San Francisco? Nope - Oostende

Marmalade

Marmalade

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 Feb 2005
Messages
2,362
Location
Essex
Visit site
OK, so despite the cold and wet start to the weekend - we found that our favourite Belgian seaport has been lavishing its taxpayers' money on flashy seafront sculpture and fountains


8871292428_f9ea76735c_c.jpg


Well, I say sculpture - I suppose someone might have just left them there. By accident like.

Mind you, with a sunset behind them they start to look, well, slightly less trashy


8870688309_e94ed45dd8_c.jpg


and as for the fountains - well...watch out Las Vegas!

8870694943_523bb3f7b3_c.jpg


Just for the record, a couple of other pics from the Jewel of the (North Sea) Orient

8871286472_04596b0309_c.jpg


Oh yeah - did I mention they'd erected a big wheel? Sort of an Oostende Eye so to speak

8870661807_67f53619fc_c.jpg
 
As Peter wrote up his Calais trip so well - I thought perhaps an account of our weekend to accompany the pics might be appropriate...

We arrived at Shotley at about 9pm on Thursday evening - Me, Glenn (who some of you will have met) and two friends (a couple) from work - Nick and Sarah. After a brief pow-wow in the Shipwreck we agree on a plan - there's v little wind right now, but it's building; so let's hit the road straight away and motor out to Long Sand Head - about which time we should see some daylight and wind aplenty.

We left Shotley at midnight and Glenn (our strongest stomach) immediately turned in for some kip. I piloted us out to LSH with Nick - forced me to recall my lights / meanings as Nick is an occasional sailor and wanted to know what everything signified. I think I passed! As we reached Long Sand Head and set a course for Oostende the wind got up, but not from the NW as forecast - it was a straight northerly - right on the beam as was the sea. Several days of northerlies had had the usual effect of piling it up on the southern North Sea and the swell was significant. The rolling motion, after a while, had me feeling queasy and I went below to get my head down. That's the beauty of sailing with a crew you can trust with your boat! We saw 25-30kts pretty solidly throughout the trip and arrived in Oostende at midday - a 12 hour crossing, about par for the 84 miles.

Sarah and Nick were on a timetable so headed off on Sunday evening for the eurostar back to London. Glenn and I looked at the forecast and decided Monday (sunshine) was preferable to Tuesday (rain) and that the sea was already starting to flatten after the week of Northerlies. And so it proved:

Sailing back on Monday was a delight (if a little cold still). Sails up in Oostende harbour and we made Languard Point in one tack. The wind started for'ard of the beam but never so much to cause us to pinch - a classic fetch. It came round during the day onto the beam and eased, so we rolled out the half-a-headsail we'd kept back and finished the trip under full canvas in 11hrs. The wind had subsided a lot towards the English coast and our boat speed had dropped - but we weren't in a hurry, so we just sailed in whatever was there and enjoyed the sunshine.

No red diesel check (as always); no visits from officials of any kind - and the Vor Anker festival attracted crowds despite the weather. Unusually v few cloggies in the Montgomery Dock and we were one of only two brits in (although an EAORA race came and went). We returned empties, bought more beer and sampled the moules frites; the croquettes; the filet americain and surreally a new Tepanyaki restaurant. What's not to like?
 
Last edited:
Sailorman's pretty spot on except for some reason (it was night) I went north of cork sand - then out past roughs - out to Long Sand Head - then 130 degrees adjusting a little for tide (ie make sure you arrive uptide of destination). We stayed just south of Sunk.

Camera - these were all taken on a Fuji X100S - I was traveling light!
 
Marmalade said:
Sailorman's pretty spot on except for some reason (it was night) I went north of cork sand - then out past roughs - out to Long Sand Head - then 130 degrees adjusting a little for tide (ie make sure you arrive uptide of destination). We stayed just south of Sunk.

Camera - these were all taken on a Fuji X100S - I was traveling light!
Click to expand...

That might account for the extra 11 miles from Landguard.
i always check-out the best course for the tide Cork Bn or S Cork
A forumite a few yrs ago managed a 90 mile trip, we were in bed when he passed us on a SYH mooring, we were having a bier in the RNSYC when he arrived :cool:
 
Last edited:
sailorman said:
That might account for the extra 11 miles from Landguard.
i always check-out the best course for the tide Cork Bn or S Cork
A forumite a few yrs ago managed a 90 mile trip, we were in bed when he passed us on a SYH mooring, we were having a bier in the RNSYC when he arrived :cool:
Click to expand...

That's just me being stupid actually - I forget I'm in Shotley now - the 84 miles was my old rule of thumb from Ipswich! You're right, of course - Languard to Oostende is 72.5 ish miles
 
Great photo's.

How about joining the 50 boat fleet at the Thirslet this Sunday for the Marconi Cup Start. 10am for a great photo opportunity.

That's not a typo. Over 60 have entered so were expecting FIFTY.
 
apward said:
Great photo's.

How about joining the 50 boat fleet at the Thirslet this Sunday for the Marconi Cup Start. 10am for a great photo opportunity.

That's not a typo. Over 60 have entered so were expecting FIFTY.
Click to expand...

Pete - I'd like to join in, but having checked tides, although I can get the boat down to the Blackwater on Saturday, I'd struggle to get her back after the race on Sunday - flood all afternoon and the ebb doesn't start running until about 8pm. I mentioned in the other thread that if you're still looking for a snapper I'd be happy to oblige...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top