Brugge to Ghent

Got up early this morning, 6 am, to watch the Japanese Grand Prix.  One of the reasons we like to stay at Flandria Yacht Club is because it has free wi-fi with a strong signal!  So it has been a very sporting weekend with the rugby yesterday and motor racing today.

We left the yacht club at 10.30 but, as usual, had to wait at Steenbruggebrug along with 3 other pleasure craft, for a big commercial barge to arrive.  Elle was right behind it, so we travelled in convoy just as we did in the spring. 

The Ghent-Oostende canal near Brugge is rather pleasant, tree-lined and relatively narrow - not much room to spare when passing big barges!

Being a Sunday there was not much commercial traffic but as we approached Ghent the water became busier and busier with pleasure craft of all sizes.  The Ringvaart around Ghent has never been my favourite stretch of water and it is definitely not recommended on a Sunday afternoon when the Hooray Henrys go out to play in their flash ski boats!  Maximum wake rebounds backwards and forwards between the canal walls, resulting in a choppy "cross sea".  We even had stuff falling off shelves - memories of our sailing days.

We turned off the Ringvaart onto the Leie River to tiake us into the center of ghent and found even more water craft: Elle could not pass this kayak.

How about one of each side?

The two "sisters" together again in the marina.

We went for a walk

and stopped for a glass of wine/beer.

Oops, where's the rest of it?  How not to lock up a bike!

Had nasi goreng on board Elle, and a few more glasses of wine

and Ian took this "moody" shot of the marina.