Trip to Vlissingen - first time!

[phatcat1]

On Saturday 26th, SWMBO and myself are taking our first trip to Vlissingen, up to Middleburgh, the Oestershelde etc for a few days/weekish!

I am struggling to find lock times/hints/help for the Vlissingen locks, and how/when to get up to Middleburgh.

Does anybody have any experience or secret websites that give any useful info?

We have the cruising guide for the netherlands, but lock times and etiquette/hints for Vlissingen locks are vague. Also where is the best place to rest in Vlissingen when we arrive on the Sunday, as we are bound to be knackered!

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

I believe the Vlissingen lock is 24h..... I know that i've turned up in the middle of the night and had no problems....

Its a big lock, and has chains rather than pontoons... so be prepared for that...

There is a small marina just past the lock, but if you can push on for the extra 1.5hrs to Middelburg its worth it.... while there is nothing wrong with the Vlissingen marina, there's also not a lot there....

 

[Athene V30]

Seem to remember from looking at pilot for possible trips that there 2 marinas in Vlissingen?

I know you can only access the canals directly from one, the other you have to go out to 'sea' again and back in. Sorry not been there or have pilot to hand!

Breskens on the South side opposite Vlissingen is very easy to get in / out if you are tired and just want to crash out! Not much there though.

 

[alan17]

[ QUOTE ]
.... while there is nothing wrong with the Vlissingen marina, there's also not a lot there....

[/ QUOTE ]

Just peace and quiet after a longish passage.

 

[alan17]

As you sy there are 2 marinas although I have never been into the one in the town centre. I have been into the other one on 3 occassions. The lock is large, very large. In fact there is also a so called smaller lock that is also by my standards large. Access is 24 hr. I found the entrance difficult to locate in the dark as also is the marina entrance. Just take your time. When I last went in I had the smaller lock to myself. Barely any need to tie up but I did for safety. It feels a little stange going into a loch to enter a country and going down.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

"It feels a little stange going into a loch to enter a country and going down"

hee hee.... yes we thought that too!

And we also found the entrance a little hard to locate....

But once you lock through, you are in a quiet and calm area, that for the first few hundred yards is a little industrial, but then round the corner to the Walcheren canal, and its a different world!

 

[Koeketiene]

IIRC Flushing lock operates 24/7.

Locks on the Middelburg canal 06H00-22H00.

Useful info: http://www.vts-scheldt.net/default.aspx?KL=en&BW=H

Some advice:
1. Get your tides right
2. Try to arrive in daylight - first time round, night time on the Scheldt can be daunting. Think Dover Straits are busy? Think again

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

I'll second that...... its the busiest bit of water i've ever sailed in.

 

[DanTribe]

Second Breskens. Easy entrance if you need to collect your thoughts after a long passage.
Pleasant enough little town, supermarkets, chandlery and cafes nearby. Excellent fish shops/ restaurants.
That's the only place I've been asked for Schengen forms, [by police] so worth having those on board.
The crossing to Vlissingen always seems to be lively.

 

[davidfox]

We are aimimg for the 23rd for a crossing, the Marina at the start of the canal is quite small it is just before the lifting bridge on RHS we stayed there for a couple of days, bit of a walk into town tho'
The drill on locks and bridges is normally just mooch around and they open (small ones that is) if there is a requirement to call someone up, there is normally a board with a VHF channel shown on it.

 

[Marmalade]

I remember getting to flushing one early evening to be told by the bridge that we should stay the night in the flushing marina (really pleasant) as we wouldn't be able to make it to Middleburg before the bridges closed at 9pm.

Someone earlier said 10pm so my info may be out of date. We went up the next morning no probs.

 

[Koeketiene]

[ QUOTE ]
as we wouldn't be able to make it to Middleburg before the bridges closed at 9pm.

Someone earlier said 10pm so my info may be out of date. We went up the next morning no probs.

[/ QUOTE ]

I meant 22H00 local time.
Assuming you meant 21H00 UK time, then we're both right /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[alldownwind]

Confirm 2200 local. Just been there.
No need at all to contact anyone about the bridges up to Middelberg. They will open, eventually. The 2 on the canal at Middleberg itself can be slow in rush hour, that's all.

 

[ditchcrawler]

Keep your fenders in the water in the Vlis lock.There is a boom at water level each side of the lock & you need very low fenders.

 

[sailorman]

they are "Baulks" of watedlogged softwood & wont cause damage to topsides

 

[Jomo]

Can I assume that if you reply to me that you'll be on post 9999 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Or have I drunk too much and am seeing double /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[sailorman]

Ooooooooooooo /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
10K /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
what a sad barsteward /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[rudolph_hart]

Would recommend going to Breskens first, because it's the easiest to find and enter.

From there, it's only a short hop across to the lock into the Walcheren canal, but this is better done in daylight, because of the 'heavy stuff' in the Westerschelde, and the lock is behind a breakwater around which you have to do a 'handbrake turn' to port.

The (very frequent) Flushing-Breskens car ferries also berth right next to the lock.

The other Flushing marina has an exposed entrance which can get very hairy in wind-over-tide conditions. It's almost invisible until the last minute.

Hope this helps.

 

[davidfox]

There really is no problem finding either Marina

 

[bromleybysea]

The small marina through the locks at Flushing, just before the start of the Walcheren canal, is delightful and peaceful and it's near the railway station so good for crew changes.