Shipping on the Scheldt

摘要

The river Scheldt is one of the busiest shipping lanes in Europe, along which a number of significant ports can be found. Ocean-going shipping is concentrated on the first 55 miles, from the river's mouth in the North Sea west of Vlissingen through to Antwerp. Inwards of the large Belgium port, sea, river and barge traffic feeds into the European canal network. Two approach channels converge at Vlissingen (Flushing), one coming from the west along the coast from Zeebrugge, the other (shallower) channel in along the Oostgat channel, which hugs the Dutch coast from Westkapelle to the north-west. Along both channels, pilots will have boarded for the first leg of the voyage into the river.