Nieuwpoort to Diksmuide

17 km, 1 bridge

Our last day, our last little cruise: just 17 km from Nieuwpoort to Diksmuide.

Funny weather today: very hazy, grey sky with the sun battling to break through, but not at all cold.  And when the sun did break through it was hot.

We fuelled up at Nieuwpoort (€1.08 per litre) then set off for our home port, Diksmuide.

Leaving VVW Westhoek

The big passenger boat, Ijzerstar, passed us with a load of school children

on their way to visit the Dodengang trenches.  They were all running around there, yelling and screaming,  ruining the experience for anyone else who had paid their bucks and actually knew what they were looking at!  Yes, OK, I’m a grumpy old woman!

We passed this house on the canal at Schoorbakkerbrug.   

When we passed this way last year (twice, in May and September) it was for sale.  Since then we have begun toying with the idea of buying property in this area.  But it has just been sold. 

As we arrived at Portus Dixmude (our yacht club in Diksmuide) we were thrilled at our reception.  Some people we know were in the marina and jumped out to shout hello and wave: Herwig, Willy, Pol.  Even Klaas from Buitenbeentje, who was taking a bicycle tour past the marina, stopped to shout hello.   We really feel like we were at home.

Some statistics in 2 months of cruising:

Distance - 1075 kms

Number of locks - 117

Number of mobile bridges - 44

Number of tunnels - 4

Engine hours - 170

Litres of fuel consumed - 232

1.34 litres per hour

4.7 km/litre

Average speed 6.25 km/hr but this includes stationary time in locks and waiting for bridges.