Ostend

2 September 2015

After Sail Royal Greenwich a group of friends from Rotterdam came aboard for the trip to Rotterdam. The first night we had a quiet drink on the ship and the next morning we left. The weather forecasts were very good with a 3 Bft from the west. 
We went all the way up the Thames for one last time to admire the Tower Bridge, before we went to sea. Along with the tide so we sailed down the river and on to the estuary. The tide was still good so we passed by Margate that evening and left the coast behind us. 
Unfortunately the wind was not too strong with only 2 Bft.  But we sailed on and by morning we arrived at Dunkirk between the banks. There we decided to start the engine to help the weak wind a bit and push us to Ostend. 
We arrived there in the late afternoon and just in time for drinks on deck. And since the weather was so nice and quiet we got the BBQ out and put some steak and tuna on for dinner. 
Now everyone is still on deck enjoying a glass of wine and at midnight we will be casting off again to sail to Rotterdam. The wind will be calm tonight and the forecast predicts that it will increase by morning. We all hope that will really happen as we look forward to enter the New Waterway and Nieuwe Maas under full rigging. 
We’ll see tomorrow.