Stalhillebrug, Jabbeke to Nieuwpoort

Another cold morning, but we didn't need to set off till midmorning so by the time we left the mooring it was about 10C - still thermals territory!  It soon warmed up and by the time we stopped at VVW Nieuwpoort it was a blistering 25C - sunblock territory!

We passed through the very old 17th century Plassendale Lock

and into the narrow Plassendale-Nieuwpoort Canal.  It is very narrow with 5 low bridges opened by a mobile bridge-keeper, who only operates at certain times.  We were an hour early so tied up at the Oudenburg quay to wait for the convoy to form. 

It is the third time we have passed along this canal and both previous times the convoy has consisted of many boats, this time we were all on our own. The 2 boats already there did not join us.

The canal is lined by small houses and vast flat open fields.

There are some really quaint houses.

 The farmers were busy harvesting and ploughing.

At one of the bridges this car did not heed the bells and red light warning that the bridge was about to open and got hit by the boom as it came down across the road!  She (yes, unfortunately it was a lady driver!) then reversed back with the boom leaning against the  top of her car - bet she was popular when she got home!

Ian is still fascinated by this wreck.  

Apparently it sank when no one was on board, it was refloated and moved, then sank again so was lifted out of the water and deposited where it now sits.  The owner was billed but has refused to pay, so now it just sits there.  Ian thinks it would make a great project!

After arrival in the marina Ian went off to a marine shop to get some necessary bits and pieces we will require when working on the boat, and I went to the marina where we stored the boat over the summer to collect a letter that had arrived for us.  This was the Lycamobile data SIM cards I ordered way back in August - only took 6 weeks to arrive! 

An international cycle race (as in Tour de France) was taking place and we saw many supporters waiting on the route which passed along the canal.  Well, it came right past the marina and into Nieuwpoort.  Ian got held up for ages while the peleton and all the support vehicles passed - more vehicles than bikes!

This evening we met up with a friend from Diksmuide who told us a sad and scary tale of his misadventure with a commercial barge at a bridge in Bruges.  The barge had to swing its stern around to pass through the bridge which is near a corner and did not see the small cruiser Orfelia, which was hit by the stern of the barge.  Being unladen the barge was high out of the water and the sheer line of the stern not only hit Orfelia, but rode right over the top of her forcing the bow under water!  Very scary, they thought they were going to sink.  They didn't but sustained many thousands of euros of damage.  Worst of all is the barge captain did not stop, did not enquire if they were OK, and his message on the radio was "I am bigger than you are"!