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 - all planned for Vlissingen - with the idea of getting the main up in the harbour mouth before venturing out but the harbour police had other ideas because the King of the Belgians was arriving by sea, and soon. Consequently they forced us out to sea at top speed with no sail flying.

Once out at sea we found the week of storms had stirred up ghastly cross seas of 1.5Mtrs which threw us from side to side and up and down meaning we were just not capable of putting up the main without endangering ourselves and worse still we then learnt that the true wind of 20 Kts plus was directly along our course meaning a dead run in disturbed seas - very unwise and inviting an involuntary crash gibe. Wanting then to return to harbour, the King, his warship and half of the Belgian police, no doubt including Hercule Poirot, all conspired to make it difficult plus the Harbour Controller was running through every combination of IPTS light sequences in the book to avoid any disaster on his watch in front of the King. Finally a nice police rib chaperoned us in - but kept himself between us and the King - I neede to disconnet the autohelm and felt very uneasy removing the tiller pilot which resembles a black high powered rifle - they didnt draw their guns to my relief.

Back in harbour we kept telling ourselves over and over that we had done the right thing but in truth it would have been nice to have made it. Meanwhile we had heard that Camilla and Charles had made an emergency helicopter landing very close to the house of friends at Denham in Bucks - are we surrounded by Royals?

For the whole of Saturday, the entire population of Belgium filled the streets, munching deep fried food and taking in the hundreds of boats - yet more tall ships arrive - one even had a full on pirate in the rigging, slightly heavier build than Jack Sparrow but to the same effect in his ability to swash buckles. That we could not get away because of the conditions was compensated for by the wonderful display of tall ships under sail going out and coming back again to much hooting of horns and detonation of maroons. It was a bright day and after buying real cow milk - because of the language mix up we had bought corn milk which looked like white goo and tasted worse than unpleasant yoghurt.- I found a place to sketch people in their natural habitat.The weather tomorrow looks dire again so maybe we will get away on Monday.