Amandine

The 'O.129 Amandine' is a large stroke trawler that was launched in 1962. In the summer she fished the grounds around South Iceland and in the winter the Channel and the North Sea. From 1974 the Amandine became a real Icelandic vessel.

On April 3, 1995, the 'Amandine', then the last ship that sailed to Iceland, sailed into Ostend for the very last time and dropped anchor for the very last time. The crew disembarked, swallowed a lump in their throats and went home without looking back. The last page in the history of Ostend's Icelandic fishing industry had finally been turned.

On Sunday, May 14, 2000, the 'Amandine' was put on dry land in front of the station with 2 large cranes. This was also the first edition of Ostend at Anchor. Richard Panesi, who built the 'Amandine', refused to be present when the 'Amandine' was put in the dry dock. He was angry. According to him it was "a real disgrace. A perfectly seaworthy ship and must be in the water". It wasn't until years later that he took a look and was even very satisfied with the result. "They did a good job".

Now the ship has been converted into a museum about the Icelanders. However, it is currently closed for renovation.