Ijmuiden – Zeebrugge 88,4 nm
Getting up early is not really our thing! But today we have to. We want to make the most of the tide and the current to cover the long distance to Zeebrugge. The weather forecast predicts a nice north-easterly wind with a force 3 to a maximum of 4, so we hope to finally be able to set sail. The alarm clock rings at 5:30 a.m. and after a cup of coffee we cast off the lines.
We motor out of the marina and the harbor entrance. Once we have passed the harbor piers, we set sail. The use of a lot of WD40 and new rollers has made a difference and we can set the mainsail without any problems. It was a completely different story on the crossing a few months ago. The genoa is also set and La Ola sets off. At 6 to 8 knots, we sail southwest as if on rails. The endless beaches can be seen on the port side, while one wind farm follows the next on the starboard side. Unfortunately, the sun has yet to make an appearance; instead, a gray haze accompanies us through the morning.
Unfortunately, for once the weather forecast doesn’t suit us today and the wind drops just before Rotterdam. We hoist the sails and fight our way past the many freighters entering and leaving Rotterdam under engine power. As the current is now also against us, progress is slow and laborious. At least the sun comes out at some point and we realize that you can sit very comfortably in the front cockpit while sailing. We also use the calm to clean the boat a little. Axel takes care of the windows in the helm cockpit and I give the gelcoat underneath a good wipe. La Ola is finally starting to look like a well-maintained boat. As the wind just won’t come back, we have to motor the rest of the way and finally arrive in Zeebrugge shortly after 8pm. The friendly harbour master Cis from the Royal Belgium Yacht Club has reserved a great berth for us on the brand new jetties and we are glad to finally have some peace and quiet after several hours of humming. Lucky the cat, who actually quite enjoyed sailing today, also comes out of his cabin and sits with us in the cockpit for a while. We enjoy the calm evening atmosphere with a glass of wine and plan the next few days before we go to bed.
The next morning, it’s back to office work for me. Then a short tour of the marina with the purchase of a few delicious chocolate truffles, followed by more work on the computer. In the afternoon, we set off on our bikes and ride to the supermarket in Heist. Another sailor recommended the Delhaize in the neighboring village and it really leaves nothing to be desired. Why aren’t there supermarkets like this in Germany? We buy delicious fish skewers for the evening, cold cuts, fruit and salad ingredients and are pleased that there will probably be even more of this great selection in France in the near future. Back on board, we clean up and repair my squeaky bike. In the evening, we have grilled fish skewers with a delicious salad and baguette.
The next morning we walk to the church in Zeebrugge. On the way there, we pass a small Spar supermarket where we can buy a day ticket for the bus and train for 7.50 euros per person. Quite cheap compared to the trip to Amsterdam, for which we spent almost 25 euros per person. The streetcar then takes us first to Blankenberge. We spend half an hour there and walk through the very lively pedestrian zone to the beach promenade. What a hustle and bustle of tourists! Shortly before 11 a.m., bus no. 40 takes us to Brugge in 20 minutes. If you’re ever in the area, a trip to this enchanting city is a must. We were here with Hello World back in 2007 and enjoyed a lovely canal tour. Even though we like the sun, today we’re glad that it’s a bit overcast and not quite so hot. It makes sightseeing much more enjoyable. However, we should probably have remembered that a huge cruise ship had docked in Zeebrugge. As a result, the town is jam-packed and you can’t really enjoy the beautiful old houses and alleyways in peace. Nevertheless, we stroll through the less busy side streets and only have to dodge one of the numerous horse-drawn carriages from time to time. After two hours of walking, we stop off at Café ‚t Nieuw Walnutje on the Walplein and enjoy a huge portion of moules frites with Roquefort sauce. Unfortunately, none of the delicious-looking Belgian waffles with cream and strawberries fit inside us afterwards. We wander a little further through the alleyways and finally end up at the train station. Just then, our bus to Blankenberge pulls up and we can make our way home without any delays. We are back on board at around 3 p.m. when it starts to drizzle and are very happy about our good timing. Bruges, like Amsterdam, is definitely worth a visit! However, next time we would probably prefer to visit in the off-season. We spend the rest of the afternoon and evening relaxing on board, filling up the water tanks once again and preparing for tomorrow’s departure to France. While refueling, we chat briefly with Jens from Marieke in Lübeck. He is also on his way south and our paths will probably cross more often. In any case, both boats will continue on to Dunkerque tomorrow.
