Good Practices

MSO vzw have been developing several good practices outside of our core-business training of young and unemployed people.

The AMANDINE

The first vessel that MSO renovated was the AMANDINE. The Amandine was the last Belgian fishery vessel that went fishing around Iceland. The Belgian fishery fleet have a tradition of more than 250 years fishing around Iceland.

Together with the City Council of Oostende we decided to renovate this ship in to a museum ship.

MSO vzw have been working for 3 years on this ship and on the restoration to a real thematic museum.

MSO vzw now run this museum, which is situated in the centre of Oostende, near the railway station and close to the docks. Every year we receive about 80.000 to the museum.

The museum is a real asset to the city of Oostende and it employs 5 people, so we have extra jobs too.

The GRAGNON

The GRAGNON is one of the last small wooden fishery vessels. MSO vzw did the renovation of this vessel 5 years ago in order to use the vessels for tourist means.

Together with another company (also vzw) we started with the organisation of small trips on the sea with the Gragnon (approx. 5 hours in duration), with groups of a maximum of 12 persons. During the trip with the GRAGNON they fish for shrimps, passengers on board get an introduction in this fishing system and life on board this kind of vessel. Passengers on board may help to select the fish and boil the shrimps. All passengers are given a portion of the shrimps caught to take home.

This kind of tourist activity is new on the Flemish coast. They are successful and we have made about 90 trips in 6 months.

THE NELE

The latest vessels to be build by MSO vzw.

We have been working on this vessel for 3 years, mainly with trainees and unemployed people with training course on MSO vzw.

For the commercialisation of the NELE, MSO vzw started up another company O.S.V (Oostende Sailing Vessel).

The NELE is a replica of a traditional wooden fishery vessel of the period 1859-1925 in the region of Oostende. The NELE is a sailing vessel with a capacity of 30 passengers for small daytrips with sleeping-accommodation for 8.

Since the end of May 2005 we have organised sea trips with the NELE. Until now these have been very successful. We are co-operating with the tourist agency of the city and the NELE has been a hot item in several newspapers and magazines in Flanders.

This activity also provides the possibility to employ some extra people and gives a real boost to the tourist activities in Oostende, being linked to the sea and seafaring activities.

Jef Hostyn