We make this trip with Tall Ship Morgenster and we sail as much as possible, the engine is only used to sail out and in the harbor and at sea if safety requires it. This means that we depend on the wind to reach our goal and the journey from Ostend to Ramsgate or vice versa takes between 10 and 30 hours.
This crossing can be booked as a single journey or as a mini-cruise. We depart from Ramsgate on 28 April, arriving in Ramsgate in the course of 29 April. People taking the mini cruise stay on board in Ostend and use the ship as a base to explore the city and the surrounding area. A train departs from Ostend to Brussels runs very frequently. On May 1st we sail back to Ramsgate where we will moor on May 2nd.
The exact time of departure will be determined shortly in advance based on the weather conditions. But most likely there will be a night sailing at sea.
In 2013, after 175 years, the ferry service between Ostend and Ramsgate was taken out of service. Ten years later, Fair Ferry is investigating by means of a “Pioneervaart” whether this line can be restored. A Pioneer Canal is the first voyage that Fair Ferry makes on a particular route. The adventurers who join us during this trip will be rewarded with a nice memento!
The journey departs from the Royal Harbour of Ramsgate. The port breathes a maritime past. We pass the impressive walls protecting the harbor from the waves of the North Sea and notice Morgenster coming to life.
At open sea we see huge seagoing ships steaming through the English Channel. Together we hoist the sails, the crew explains how to do this. By sail we silently glide through the shipping traffic.
When it gets dark we see buoys, wind farms, ships and drilling platforms light up around us. We turn on our navigation lights ourselves as well. The crew reads from the different light combinations what is happening around us and likes to explain this to the guests. Sailing at night is magical, Halfway through we cross the traffic separation system. The North Sea is one of the busiest waterways in the world and because the Channel is already quite narrow here, it becomes so busy that a shipping lane is needed to keep everything running smoothly. Sailing among the mastodons of the sea, you feel insignificant and realize the vast quantities of goods we ship around the world.
Meanwhile, the coast of Belgium is already in sight.
Ostend has a large fishing fleet, which is one of the reasons that Ostend is famous for its shrimp croquettes. This “City by the Sea” is Belgium's largest seaside resort. Ostend was once located on an island and was the most easterly place. But since the 14th century it has been walking inland, after which the sea takes over the deserted part. Every now and then remnants of an earlier version of Ostend are rediscovered.
Picturesque cities such as Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent and Brussels are close by and easy to reach by public transport.
When the sea calls, everyone comes back on board, the bunches are thrown loose and the bow turned towards the open sea. We set sail and head back to Ramsgate where this adventure ends.
