Week 3 Oostende to Zeeland
Thursday 4th June winds gusting 25-30mph, sunshine and showers
The day started wet and windy so we unfurled our raincoats and set off walking along the very long beach to the Atlantic wall. We sheltered from a particularly heavy downpour in the cafe of an iconic hotel that is being restored.
We walked about 5 miles along the windswept promenade to reach the Atlantikwall Raversyde, one of the last remaining parts of the extensive system of coastal defences built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia. It was an interesting and extensive museum with some additional First World War history.
We caught a tram back to Oostende and enjoyed a belated lunch of Belgian waffles. Learning from our Ramsgate cruffin experience, we had one each 😋
Friday winds westerly 16-27mph
We had a relaxed start, a shower, a little laundry and boat cleaning. We found a place for a lunchtime main meal so we could catch the tide to Vlissingen. A delicious meal, they do very good crispy chips in Belgium. We untied at 1:30pm and motored Captiva out of Oostende. We kept one reef in the mainsail for most of the journey up past Zebrugge to the Netherlands coast. We turned into the Schelde estuary being very careful around the large ships also entering (200 to 300 per day). Then crossed the estuary to the entrance for Vlissingen and waited for the lock to open. Once we left the lock we motored up to the Jacht Haven Schelde. We had a restful evening listening to the music from the nearby Vlissingen maritime festival (Police, Queen and Fleetwood Mac tribute bands). It sounded a bit like some of the festivals that take place in Falmouth 😂
Saturday wet and windy
We walked into Vlissingen and despite the weather enjoyed seeing the tall ships and other interesting boats at the maritime festival. As the wind increased we sheltered in a bar then returned to Captiva for a fish curry. The winds had increased to 40mph so we decided against returning to the maritime festival for the evening music (just as well as we didn’t recognise any of it 😬)
Sunday Sun, clouds 15mph winds
We returned to Vlissingen to experience it in sunshine. We walked along the promenade where the shipping lanes are very close to the shore. There was a large group of very brave sea swimmers. We stopped for coffee before returning to the boat. We enjoyed our visit to the much larger, original, Dutch Flushing. 🇳🇱🇬🇧
On hearing that the bridge was about to open we readied Captiva for our first venture into the Dutch canals. The journey to Middelburg involved the opening of six bridges along the Walcheren Canal, mostly in convoy with other boats. We were following a traditional Dutch sailing boat for most of the way.
We tied up past the final bridge in the centre of town. After a walk around Middelburg, the capital of Zeeland, we enjoyed an evening meal in a Dutch pub. We both chose tasty “deluxe” schnitzel and chips.
Monday, grey start with rain later
After an unhurried breakfast we walked 4.5 miles to a village called Arnemuiden. We found that nearly everything but the supermarket was closed on a Monday. We topped up our food reserves then returned to Middelburg by train. All we had achieved was an increase in our step count 🙃 We had lunch in Middelburg where interesting places like the enormous museum were also closed on a Monday. We sat in the boat cockpit and watched a procession of 15 motor boats from Norfolk arrive when the bridge opened. The threatened downpours of rain followed, so we retreated into the main cabin for dinner.
Tuesday winds light then breezy mid afternoon, quieter in the evening
After breakfast we left Middelburg and made our way towards the tideless saltwater lake, Veerse Meer. This was once open to the North Sea but between 1954 and 1997 the inventive Dutch closed off the delta creating an inland lake reclaiming land from sea.
After navigating the Schutsluis lock we tied up near the entrance to Veere. There was a strong trading relationship between Veere and Scotland in the 17th to late 18th century. The large Scottish population meant that the first Scottish Kirk on foreign soil was built here.
Historically there was trade in Scottish wool, salmon and skins. We saw sheep in the surrounding fields and found a shop selling sheep related products.
After an enjoyable lunch, which included apple strudel, we motored along a windy Veerse Meer to Delta marina at Kortgene. Fortunately the winds died down in the evening.
Wednesday cloud and sun
After doing some washing and a few chores we motored along Veerse Meer towards the large Zandkreeksluis lock and bridge which is the entrance to the Oosterschelde. We were joined by the fleet of British yachts we saw in Middelburg. “More boats than the British Navy” was Richard’s observation. We were raised up by the lock which meant the lateral red and green buoys were reversed in the Oosterschelde as we had travelled uphill and were now going uostream. It is important when navigating to know this. It reminded us of our time in the Caledonian Canal, although more confusing here because the landscape is so flat compared to Scotland.
The Oosterschelde was a much larger expanse of water. We had to go around a mussel farm and saw large cargo boats traversing the water. We arrived at the lock entrance of Bruinisse and tied ourselves to the waiting pontoon. When the lock and bridge finally opened a massive barge that had filled the whole lock emerged. We then had to wait for another barge to enter then cut its engine. Once the turbulence had declined we entered the lock with four other yachts and a motor boat. When leaving the lock we had to wait for the turbulence from the barge to settle before we could exit, everyone wobbled around a lot. We tied up in the marina near the lock and enjoyed a meal (that included local mussels) ashore. A quiet and peaceful place on Grevelingenmeer in Oosterschelde National Park, rich in plant life, birds and seals.
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