After borrowing the bikes again to stock up on groceries for our trip, we left the marina just after 3pm to refuel. Belgium is one of the few places where you can still buy red diesel for boats and the savings are well worth it, so we topped right up as we don't know exactly where the next fuel point will be, but we do know for sure it will be the more expensive white diesel.
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| Veurne Lifting Bridge |
On leaving the marina we joined the Canal de Nieuwpoort a Dunkerque which is a commercial waterway. It runs for 11 kilometres through 1 lock from Nieuwpoort (where it joins the River Yser) to Furnes where it joins the Canal de Furnes). We were only on the canal for a kilometre or so before entering the lock, once inside and tied up ready for the sluice gates we were approached by the lock keeper who asked that my husband accompany him to his office in town as we were not displaying a current Inland Waterways licence for Belgium. I stayed behind on the boat thinking 'crikey, we have only been left an hour and one of us has been marched off by officials'. The licence cost 25 euros and covered us for our journey to Dunkerque where we would join the french canals.
As we approached Veurne our stop for the night, we passed through a small lock and a railway lifting bridge, neither of which caused any problems. Immediately after the lock we entered the town where there is a large visitors mooring basin, the lock keeper had asked if we would like to stay and we were told we could moor wherever we liked. The mooring had water, electricity and for one night was free of charge.
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| Veurne Town Centre mooring basin |
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