Season 4 begins. Where are we going this year? From Nieuwpoort Belgium and on to ? Ep 41
November 16, 2025 · 22 min · 640 views · Nieuwpoort
Northern Breeze docked at sunset, sails furled, ready to sail.
What this video covers
Erin and Marie begin Season 4 aboard their Baltic Yachts 42 DP, Northern Breeze, with a goal of reaching Gibraltar from Nieuwpoort, Belgium, before Schengen visa limits force them out of the zone.0:38 A six-week rigging delay threatens that plan entirely.10:58 The problem: custom-length tangs — the fittings that pass through the mast to hold the shrouds — require mast-thickness measurements that weren't taken before departure.11:12 Rigger Peter climbs the mast in early June to get three measurements at the spreaders and masthead, then orders parts from BSI in Denmark, which refuses to advance the order in their manufacturing queue.11:27 Parts won't arrive until July 7th, cutting six weeks from a 15–20 week season and putting Gibraltar in serious doubt.11:51 Rather than sit at the dock, Erin and Marie adopt Plan B: sail the French coast until the parts are ready, return northeast to Breskins in the Netherlands for the rigging replacement, then continue south.22:01 Other boat work includes a wind controller that was overcharging batteries, an epoxy application in the aft head that required hours of sanding to correct, and a headsail inspection confirming two more years of service life.4:53 Shore time includes WWI cemetery visits near Passchendaele and Tyne Cot, provisioning at a local fish market and goat-cheese dairy farm, and a day trip to Antwerp.15:07 Rigging measurements for custom mast hardware must be confirmed before ordering, not after the boat is in the water.
Boats in this video
More from Sailing Northern Brees
From Sailing Northern Brees — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analyzed video.
The Sailing Directory Newsletter
One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.