Ferry De Kobus - Damme

There is a self-operated ferry called Kobus on the Damse Vaart near Lapbreeke.

The ferry that you have to operate yourself with a turning wheel has been around since 1993. In the early 1990s, tourism company Westtoer wanted to start a cycling route along the Zeeland-Flemish border. The route also had to connect Lapbreeke in Damme with Sluis in the Netherlands. It is now a hinge point in the cycle route network and is also on the walking route of the GR5 A West.

This ferry connects Hoeke with Lapbreeke and is often used in the summer by cyclists and walkers who can cross the Damse Vaart in an original way. The name is more of a joke. It actually refers to Saint James the Greater, the patron saint of Hoeke , here a little further. And also to Cornelius, the most famous café in Lapbreeke.

The children from the farm came here to earn some money by operating the boat as ferrymen.

When the ice on the canal thickens, the cables of the ferry had to be removed as quickly as possible and the boat had to remain on shore . Otherwise the skaters would skate against the cables.

Willem Vandenameele