MoodySabre
Well-Known Member
The voor Anker of course. It is also a good stop on the way to or from Holland - an easy daylight crossing.
Red diesel in Ostend
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Otter
Well-Known Member
+ A nice inner harbour, right in the town centre, easy access to a good supermarket, friendly locals, good shops, reasonable charges
- Over zealous interpretation of other countries' taxation laws
- Over zealous interpretation of other countries' taxation laws
nortada
Well-Known Member
Bit like Ipswich or Woodbridge but with the additional possible fun of a large fine?
wingdiver
Well-Known Member
Bizzarely, we end up going to Blamkenberge on our way to Holland.
Always liked it there for some weird reason. It's also around 90nm from here so a good ay trip.
Been to Niewpoort and Ostende too in other boat but not this one.
Waiting to go back.
Always liked it there for some weird reason. It's also around 90nm from here so a good ay trip.
Been to Niewpoort and Ostende too in other boat but not this one.
Waiting to go back.
wingdiver
Well-Known Member
Where is the Dutch version of that available?
Might just by-pass dear old Belgium and all it's treasures and go stright over to Holland next year.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
Your choice i guess but Ipswich, even last w/e would come no where near last May in Oostende. whole areas of the town cordoned off to traffic
Champagne Murphy
Well-Known Member
Other than being there, what are the attractions of Ostend?
Whelk soup in red OR green.
(There is no Smilie for feeling nauseous)
benw
Well-Known Member
Another vote for Blankenberge, our kids love the place. Great beach and friendly Havenmeisters. Interesting departure in dark on first trip with the sound of waves breaking on the pier, enough to make you start questioning what was ahead of you.
Otter
Well-Known Member
More like Ipswich than Wodbridge
Voor Anker looks a lot of fun, shame it's only once a year.
Is Blankenberge access at any tidal state?
sailorman
Well-Known Member
More like Ipswich than Wodbridge
Voor Anker looks a lot of fun, shame it's only once a year.
Is Blankenberge access at any tidal state?
no & not in on shore winds above about a 5. you are then in a dull marina, or 3, removed from the town
Cantata
Well-Known Member
In Blankenberge, we used the one on the E side of the Visserhaven twice last year, belongs to the Royal Scarphout (sp?) YC I think, much closer to the town and Havenmeister a jolly friendly chap. We like the place too. Stayed away from Belgium though this year for the usual reason.
wingdiver
Well-Known Member
Never been in the old Visserhaven on the port side as you come in.
We have moored on the stbd side in the main marina (VVW?). Nice posh clubhouse and showers, furthest from the town (unless you take the ferry across between the two entrance piers). Nice beach that side and near a solitary supermarket.
Have also moored in the middle of the big marina area (North Sea Seasailors?) showers miles away (other side of tram line).
No further from town than RNSYC Ostend. Plenty of shops, and a market too and Kosttram stops nearby.
Never had a problem getting in on any state of the tide. It does silt up on the stbd side of the entrance naturally but the dredger from Zeebrugge pops in regularly to clear it.
Sheltered and no swell from the sea.
Havenmeisters competer for your business as you enter and take you to a free berth and help you moor up too.
We have moored on the stbd side in the main marina (VVW?). Nice posh clubhouse and showers, furthest from the town (unless you take the ferry across between the two entrance piers). Nice beach that side and near a solitary supermarket.
Have also moored in the middle of the big marina area (North Sea Seasailors?) showers miles away (other side of tram line).
No further from town than RNSYC Ostend. Plenty of shops, and a market too and Kosttram stops nearby.
Never had a problem getting in on any state of the tide. It does silt up on the stbd side of the entrance naturally but the dredger from Zeebrugge pops in regularly to clear it.
Sheltered and no swell from the sea.
Havenmeisters competer for your business as you enter and take you to a free berth and help you moor up too.
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
Blankenberge has its attractions - in a Blackpool kind of way.
Well stocked swindlery starboard side of the entrance. An average more expensive than the UK, but a convenient place to shop when you're in urgent need of something.
A marine engineering site can be found next door.
Silting can be an issue. Local almanac advises entry +/-3HW off season (Oct-Apr). The entrance is only dredged May - September.
Scarphout (old harbour) is the most expensive of the three marinas (and I my experience also rather snobbish).
The VNZ (Vrije Noordzee Zeilers - Free North Sea Sailors) in the new harbour (port side) offers basic but clean shower/toilets but has quite possibly one of the friendliest club houses anywhere. Good and very reasonably priced food and drink and very pleasant company.
VVW - new harbour/starboard side. Furthest from town. Infrastructure is supposed to be very good. Can't comment myself: never been there - never will. (personal/political reasons)
DanTribe
Well-Known Member
That's got me intrigued now.
What political reasons would stop one from visiting a marina?
sailorman
Well-Known Member
That's got me intrigued now.
What political reasons would stop one from visiting a marina?
Banned
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
That's got me intrigued now.
What political reasons would stop one from visiting a marina?
VVW has a distinct Flemish nationalist/separatist signature.
The UK equivalent would be a marina run by Plaid Cymru or the SNP.
DanTribe
Well-Known Member
Ah, I understand.
On my first visit to Belgium I was surprised at the antagonism between French & Flemish speakers.
We had to leave the boat in Nieuwpoort and were directed from the visitors berth onto a residents area. Some locals beckoned us to their pontoon saying "don't go over there, the're all French, we're Flemish".
When I complimented one guy on his English he said it was because his wife was a French speaker and pretended not to understand Flemish and he wouldn't speak French, so they communicated in English!
I'm not sure that he was joking.
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
This is not really that widespread - though the Flemish nationalists/separatists are a very vocal minority.
And the example you gave seems particularly extreme - you wonder why they got hitched in the first place.
Just feel that 'language' is a stupid reason to want to break up a country.
Plenty of multi-lingual countries around in Europe. I think it enriches people rather than anything else.
No-one's arguing that Switzerland should be broken up.
wingdiver
Well-Known Member
Is it true that political in-fighting along those lines left Belgium unable to sort out a parliament for some while?
Marmalade
Well-Known Member
OR4751;3712083Y said:
Isn't Flemish a dialect of Dutch anyway?
