All_at_Sea
Active member
Anyone recommend where to stop enroute to Holland? Also any updates on the Belgium view on red diesel? I think I read they are being more lenient but has anyone recent experience of visiting?
Visiting Belgium
- Thread starter All_at_Sea
- Start date
Koeketiene
Well-known member
Belgium/red diesel has only recently been discussed here: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?431635-Red-Diesel-saga&highlight=red+diesel
westhinder
Well-known member
Nieuwpoort: closest to France and the Channel. Belgium's major yachting centre, over 2000 boats, 3 clubs, all the facilities you may need. 2 Diesel pontoons. Yacht harbours not in the town centre. New at VVW is a shop that sells great bread and basic food supplies. Breskens, Vlissingen and Oosterschelde all within a daysail.
Oostende: 2 marinas in the centre of town, so very convenient for restaurant, shops, supermarkets. Most yachting supplies, but less close at hand than Nieuwpoort. No Diesel.
Blankenberge has just been dredged, so access should be ok, but If you draw over 2m take a good margin around LW. Always beware in strong onshore winds. Good facilities, shopping, Diesel.
Zeebrugge: a long way inside a major commercial harbour. Can be a long wait to get in or out when large ships are manouvering. Entrance is safe in all weathers, but the water off the entrance is always more choppy due to the volume of water being forced auround the outer harbour. In wind against tide the waves off the entrance are large and square.
All yachting facilities, but shops are a long walk from the marina. A new small marina has been opened on the village side of the old fishing dock.
So far no problems have been reported with Customs and red Diesel this year.
sailorman
Well-known member
We expect to be over Friday / Saturday this week. all weather dependent as swmbo will be o/b as sole crew
jerrytug
N/A
Hi All_at_Sea, Dunkerque is easy to enter and tie up, and has a great maritime museum including a tour of the old lightship and a square rigger, and the superb and sobering war museum. The rest of it needs bombarding again.
Oostende has a good little historic trawler museum, plus a square rigger museum ship, and the mussels, or just chips with curry sauce or mayo, along the seafront are fantastic. Quite a characterful town, worth pulling in for a look, go for the RNSYC.
Zeebrugge is a huge commercial/military harbour, apart from the submarine museum the town's rather dull.
Scheveningen is a large boring marina development, the town might be of minor historical interest, easy to get in there though, if the tide serves.
If/when I pass by that way again, Rotterdam is getting visited properly, for two or three days, fascinating docks and shipping, plus galleries and museums. Don't let the dire warnings about heavy shipping traffic put you off, just work out your radio channels for each sector of the river, announce your self and listen out. There is a choice of reasonably priced city centre yacht marinas. The Seamens' Mission, is open to all mariners basically, cheap food, bar, internet, laundry, etc etc, doesn't matter if you don't have a discharge book.
Just a few thoughts anyway, cheers Jerry
Oostende has a good little historic trawler museum, plus a square rigger museum ship, and the mussels, or just chips with curry sauce or mayo, along the seafront are fantastic. Quite a characterful town, worth pulling in for a look, go for the RNSYC.
Zeebrugge is a huge commercial/military harbour, apart from the submarine museum the town's rather dull.
Scheveningen is a large boring marina development, the town might be of minor historical interest, easy to get in there though, if the tide serves.
If/when I pass by that way again, Rotterdam is getting visited properly, for two or three days, fascinating docks and shipping, plus galleries and museums. Don't let the dire warnings about heavy shipping traffic put you off, just work out your radio channels for each sector of the river, announce your self and listen out. There is a choice of reasonably priced city centre yacht marinas. The Seamens' Mission, is open to all mariners basically, cheap food, bar, internet, laundry, etc etc, doesn't matter if you don't have a discharge book.
Just a few thoughts anyway, cheers Jerry
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thalassa
Member
A busy coastal tram line connects all these places, fine if you are stuck with marginal weather. Bruges is only a short train hop from Ostend or Blankenberghe.
Pords
Member
I too am leaving this weekend heading for Neiupoort for a few days. Expect to arrive in VVW Marina on Tuesday morning Setting of from Gillingham Saturday night with a stop at Queenborough, Ramsgate and Dunkerque on route.
sailorman
Well-known member
Us, Harwich > Oostende, then Holland, no itinerary but hope to see a goodly part of it