We got here on Monday evening after a 14 hour passage from Harwich, and met up with Sue and Howard yesterday afternoon after spotting them sailing down the coast. The Ostend at Anchor Festival began in earnest today, which is also a Belgian bank holiday. The weather is beautiful and here are some photos….
Looking back at Harwich as we sail out into the North Sea
Over the boom to Languard
The Principality of Sealand
Tad on the bow
A Dolphin enjoying the momentum created by the bow wave
A mirage of a floating ship on the horizon
Clive and Tad
The colour of the sea blended into the sky as dusk approached
Approaching Ostend
Beautiful sunset
Tad & Clive enjoying their Belgian apple pie, cream and icecream
A Spanish Galleon, coming through the lock into Mercator dock, and it struggled to get round the corner…
Cpn Jack reclining on a sleeping sea monster while Fergus looks on
Ice-cream light house
We spotted Bonify about 2 miles off the coast and tracked her coming into the harbour from the beach and the harbour wall. Howard & Sue made an impressive entrance in full sail!
Bonify and Maryll joined together to come through the lock gates
Mega amount of bicycles stored outside Ostend train station
Bunting and flags
Mercator dock where we are berthed with the train station in the distance
Pontoon entertainment
The Hot Rats, a superb UK band entertaining a crowd of people on day one of the Festival
A random pony pulling a trap through the crowds. You could call it a tourist trap….
Minerva must have the largest flag in the Festival, mind you she is a big vessel
Barges and boats of all shapes and sizes, from Belgium, Holland, UK, France, and apparently Russia and Spain too – apologies if I’ve missed any country out
Sue with Kieth and Julie, who own Maryll, aboard Bonify, just five boats away from Distant Drum
Distant Drum looking very happy and lovely
distantdrumsailing 
Lovely photos…..X
Sent from my iPad
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