Belgium

Belgium offers a compact but richly rewarding cruising ground where North Sea seamanship meets a first‑class inland waterways network. Expect short coastal hops between well‑run marinas at Nieuwpoort, Oostende, Blankenberge and Zeebrugge, with tidy approaches, helpful harbour staff and easy onward rail links. When the forecast turns lively, simply pivot inland: Bruges and Ghent are accessible by lock and canal, delivering quiet moorings in the heart of UNESCO‑listed streets and café culture. This guide sets out the best times to go, the reality of winds and tides, key harbours, and how to charter (including what paperwork skippers need). It is deliberately practical in tone: plan to the tide, respect the commercial traffic lanes and wind‑farm routes, and you’ll find Belgium both confidence‑building and surprisingly varied for such a short coastline.