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Maritime and boating media in Belgium
Belgian maritime and boating news can be followed in the Antwerp port press such as Flows, in the business pages of L'Echo and De Tijd, in the coastal editions of the Flemish dailies and on sailing club websites, in Dutch, French and English.
Antwerp, cradle of a long-standing maritime press
From the nineteenth century, Antwerp published shipping notices and freight rate sheets. The Lloyd anversois, founded in that century and later renamed De Lloyd, was long the daily of shipowners, forwarders and brokers; its legacy lives on in the logistics outlet Flows.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges and port news
Since the 2022 merger, Port of Antwerp-Bruges has brought together the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge. Its traffic figures, lock projects and hydrogen plans are reported by Flows, by the Gazet van Antwerpen and by the business sections of the national dailies.
Belgian shipowners in the business press
CMB, Exmar or CMB.Tech, born from the tie-up with Euronav, regularly feature in L'Echo and De Tijd, which follow their results and their ships. The Belgian business press remains the best source for investment decisions in the maritime sector.
Dutch, French and English on board
The Belgian coast and the major ports are in Flanders, so most maritime news appears in Dutch. International shipping speaks English, while inland navigation on the Meuse and the Sambre is mostly reported in French.
Ostend, Nieuwpoort, Blankenberge: the coast day to day
The West Flanders editions of Het Nieuwsblad and Het Laatste Nieuws cover fishing, marinas and sea rescues. Regional broadcaster Focus-WTV and the Oostende voor Anker maritime festival in Ostend also feed the news from the coast.
What to read about leisure boating and sailing?
The Royal North Sea Yacht Club in Ostend or the Royal Belgian Sailing Club in Zeebrugge publish race calendars and regatta results. The French-speaking Belgian yachting federation provides information on training and inland waters, such as the Lacs de l'Eau d'Heure.
Offshore racing and Olympic sailing
Denis Van Weynbergh's entry in the 2024 Vendée Globe brought offshore racing into the Belgian media, from RTBF to the DH. The results of Belgian Olympic sailors are followed by the Belgian sports press and by Sporza.
Canals, locks and river tourism in Wallonia
The Strépy-Thieu boat lift, the Ronquières inclined plane and the Albert Canal attract pleasure boaters and barges. L'Avenir and the Sudinfo editions report waterway closures, while De Vlaamse Waterweg provides information on the Flemish canals.
Safety at sea: weather, tides and coastguard
The Royal Meteorological Institute in Uccle publishes forecasts, and the Flemish agency Maritieme Dienstverlening en Kust issues nautical information and tide tables. The Belgian Coast Guard, a cooperation structure based in Ostend, coordinates services in the North Sea.
VLIZ, the Belgica and marine research
The Flanders Marine Institute, VLIZ, in Ostend publishes the magazine De Grote Rede and shares scientific news about the North Sea. The voyages of the research vessel Belgica and the offshore wind farms regularly feature in articles.
Naval Component and maritime defence
The Naval Component of the Belgian Defence, based in Zeebrugge, takes part in mine-clearing missions and European operations. Its news is relayed by the Defence website, by Belga and by the Flemish coastal press, notably when frigates are replaced.
Cross-checking with the French-language boating press
French boating magazines, available through the French press online, cover offshore races and sailing equipment extensively. For reliable Belgian information, compare them with Flows, with port press releases and with Belga wire copy.
Following Belgian maritime news remotely
- Start with Flows for logistics and shipping, then the business sections of L'Echo or De Tijd for listed shipowners.
- Read the Port of Antwerp-Bruges press releases for official traffic figures and major port projects.
- Follow the coastal editions of Het Nieuwsblad or Het Laatste Nieuws for Ostend, Zeebrugge and North Sea fishing.
- Subscribe to the newsletters of your sailing club or federation for regattas and training courses.
- Before any trip at sea, check the RMI forecasts and official nautical notices rather than a press article.
- For inland navigation, consult the closure notices published by Wallonia or De Vlaamse Waterweg.
Belgian boating media: how to access them
| Source | Access | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Flows | Free articles and restricted content | Professional offer, variable price |
| L'Echo and De Tijd | Paid subscription | Transport and logistics sections, indicative price |
| Coastal editions of HLN and Het Nieuwsblad | Paid subscription, variable price | A few free articles every day |
| Websites of ports, the RMI and waterway authorities | Free | Official information, often in Dutch |
| Sailing clubs and federations | Free or members only | Results, calendars and internal bulletins |
| VLIZ and De Grote Rede | Free | Popular science about the North Sea |
Key facts on the Belgian maritime press
- Languages: mainly Dutch for the coast, English for shipping, French for Walloon waterways
- Main port: Port of Antwerp-Bruges, including Zeebrugge
- Reference logistics outlet: Flows, heir to De Lloyd
- Official weather: Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI)
- News agency: Belga; public broadcasters: VRT and RTBF
- Time zone: UTC+1, UTC+2 in summer; currency: euro
Mistakes to avoid with nautical news
- Relying on a press article to plan a trip at sea: only official notices and RMI forecasts give the real state of the sea.
- Confusing figures for the port of Antwerp alone with those of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, which has included Zeebrugge since 2022.
- Taking a dramatic storm video shared online as footage of the Belgian coast, when it often comes from another country or another year.
- Reading a shipowner's or port's press release as independent news, without comparing it with the business press.
- Forgetting that a lock or canal closure is temporary: always check the date of the notice before planning a river journey.
Questions about the Belgian maritime and boating press
Is there a Belgian maritime newspaper?
The Lloyd anversois, later De Lloyd, was for a long time the reference maritime daily in Antwerp. Its work continues today with Flows, an outlet devoted to logistics, shipping and ports, published mainly in Dutch.
Where can you find tide times for the Belgian coast?
The Flemish agency Maritieme Dienstverlening en Kust publishes tide tables for Ostend, Zeebrugge and Nieuwpoort. Regional dailies sometimes reproduce this data, but it is better to consult the official source directly before going out.
How can you follow regattas in Belgium?
The websites of coastal clubs and sailing federations publish calendars and rankings. Major competitions and Belgian sailors taking part in offshore races are also covered by Sporza, RTBF and the sports pages of the national dailies.
Does the French-language press cover the maritime sector?
Yes, especially L'Echo for shipowners and ports, and RTBF during major events. Le Soir and La Libre handle the big stories. Day-to-day news from the coast, however, remains more detailed in the Flemish press.