Last weekend, I read in the PZC that the jetty at the Havenboei, at the end of the Piet Heinkade in Vlissingen, has been removed. Due to budget constraints and overdue maintenance, Rijkswaterstaat decided to dismantle it. The breakwater is still there, but the scene has changed. What once felt like a familiar view toward the Western Scheldt will now likely feel empty.
I haven’t seen it myself yet. From the Alblasserwaard, it’s quite a distance, so for now I rely on what I read and see.
Could it have been different?
The question lingers: could this have been avoided? Maybe not. Still, it feels like there might have been other possibilities — through collaboration between residents, local authorities, and organizations involved. I’m no expert, but the disappointment among locals says enough.
A place to slow down
For me, this was one of the most peaceful spots in Vlissingen. Occasionally a fisherman, sometimes another photographer — but often just quiet.
Wind, water, and the strong lines of the jetty created space to pause. Because I’m sensitive to stimuli due to health reasons, this was a place where everything softened. A place to breathe and simply watch.
Earlier this year, I was there during strong winds. Those images already feel like a memory of something that’s now gone.
What remains are the memories
From the jetty, you had a clear view over the Western Scheldt. Ships passed by closely, heading toward Terneuzen or Antwerp. It was one of those places that stayed with you.
Now that the jetty has disappeared, it feels like something quietly closed.
The Havenboei jetty in Vlissingen, as it once felt
What remains are the images—and the feeling you had standing there.
That’s what gives these photographs their meaning. Not as a sales message, but as a way to preserve something that no longer exists.
If you’d like to keep that atmosphere close — on your wall or in a space where calm and memory meet — prints and digital versions of this location are still available.
P.S. Click the cart icon to go directly to the corresponding print in my print shop.
View more photos via the link, which, like this one, are part of my portfolio ‘Coast’.