Sailing at Sea (postponed)

Overview

This trip will be postponed to a later date due to bad weather forecasts.

Every year Expat Club spends a few days at sea with the beautiful 28 meters two-master sailing boat De Nele. And also this fall we return to Oostende on the Northsea for a relaxing day on the water with this lovely boat to celebrate the new professional year.

This time we may sail to a new destination, Sea Bruges. See this large sea harbour from up close, with its LNG-terminal (Liquified Natural Gas) and P&O Ferries terminal, as well as the yacht harbour with the Seabruges Seafront, where you can learn everything about the North Sea. This is also a perfect location for lunch, before we sail back to Oostende. A return train ticket with reserved seats to/from Oostende is already arranged for you, so the only thing you have to do is to take your sunglasses and sunscreen and let us do the rest. There is a maximum of 20-25 guests, so don’t wait too long reserving your spot! Note that we may also sail to Blankenberge or Nieuwpoort, but this depends on wind and tidal conditions. A final decision will be made on the day itself by the captain of the boat.

Pictures

The 28-meters sailing ships was built only 15 years ago but is based on the typical Oostende fishing boats from the early 20th century.

With 7 separate sails it has a total sail surface of 185 square meters.

André and his crew will be our host for the day.

Just find yourself a nice place to sit or lay down on the deck.

During this day we will sail towards Nieuwpoort or Blankenberge.

Our group in a previous year.

The ship is full "sea-worthy" with several safety features. For smaller children there are obligatory safety vests available.

A few of us will have to help hoisting the main sails, but it's a fun activity.

And we're back at Oostende harbour.

Enjoy some time on the beach afterwards.

Program

Like any Expat Club trip, we carefully planned the program. You won’t have to do anything, except show up on time and in good spirit at Brussels Midi. All below times are approximate. Actual departure times by train will be communicated to the participants by email.

08h30 – Departure to Oostende
09h45 – Arrival in Oostende
10h00 – Boarding De Nele
10h15 – Departure Sea Bruges (or Nieuwpoort or Blankenberge)
13h00 – Arrival Sea Bruges
15h00 – Departure by sailing boat to Oostende
17h45 – Arrival Oostende
18h40 – Departure to Brussels
20h00 – Arrival in Brussels

De Nele sailing ship

Today we sail South from Oostende to the historic city of Nieuwpoort . With its many fish shops and restaurants it is the perfect destination to walk around and have lunch. You could even take a tram to the beach area of Nieuwpoort and enjoy some time there. As an alternative we may sail also to Blankenberge to the North, but this depends largely on the wind conditions. In previous years we organised this trip several times and almost every time it was quickly fully booked. So don’t wait too long joining us!

From the train station it is just a few minutes walking to where we board the boats. We first receive safety instructions as well as sailing instructions. Indeed, as a group we must do some work to get this ship going. Of course the friendly and helpful staff will show us what to do, but it’s a big ship and some extra pairs of hands are necessary to hoist the sails. No worries, sailing experience is not necessary! Everybody can join us on this memorable trip and if you don’t feel like helping out, you can just relax while others do the work.

De Nele
We are sailing with a classic yet modern ship that was built only 15 years ago: De Nele. “Past, present and future come together on board this two-master. The “Nele” was built after the design of the historical Oostende two-mast smack and in accordance with the best sailing traditions. However, the ship is brand-new! It boasts exceptional classic line and seaworthiness. In short, nostalgia and craftmanship going hand in hand.”

On board we will find everything that we would need for a comfortable day at sea, including seats, a restroom and a kitchen. Expat Club offers a limited selection of drinks and snacks, but if you would like something else the crew could help you as well with some drinks for affordable (= low) prices.

Nieuwpoort (or Blankenberge or Seabruges)
After a few hours sailing we will reach Nieuwpoort. This little town has a long history. Besides, it boast Northern Europe’s largest yacht harbour. We will spend some time here to walk around and have lunch before we board our boat again and sail back towards Oostende. Lunch is not yet included in the trip fare, but you can easily get lunch in Nieuwpoort (from something cheap and quick to something fancy, there is something for everyone).

The arrival time in Oostende is about 17h45, but of course this depends to a great extend on the wind conditions. We make a short walk through Oostende and finish the day with a nice drink and maybe a quick snack before we head back to Brussels by train. The estimated arrival time is around 20h00. Note that we must travel as a group. If you would like to return earlier (if possible) or later, you are responsible for getting your own train ticket.

Trip specific comments
* The trip will take place irrespective of weather conditions, unless it is not safe to sail. This decision will be made by the ship’s Captain.
* Life vests are available on both boats (required for children)
* Make sure to get proper clothes (wind- and watertight jacket/pants, the Decathlon has this)

Train to Oostende

Our trip to Oostende
We leave Brussels by train around 8h30 from Midi Station. Your 2nd class train ticket is included in the price, so don’t worry about standing in line or figuring out how that ticketing machine works. You will receive all information about where we meet and what you need to bring on this trip a few days in advance. After a comfortable ride in a reserved section of the train we arrive in Oostende, the largest coastal city in Belgium.