Oostende – Sailing to the Belgian offshore wind farms on the Thornton Bank

Against the backdrop of the recent energy crisis, rising energy bills, the urgent need to curtail the use of fossil fuels through the accelerated development of alternative and sustainable energy sources, to bring about a low-carbon society, no outing can be more appropriate in timing and  better respond to current events than a boat trip to Belgium’s offshore wind farms on the Thornton Bank, some 30 km from the coast line. Indeed marine generated electricity will play an increasingly prominent role in creating Belgium’s new energy mix.

During the 5-hour cruise, a professional English-speaking guide will immerse us in the techniques, know-how and secrets of offshore wind generated energy and tell us about major future projects such as the Ventilus project, a planned robust power line for the transmission of marine energy to existing onshore electricity grids, and the planned construction of the Princess Elisabeth Island, an electricity hub which seeks to connect wind farms from the sea to the mainland and create new connections with neighboring countries, including the UK.

Arriving at the Thornton Bank, we will focus in particular on the wind farm run by C-power (the nearest), fully operational since 2013 with a total installed capacity of 325 MW. The park consists of 54 wind turbines generating about 1,050 GWh per year, or enough to provide 300,000 families with renewable energy.

On the way to and from the wind farms, we also get the opportunity to learn more about the North Sea itself, its currents, tides and prevailing winds, coastal navigation and port signalling, international shipping routes and the various buoys and beacons. It will also be a great moment to explore marine birds and mammals. So don’t forget your binoculars. And enjoy the healthy sea air.

DEPARTURE

Departure time: 2 pm.  However, the embarking will close half an hour before departure, so be there latest at 1.30 pm.

To reduce the risk of seasickness, participants are advised to eat well before and during the trip. Apparently you get less seasick with a full stomach. It is also recommended to avoid drinking or eating acidic things. Participants prone to seasickness may request appropriate medication upon boarding.

In the unlikely event of unfavourable weather conditions that do not allow the boat to sail out, the trip will be cancelled and participants will be informed by e-mail at the latest the day before. In that case the trip will be rescheduled to a later date within a 12 month period.

LUNCH

There is no organized lunch. However, participants can order packed lunches through the organizer. The packed lunches consist of 6 sandwiches with different fillings (fish, meat, cheese, vegetables) and cost € 17.50 pp. Orders must be placed before the end of May and paid in cash to the organizer at the time of embarkation. Note that you can also bring your own food/snacks, while Snickers/Twix and Royco minute soup can be purchased on board.

Cold and hot drinks can be taken on board, but you can also bring your own (with the exception of alcoholic drinks).

REGISTRATION, deadline May 15th

We invite participants who have already expressed interest but have not yet formally registered to do so by May 15 at the latest. Bookings are not confirmed until the correct fees have been received by our treasurer. Family members and friends are most welcome.

For security reasons and to comply with police regulations, we will be required to submit a passenger list with the following details of each participant: surname, first name(s), nationality, date of birth, place of birth, document identity number [identity card or passport], country of issue). We kindly invite all participants to send organizer André this information no later than May 15th.

We may be able to accept some additional participants until Friday June 16.

How to get there:
– By car: from Brussels take the E40. Near Oostende, take the R31 and the Eduard Moureaux-laan which ends up at the Hendrik Baelskaai. There are plenty of free parking spaces on the quay opposite the ship.
– By public transport: From Oostende station, take the tramway to Knokke and get off at “Weg naar Vismijn”. From there it’s an 8 minutes walk to the embarkation point.