Ostend Feeling a bit downhearted after this mornings attempt to break out of Belgium only to find ourselves back on the pontoon where we had started. The forecast was for light winds albeit it was only the eye of the storm which continues to sit in the North Sea but we soon found the effect that a week of stiff Northerliy winds had on the sea outside the harbour. The sky was the colour of lead and a downpour passed through every half hour or so. We got going - ...

Ostend 22nd May 2013 There was a decision to be made Wednesday morning, the sky had a lot of clear blue showing through the high cloud and the forecast until Monday looked dire - there was an opportunity for sailing which Shakespeare would have made great play of - take it now and go or be stuck for days. Our course to Ostend was 26 miles close to shore, along the channels between the many sand banks running parallel along the coast here where on shore winds f...