Approaches
APPROACHES to Ostend present no problems. From Dunkerque just follow the 065° heading on from the Passe de Zuydcoote, or from Nieuwpoort or Blankenberge it’s a simple trip along the coast (though don’t get too close to shore coming from the east). Belgian town planners have thoughtfully provided a strikingly unattractive tower block close to the harbour which in clear weather is visible from several miles away to guide uncertain mariners.

When you eventually find a way off the sea between the apartment blocks you will know that you have reached Ostend (in Dutch, Oostende). Take note of the traffic lights and, if red, wait for the ferry movements. Then once inside take the first right between two massive concrete jetties and head into the Royal North Sea Yacht Club (RNSYC, T 059 50 59 12) on your right at the north end of the Montgomerydok. Note that there are also traffic lights on the inside of the jetties for use on the way out.

There you can moor up alongside any of the pontoons or alternatively pick up one of the stern buoys and moor bows-to. If you choose to moor bows-to you may need quite a long line unless your yacht is a monster.

To leave the pontoon area press the inconspicuous white button a few yards from the top of the ramp. If it’s after 6pm you may find the office closed, in which case ask another yotty for the code to get back in before the gate clangs behind you. Decent loos and showers are available in the clubhouse (use the main door if the office is closed), and no tokens are required though it’s the usual business of pressing the button for more hot water every ten seconds. Is hot water really so scarce in continental Europe?

There are two other marinas in Ostend. However, the Mercator Marina beyond the RNSYC right in the centre of town is only accessible through a lock. The other option is the Royal Yacht Club Oostende (RYCO, T 059 32 14 52) which is some way up the main channel past the ferry terminal and a fair way from the action. Bizarrely there is no fuel conveniently available for pleasure craft in Ostend, the best bet being portage from a filling station near the RYCO.

The town
Once settled in, the town is your oyster, and there are some pretty good ones in the multitude of superior restaurants. A complete rundown would require a (most enjoyable) month of research, but here are a few at random. Le Grillon (Visserskaai 31, T 059 70 60 63), pretty, friendly restaurant serving good traditional food more or less opposite the marina; Au Vieux Port (Visserskaai 32, T 059 70 31 28), family run place next door; Petit Nice (Albert I Promenade 62b, T 059 80 39 28) grander place on the front just beyond the casino. It’s worth booking ahead if only by an hour or two.

As a town Ostend wouldn’t win high marks for beauty, but it’s a lively place and much the most interesting stop on the Belgian coast. Arty types should not miss the picture gallery with interesting works by Paul Delvaux and the proto-Expressionist Anglo-Belgian painter James Ensor who was born and worked here. Meanwhile lovely Bruges is only a short train journey away: if you haven’t been, don’t miss it.

If you want to get a bit further up the coast, or can’t quite make it to Ostend in the other direction, there is a convenient alternative at Blankenberge just west of the massive commercial harbour at Zeebrugge. The small opening between two piers surrounded by apartment blocks is obvious from the sea and the two large marinas which lie behind are accessible at any state of the tide. It’s not the most picturesque place by all accounts (we haven’t been there), but useful in bad weather or just for a change.

© 2008 Yachtpilot