Tankers, ships, barges and tugs

These last twelve months have been incredibly difficult for us all and it's not over yet, it seems. As readers of this blog will know, though, my sanity (such as it is) has been saved by being able to spend time on my barge and also on our Hennie H. We haven't been anywhere by boat since 2018 due to the Hennie H's engine problems and we're still going through plenty of ups and downs where that's concerned. However, being able to be on board the Vereeniging, do jobs on both boats and make plans has been a blessing.

The other thing that's kept me going is my daily walk. I always take a camera with me, even if it's just my (not very good) phone, and I often walk along the sea canal, always in the hopes I'll see some of the big boys going past. Well, yesterday I hit the jackpot. I was just walking over the bridge when I noticed a queue of six vessels waiting for it to open for them. I have never seen so many, and the odd thing was that they were all lying still, hovering (if ships can do that). There must have been some kind of glitch with the opening mechanisms as they are rarely required to wait. But when I was halfway across the bridge, the bell rang and the booms came down. I'd have loved to get a better full on view of the ships from the centre of the span but I had to hotfoot it to the other side. Even then, I had to climb under the boom to escape, so I ran down to the water side to take these photos. 

Aren't they a fantastic sight? I feel so privileged to see these huge craft come past so often. It's soul-stirring stuff.

I love these muscular tugboats

What a sight to see. These ships are massive

When the sun catches their superstructure: beautiful

The last two of the group approaching the bridge

I love this vivid colour

Heading for Ghent

On a smaller scale, one of the harbours adjacent to the canal is home to these historic barges. I know I've taken and shown photos of them before, but I never tire of seeing them.

The historic harbour, known here as the Nostalgic Harbour

Such beautiful examples of old Dutch barges

And then, these are some pretty views from the town next to the canal, Sas van Gent. At one time it was fortified as many of these border towns were, and there are still many places where the fortifications have been preserved. Hulst is one of the prettiest examples, but it is further to the east. The fortifications at Sas van Gent were demolished when the canal was increased in size as it cut a swathe through the built-up area. In fact, the historic barges are in what remains of the second version of the canal, while this little bridge below is over a harbour that was the original canal to Ghent. 

Classic Dutch design

Sas van Gent is so named because it was where the 'sas' (an old word for a lock) into Belgium and Ghent was situated. There is now no lock here as the huge sea locks in Terneuzen have replaced it, but you can still see the former sas at the end of the historic harbour. I find it a pity that the constant widening of the canal has meant that Sas van Gent has lost much of its charm, but it still has some pretty parts. The bridge above (and below) and the quayside are lovely.

The old charm of Sas van Gent on the quayside

That bridge again

 As you can see, I have no shortage of beautiful walks and there's plenty of eye candy for a boat lover like me. The huge ships on the canal are breathtaking, but there are so many other boats, barges and tugs to look at too. In that sense I know we are very fortunate and I value these sights, as well as the open spaces we have around us with our extensive nature reserves.

Lockdown is tiresome and tedious; I miss the contact and interaction I used to have with my students terribly, but at least I have work and we have all this too. Many people have neither and I really feel desperately sorry for them. When I look at it this way and see how rich my surroundings are, my life could be a lot worse, couldn't it? 

Enjoy the rest of your week, allemaal.