Red diesel fines in Belgium - names and details in this month's Yachting Monthly

I suspect that RYA protestations, EU Rules UN Conventions and the scepticism expressed in this forum matter not a jot if one is unfortunate enough to run up against the wrong 'Jobsworth'. Fortunate for most these types appear to be few and far between and perhaps you can appeal and protest to your MEP, but a 500 Euro fine would certainly put a damper on what should be an enjoyable and possibly once in a lifetime adventure.

I go back to my comments in the Sticky, and will avoid Belgium until the position is officially resolved.
 
Love the way Fishing is aligned with Pollution, Weapons practice and spying all considered to be not Innocent.

Fishermen or as one local old salt puts it, "rapists of the sea" :nonchalance:

Slightly off topic but my daughter calls fishing boats "Yacht mine layers" due to the number of yacht mines they leave between the Ness and Flexistowe.
 
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Tradewinds said:
What's this bit about having the name painted on the side?
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To me it basically means I don't have to argue or fight anyone to spend my money. I would just go somewhere else. These days SWMBO prefers to stay coastal anyhow and more often than not just in the rivers. It is her boat.
 
It's a real pain, we are going Dutch next year in order to explore the German Frisians but I don't fancy the Harwich Flushing route. It's a night passage and we don't like those at all. I've done them before but it really spooks SWMBO. I guess it's the only alternative or risk a €500 fine if the crew roster is folded in the wrong way or I'm wearing the wrong sort of hat.
 
Colvic Watson said:
It's a real pain, we are going Dutch next year in order to explore the German Frisians but I don't fancy the Harwich Flushing route. It's a night passage and we don't like those at all. I've done them before but it really spooks SWMBO. I guess it's the only alternative or risk a €500 fine if the crew roster is folded in the wrong way or I'm wearing the wrong sort of hat.
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Your hat wouldnt be the first thing they noticed :encouragement:
 
Colvic Watson said:
It's a real pain, we are going Dutch next year in order to explore the German Frisians but I don't fancy the Harwich Flushing route. It's a night passage and we don't like those at all. I've done them before but it really spooks SWMBO. I guess it's the only alternative or risk a €500 fine if the crew roster is folded in the wrong way or I'm wearing the wrong sort of hat.
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I have done Shotley to Breskens in daylight hours. Leave predawn, daylight at Landguard, into Breskens before dusk on to the Visitor's linear berths just inside the Marina. Helps to get the tide right up the coast and into the Westerschelde. The HM will come and find you in the morning. Alternative is into Roompot, 24 hr lock (except midnight to 6am Sunday morning) then into Roompot marina vistor's linear.
 
Colvic Watson said:
It's a real pain, we are going Dutch next year in order to explore the German Frisians but I don't fancy the Harwich Flushing route. It's a night passage and we don't like those at all. I've done them before but it really spooks SWMBO. I guess it's the only alternative or risk a €500 fine if the crew roster is folded in the wrong way or I'm wearing the wrong sort of hat.
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You could always ask on here if there is someone around who would like to help with the crossing. There are often people needing sea miles and night passages for qualifications. That way SWMBO could rest easy.
BTW, what is your average speed?
 
wingdiver said:
You could always ask on here if there is someone around who would like to help with the crossing. There are often people needing sea miles and night passages for qualifications. That way SWMBO could rest easy.
BTW, what is your average speed?
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Sailing it's an honest 4.5k through the water in a F4, though give us a spanking F5 and we tramp along at 6k through the water; motoring about 6.5k comfortable and economic cruising, 8.5k at WOT. One of the problems with the crossing is you get very little tidal assistance unless you're less than about 3 miles out. There's also a terrifying tidal gate to get right for Flushing - we got it wrong once and craaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwled along at 1.5k :o
 
Colvic Watson said:
Sailing it's an honest 4.5k through the water in a F4, though give us a spanking F5 and we tramp along at 6k through the water; motoring about 6.5k comfortable and economic cruising, 8.5k at WOT. One of the problems with the crossing is you get very little tidal assistance unless you're less than about 3 miles out. There's also a terrifying tidal gate to get right for Flushing - we got it wrong once and craaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwled along at 1.5k :o
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Breskens is the answer. All tide, nearer, less crush and it gives you the chance to go over to Flushing at leisure. The tidal gate to avoid is the ebb from the Schelde. Depends on the time of year and how much daylight there is but in mid-summer you could easily do Breskens in daylight as long as you start early.
 
Colvic Watson said:
Sailing it's an honest 4.5k through the water in a F4, though give us a spanking F5 and we tramp along at 6k through the water; motoring about 6.5k comfortable and economic cruising, 8.5k at WOT. One of the problems with the crossing is you get very little tidal assistance unless you're less than about 3 miles out. There's also a terrifying tidal gate to get right for Flushing - we got it wrong once and craaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwled along at 1.5k :o
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Was writing this while Champagne Murphy posted hence duplication..........:o
Our last boat averaged 6kts motorsailing - a bit less motoring (especially when the engine temperature went a little high).
At that speed Foxs to Blankenberge (90nm) took us 15 hours.
I would suggest Breskens as a first stop rather than Flushing as there is no additional time spent in a lock to add at the end of a long trip (when you will also be tired). That would also give you three choices for the next leg - round the outside, via Middelberg etc or down the Westerschelde.
If you moored the previous evening around Harwich it would be around 90nm to Breskens. Setting off at first light (twilight, not sunrise) you should easily make Breskens before it got dark, even if you had to push the tide for a bit on the other side.
If you plan to go inside to get to the Frisians, why now go further down the Westerschelde on your next leg to Hansweert and lock in there. Once through, you are in the eastern end of the Oosterschelde and have avoided the three locks and four bridges on the way through Middelberg and the Veersemeer. You can always come that way on the way back if you have time.
Wemeldinge at the head of the canal beyond Hansweert has a shallow beach - ideal for kids.
If you go the outside route, Schevenigham is around 55nm, from Breskens, Ijmuiden another 25nm and Den Helder another 35nm
 
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Thanks all, that seems possible. I reckon a 2am departure from Harwich would be permitted ;) . Personally, although I've done many night passages I still really dislike them, the sense of disorientation and the foreshortened lights. 2am gives us 18 hours. The passage will be in early July so it's a very short night. I like the outside route, going north you get a seven hour tide but the family does live the Versemeer.

Now we've got that sorted, no need for a Belgian fine.
 
I know my boat is a bit faster but we find Lowestoft-Ijmuiden by far the easiest way to the Frisians. Den Helder would be better but I would then lose some beauty sleep. For a shorter crossing, the Roompot is hardly longer than Flushing or Breskens and gets you one day nearer to where you want to be. If you are doing the Frisians and coming back late July/August, the odds are that you will be traversing the Netherlands anyway and motoring through all those canals twice would drive me potty. To give you an idea, we have done the Baltic run ten times and only once did we have the weather to return outside the Dutch coast, this year.
 
The current thinking is not to come back, at least for two or three years, mooring the boat in Denmark. But that may be another year or two off, we do like Foxs.
 
We visited Oostende and Antwerp a few weeks ago. As usual we filled out a crew list. As usual they laughed at us (Mercator on this occasion) but agreed to stamp the form so if I was boarded I could prove I'd tried. They stamped the form. We weren't boarded. We did the trip back to Shotley from Breskens - 14hrs. You do need to time the exit from Breskens so you don't spend the first hour fighting out of the river - after that it's cross tide
 
Marmalade said:
We visited Oostende and Antwerp a few weeks ago. As usual we filled out a crew list. As usual they laughed at us (Mercator on this occasion) but agreed to stamp the form so if I was boarded I could prove I'd tried. They stamped the form. We weren't boarded. We did the trip back to Shotley from Breskens - 14hrs. You do need to time the exit from Breskens so you don't spend the first hour fighting out of the river - after that it's cross tide
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The harbourmaster at Nieuwpoort accepted my Schengen forms, duly stamped and photocopied them, but i suspect he did it just to get rid of me. They probably went in the bin as I left.
 
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