Major Seas all done (no offence Mediterranean)

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Major Seas all done (no offence Mediterranean)

CS:
Friday 27th March: We worked our way up the English Channel and into the smaller Dutch Westerschelde. We proceeded slowly up the passage which is very shallow in parts and into the river until we got to the lock gates at about 3pm. We had a longish wait to get through the gate into the port area proper because procedure seems to be to fit as many waiting vessels as possible into the lock area on each transit and we had three barges come through with us.
The narrow lock apparently operates to keep the port area sea level constant despite quite significant tidal changes in the river. Going inside there was little change in level so we wondered what all the infrastructure (which is extensive - 4 sets of bridges and gates taking vehicular traffic, rising and lowering as required) was all about, but when we sailed out on the low tide it all became clear.
We sailed across to Churchill dock where we moored about 5.15pm. We (actually Craig) found there is limited internet using ‘guest’ as the key, so I tried my computer in the window as usual, with some success.
For us Antwerp was always going to be a major highlight because here we would renew contact with our youngest daughter, Lily, who has been back-packing, hitch-hiking, bicycling, freight-train hopping and various other nefarious activities since we last saw her in Australia in June. We had been unable to make telephone contact with her, despite us having had coverage since entering the English Channel, but this did not surprise us unduly. She was probably in Paris and had planned to get to us somehow, in time to meet the ship in Antwerp, which at that point we thought she had misunderstood as arriving the next day. As I was glancing out the cabin window while logging in on the computer I saw the shape of someone in khaki clothes flash past on the dock below and in the same flash disappear again. Appropriate size and colouring, hair ‘style’, walking mode, backpack size; how could I have possibly taken in that much information in a nanosecond? Yet I had one of those moments of wild hope that contrary to all reason it could have been Lily on the wharf below. We had been docked about 3 minutes. Deciding not to get too excited, disappointment being a hard thing, I kept checking for emails while secretly hoping there would be a call on the ship’s phone. When it came a moment later I raced out of the cabin and down the stairs while the Chief told Peter there ‘was someone here for the lawyer lady?’ We met in the stairwell with screams of joy and hugs. She had had a dream-run coming up from Paris all the way with a truckie who dropped her outside our precise port gate, which he knew because his company has its refueling station across the street (Antwerp’s port complex extends for about 50k).
We went to the Seaman’s Club that night because it was too late to get immigration clearance. We were able to enjoy a truly appetising vegetarian bowl for Lil and superbly cooked salmon for us, ashore together.

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Photos

Antwerp
Crowded Lock