Return to Bruges
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From the Roeselare canal we headed up the Leie river and turned off for Deinze. A place we have visited a few times and were happy we could get a mooring for a couple of nights in the town.
As we approached the yacht haven just ahead of the lifting bridge, we were faced with a dredger blocking the whole river. Past the dredger we saw some cruisers waiting and it became clear that the dredger would move over to allow passage. It seemed strange that we would not be able to get through as there was obviously commercial traffic around. The dredging was for the yacht haven moorings and after we passed by and went through the lifting bridge for the town, we realised that all the boats that would normally be moored in the yacht haven were now in the town rafted up three deep, so no space for us.
Time for plan B; we phoned Astene bridge to see if there was space there. They confirmed we would be OK but then we spotted a mooring spot after the town, started to make a turn to go back to it, only for a commercial to come round the bend. Quickly changing the manoeuvre to pull over, we then made the turn after it had passed. The mooring was not great but OK for a couple of nights and it saved any more messing about.
On the Friday we started back to Flandria to moor up for the winter. The weather is still glorious and Nicki is really enjoying the whole thing. We got to the mooring to find some old and new friends already established and over the weekend a couple more also arrived. Initially we had to raft up to another barge (JoNi), my first rafting manoeuvre and I was pleased that it all went smoothly. So often when you are being watched it all quickly goes so wrong, but not this time.
The following day a cruiser departed and we were able to move onto its mooring, which would make it so much easier with getting the dogs on and off. We settled in quickly and set up all the communications needed for the winter and later constructed a more permanent ramp for the mooring.
The following few days launched into the now familiar social events. Flandria has a clubhouse, so whilst not the only option, it can be a more neutral meeting place and able to support more people than you can squeeze into a barge.
So, here we are all tucked in for the winter with time to explore the town and the surroundings, and to get to meet both old and new faces.
