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Ostend for Lunch
Finally did it yesterday leaving the Orwell at around 07.15 and arriving Ostend four hours later. Used 130 litres of fuel going over -it was a liitle lumpy in the middle which slowed us to 20kts. but became smoother nearer the Belgian coast. Although it was low water we went over the offlying banks given that there was not enough wind to rough ,em up -ensured however that we cut the shipping lanes at right angles
No petrol in Ostend at all ;apparently the nearest station is about 2 miles out of town but we were told there was petrol on the quay at Nieweport so after a nice lunch on the dockside we wandered 10 miles down the coast and filled up.
On leaving Nieweport we set out at a fair pace but had definitely lost time and it looked like a bit of night work in store- then about 28 miles from the English coast the GPS went down - there ensued some tricky work with the hand held compass in the dark and we "landed" at Felixstowe exactly as planned.I noticed this morning that the reason for the loss was that the receiver antennae had disappeared.It must have worked loose and finall y come of the cross bar in to the drink. A hand held back up for next season then! I did think about trying to get a fix from Thames CG but my navigator insisted he did not need their help
Tied up at Woolverstone marina at about 21.20.
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