It has been a case of ‘all change’ in the week following our departure from Ooltgensplaat. Although the sky was mainly clear as we departed there was a definite end of summer feel to the weather as we sailed to the Volkeraksluis ready to sail up through into the Hollandsch Diep. We had prepared and …
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Ooltgensplaat
Our next off-piste adventure was to take us to a small port that we had discovered in 2017 on the Grevelingenmeer called Ooltgensplaat. We called in out of necessity then but loved it and decided it was a must visit destination this year. Without tides to consider passage planning is fairly straightforward but I am …
Oosterschelde
After six days in the Netherlands we have managed to move a total of 7.5NM from our point of entry as the crow flies. At this rate we are unlikely to make it to our planned destination of Texel, the western most of the Frisian islands which is another 104NM. We have managed to sail …
Jellyfish
Given that our accommodation floats, and the deck really isn’t big enough for a game of golf, swimming is one our favourite recreational activities and means of maintaining some semblance of fitness. The joy of stepping straight out of bed, into swimmers and over the transom for a swim really has to be experienced. We …
Middelburg, Veere and the Veerse-Meer
Middelburg (not to be confused with several Middelburgs in America) is the capital of the province of Zeeland. It is a typical scenic Dutch town based around its Binnenhaven or inland port; these ports were at the centre of the region’s prosperity, serving as fishing and trading ports. There is no modern marina in Middelburg …
Ooestende-Westerschelde-Vlissingen
Ostend is unlikely to be described as anything more than a run of the mill northern European city and port. Yet as a port of arrival after a demanding passage it represents safety, comfort and a degree of excitement at the start of the next stage of our adventure. We are very fond of Ostend. …
North Sea Crossing
Any crossing of the North Sea in a sailing boat carries considerable risk, but the skipper of a 38ft 10 tonne boat with five crew and a substantial budget for replacing broken spinnaker poles probably has less to concern them than a middle aged couple with a 2.5 tonne 27ft boat. The main risks are: …
Missile Attack Ship
The river Deben must be one of Britain’s most beautiful rivers, from the shingle entrance at Bawdsey through the lovely Suffolk landscape up to the picturesque town of Woodbridge. We have spent a lovely few days in the Deben spending two nights on a buoy at Ramsholt and another two in Tide Mill Marina at …
Weather
After several days avoiding strong SW winds in Southwold it was great to be at sea again and sailing, so much so that we struggled with quality strategic decision making. After an hour beating into the light SW wind Flamingo was going beautifully, full sail, tight on the wind and settled ‘in the groove’. At …
Leaving Southwold
The threat of really strong winds tends to galvanise sailors and the approaching ‘unseasonably deep low pressure system centred over Scotland’ was no exception. With winds of F7 to severe gale F9 forecast all of the the talk on the pontoons was when are you going? Everybody wanted to get to their home port, or …
Parker 275 Flamingo's Adventures 