Ep 395 | Trying to REACH the NETHERLANDS… But the Weather Has OTHER IDEAS

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:43:58 +0000

In this episode, we finally make our move north from Nieuwpoort, Belgium aiming for the start of the Standing Mast Route in the Netherlands. The plan was simple enough: take advantage of a rare winter weather window, ride the favourable tide, and push on toward Holland… or, if the North Sea had other ideas, tuck into one of the safe harbours along the Belgian coast.

As it turned out, the weather won this round.

With snow, storms, shifting channels, and a tight tidal gate, we diverted into Blankenberge — a stop we’d already marked as a smart fallback. That “quick stop” turned into nearly a week of exploring the town, wandering the seafront, riding the world’s longest tram line, and settling into marina life in the middle of winter.

Magnus also takes you through his full passage‑planning system for this leg: tides, currents, weather windows, fallback ports, VHF channels, lock timings, and all the decision points that go into moving a boat safely up this wild stretch of coast. If you’re planning to sail Belgium or head toward the Standing Mast Route yourself, this episode gives you a real look at what it takes.

Hope you enjoy the (short) journey north — even if we didn’t get quite as far as planned.

Until next time,
Wendy & Magnus

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