Next installment of our European cruising. After having our son, daughter & son-in-law on board for 5 days and doing a bit of sightseeing in Dover (Dover Castle is a must see), Lynn & I started to make our plans for crossing back over the Channel to Belgium and then onto the Netherlands. We were going to depart on Monday but the weather was poor so we waited another day. Again our departure time depended on the tide, first was the opening time of the tide gate to the inner harbor where we were moored. After clearing the tide gate, buying fuel and getting permission to depart from Harbor Control, it was close to 10:30 am when we were off. The visibility was very good but the Channel was choppy with 1+ meter waves. Crossing the Traffic Separation lanes was much easier using the radar and we had no conflicts in either lane. Once clear of the north bound lane on the east side of the Channel, we steered a more easterly course to take us up the inshore channel to Belgium. About 4+ miles off of Calais there is an anchoring area for ships just before the start of the buoyed inshore channel. 4 or 5 freighters were anchored there and we skirted around them about 1/4 to 1/2 mile away. I thought one of the freighters was swinging a bit more on his anchor than the others but then lost sight of him behind another freighter. He wasn't swinging on his anchor, he was pulling it up. Then from behind the freighter blocking our view out he came on a converging course heading for the same channel we were. We slowed a bit to let him cross in front then we steered left to the outside of the channel. He was heading for Dunkerque's west harbor entrance and running so slowly we passed him after a couple of miles. At this point Lynn & I were talking about our options. The lumpy sea was getting tiring and we had several options; calling it quits by going into Dunkerque's east harbor or continuing on for a couple of hours more to either Nieuwpoort or Oostende Belgium. Easy decision, let's stop at Dunkerque. The east harbor had several nice basins for yachts; we picked the first one and its long visitor's pontoon. The only disadvantage was the distance to town but we weren't in the mood for sight seeing and didn't need any supplies so it was an easy evening with dinner on-board. The next day the winds were calmer and the sea smoother. Lynn was expecting the same lumpy ride as the day before and wasn't looking forward to it but she was pleasantly surprised. We continued up the coast using the inside buoyed channel that ran from 3/4 of a mile to 2 miles off shore that stayed outside the 5 meter contour. In most places there was at least 10 meters of water except when it cutting across Passe De Zyudcoote between two sand banks, the chart showed 4 meters min. but we had more with the tide. We passed Nieuwpoort with all its yacht basins because it would be a shorter run from Oostende on the Belgium canals to Brugge where we wanted to spend a couple of days sight seeing. A 1.5 to 2 hour run off shore between Nieuwpoort and Oostende would take 4 or 5 hours by the canal. It was a very nice run up to Oostende then confusion began once inside the harbor. The yacht harbor we want to stay at was closed, all the pontoons were dismantled and the lock for entering the Belgium canal system was closed for repairs - that whole end of the harbor was a construction zone - big mess. After being delayed by the harbor control as commercial traffic and ferries were entering & leaving, we milled around for an hour before we made back to the other end of the harbor where the other yacht basin is entered via a lock. As we tied up to the waiting pontoon by the lock, two Belgium customs agents met us to go through our papers and cleared us into Belgium while we waited. The harbor master of the yacht basin operated the lock. He greeted us while we were in the lock, assigned us a pontoon & gave us advice on tying up. The pontoon was just to the right when exiting the lock but his advise was go into the basin & turn around then approach the pontoon for the other direction instead of trying to make the very sharp right turn. Very good advice, made tying up much easier. Did you ever have one of those days where the day's cruising was great but it seemed like everything fell apart at the end? That was what that day was like but it ended with us on a nice pontoon in the city center. We liked Oostende and spent two nights there. Shopping was very convent to the harbor. But unfortunately the lock into the canal system was closed for several months. So we would have to go back down the coast to Nieuwpoort. Again we had good weather but it took over a half hour waiting for commercial traffic before harbor control cleared us to leave. We then had an easy run back down to Nieuwpoort and finally found our way through the harbor to the canal lock - only had to ask directions once. From our past cruising experiences I knew we would have to buy a Belgium cruising license at the first lock. In 2003 there were 30 day licenses, 6 month licenses and 1 year licenses and maybe 5 or 10 day ones but I am not sure. After clearing the lock we tied up and I walked a few blocks over to their office to get the license. They only had 6 month or 1 year licenses. In their limited English & my limited Dutch & French, the cheapest license available was a 6 month license for 50 Euros. Not to bad but here the funny part - the six month licenses were only good from 1 Jan to 30 June or 1 July to 31 Dec. It was the 10th of June so our 6 month license was only good for 20 days. It didn't matter because we would be in the Netherlands before then but still it could have been a problem if it was just a couple of days before the end of June. I have since talked to other boaters who bought 30 day cruising licenses this past summer, I'm guessing that office was out of the 30 day licenses and could only sell the 6 month ones. But it wasn't all wasted. After getting the license we traveled up the canal for several hours and found a nice pontoon for the night with water & electricity for free! The next morning was 3 1/2 hr run to Brugge where we stayed in a small yacht harbor for the weekend. The only delay was one lock where we waited inside for 35 minutes. Really an unusual lock, the gate opened and we entered a circular basin about 60 meters in diameter with slopping walls and three exits. After hovering inside the basin and not able to tie up on the slopping, curved walls, we called the canal control office on the mobile phone - it seems the bridges around this lock remain closed for lunch hour traffic between 11:55 and 12:25 so we would have to wait a bit longer. Really enjoyed sightseeing in Brugge. We had missed it two years earlier on our way to Paris and everyone said we needed to see it - they were correct! Although Lynn and I are not big chocolate fans (she is allergic to it) we almost succumbed when walking past one chocolate store - a chocol-aholic would either be in big trouble or seventh heaven when visiting Brugge! All for now. Bob & Lynn Williamson MV Legrace Aquanaut Drifter 1250 AK Sneek, NL