back to the boat this weekend and, for family reasons, my wife won’t be accompanying me. My intent is to move from Nieuwport to Dunkerque and spend some time visiting wartime sites ( my great uncle died there in WW1 and a cousin of my mother was evacuated in 1940).
The obvious route seems to be the canal to Veurne and on to Dunkerque but I am wondering whether I should run down the coast instead. It would be my first time at sea in the boat ( the river estuaries in Netherlands excepted) and would give me some new experience and give a chance to open her up a bit ( spent the past month and a half pottering about at canal speeds).
Weather looks to be reasonable and the passage straightforward.

I would go by canal and see something of the countryside. Have done it, very pleasant.

 

[[199490]]

I would go by canal and see something of the countryside. Have done it, very pleasant.

I'm going to be seeing the countryside either by E-Bike or rental car (if i find the bike too hard!) from Dunkirk