Coastal Guide 2020 by Coastal Guide

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CoastalGuide 2020

Capturing the essence of the East Coast and its rivers

Coastal Guide 2020

Tidemill Yacht Harbour Tidemill Way Woodbridge Suffolk IP12 1BP 01394 385745 info@tidemillyachtharbour.co.uk www.tidemillyachtharbour.co.uk VHF 80 Tidemill Yacht Harbour is a long-established marina in Woodbridge where you can moor your boat safely and relax and enjoy the gentle, unspoilt surroundings at your leisure. Our team are on hand for berthing, lifts, cleaning, winter storage and all the running repairs and maintenance your boat may need. We also boast a new travel hoist, impressive shower/washroom amenities and fully-equipped workshops.

• Annual & visitor moorings available all year • Winter storage packages available • Full boatyard services including lift & crane • Engine installation, servicing, diagnostics & repair • Electronics sales & installation • Osmosis treatment & resprays • GRP repairs, painting & varnishing

We look forward to welcoming you to the Tidemill Yacht Harbour! Richard & the team 2

Coastal Guide 2020

Ahoy there! W

hatever type of boat or board you favour, you’ll know that being safe and successful on the water means working with the things that matter most... that old saying ‘we cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails’ is proving relevant to life on dry land now, too! The Coronavirus crisis is a reminder that when we’re buffeted by events beyond our control, we can still react constructively. As this year’s Coastal Guide was about to go to press, marine businesses, hospitality venues and sailing organisations cancelled plans and closed their doors. ‘Stay at home’ was the message to all. Thankfully, both the sailing community and the marine industry are tech-savvy and there are countless social media groups, websites and internet gatherings to keep us in contact with one another. The media also plays its part so, for now, we are publishing the 2020 edition of the Coastal Guide digitally, in the hope that it, too, might offer some light relief while we’re all confined to quarters. We hope this edition will give you a sense of being by the water even though you might be far from it. We’ve dropped our usual listings pages, but we have included details of some events which, at the time of going to press, were still being planned... do please check the websites we’ve mentioned for the most up to date information. As soon as it’s wise to do so, we look forward to being able to publish and distribute the Coastal Guide in its paper form as usual. We do so at no cost to readers, and this year we’re especially grateful to the advertisers who make this possible. At a time when it would have been understandable for them to withdraw financial support they didn’t, and we are grateful beyond words for their support – please make an extra effort to look at the advertisements in this edition and (online or in person, once ‘normal’ life is resumed) buy from the people and businesses behind them. CoastalGuide&Events coastalguideandevents CoastalGuide&Events

We’ll be spending our time off the water poring over our RYA books, planning new passages and catching up with some of our favourite sailors, vessels and events via their YouTube channels. We’ll also be paying extra attention to the Coastal Guide’s social media platforms – do stay in touch!

Gill & Tim

Coastal Guide ©East Coast Creative, March 2020

For more on how to enjoy the East Coast and its rivers, see www.coastal.events Coastal Guide 2020

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Coastal Guide 2020

Contents 07 Keep it clean 11 Have a go 12 Historic Harwich 19 Ferry good! 21 Stone Sailing Club

22 Over... and out 27 Just add water 37 Girl power 43 Beach Bonkers 47 Ship to shore 51 Benfleet Yacht Club 52 Coastal shopper

57 All hail, HMS Vale 61 Wish you were here! 69 Snettisham Beach Sailing Club 71 Get on board 74 Sail Arthur Ransomeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nancy Blackett 77 Clubs on the East Coast and its rivers

27 Coastal Guide 2020

Coastal Guide 2020

Keep it clean Legal intervention will help the war against plastic pollution, but as the Harbour Commissioners at Brightlingsea have discovered, there are battles that can be won locally too…

ew controls on single-use plastics signal the start of enforceable protection for our oceans and their precious marine life. Formalised after 13 months of consultation and introduced in April, the Environmental Protection (Plastic Straws, Cotton Buds and Stirrers) (England) Regulations 2020 officially confirm the UK’s wish to stem the flow of waste and promote the use of recyclable materials. The legislation was prompted largely by the wave of public reaction to David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II documentaries, aired in late 2017. At the time, Environment Secretary Michael Gove described being ‘haunted’ by the image of marine life harmed by plastic, saying: “These items are often used for just a few minutes but take hundreds of years to break down, ending up in our seas and oceans and harming precious marine life.” According to research by supermarket chain Waitrose a year later, an incredible 88 per cent of people who watched the series had changed their behaviour as a result. Fast-forward to today, and the need for this new regulation remains all too apparent. Beach cleans are a regular fixture on the calendar of business and organisations along the East Coast: brewer Adnams has been sprucing up the sands

at Southwold at least three times a year since 2003, collecting data on the items found along a 100m stretch of the coastline for the Marine Conservation Society’s Beach Watch Survey, which records the type and quantity of litter found across the UK. Similar initiatives take place at many other prime coastal locations in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Kent – search for your nearest at www.mcsuk.org. The evidence from these beach clean events, however, shows that many of the items collected follow a short route from usefulness to waste. » Coastal Guide 2020

It’s a problem that surfaced early this spring at Brightlingsea Harbour, for example, during routine dredging operations (above and right). “As our dredger worked its way down to 2m below surface level, it didn’t come across the usual pieces of history,” says Jill Herman, Office & Finance Manager, “but instead a wealth of crabbing lines from years gone by and a number of other plastic items discarded into the sea.” Brightlingsea Harbour Commissioners have pledged to mark the beginning and end of each busy season with a beach clean at the locations frequented by their foot ferry – Point Clear, East Mersea and Brightlingsea. “It’s time to turn the tide on plastic!” Jill says: “Times are changing and so are we. We want to keep our customers, the visitors, sea workers, animals and sea life happy and healthy. We are determined to ‘turn the tide on plastic’ during our litter picks, but also in what goes on in the Harbour. “Crabbing, for example, is a popular activity in the Harbour and we very much want it to continue, but we can’t let the fun we have end up causing problems for other users: a seagull with plastic line wrapped around its feet, propellers with line wound tight around the drive leading to costly repairs, or people launching on the hard getting snagged around their legs. It’s just not fair.

“So, when you come crabbing, we will lend you a tin bucket, and if you have plastic line we will replace it with a biodegradable alternative which is robust enough for your use but will not be a danger or snag to anyone. We will also have a large bin so you can get rid of the plastic and show the world the way – have fun while looking after the planet.” • Brightlingsea in Essex is a Trust Port with approximately 376 permanent and at least 10 dedicated visitor moorings. The area is tidal and staff are always on hand to direct yachts to berths and take their lines – visitors can choose to stay in the marina (access is over a cill which is 1m above CD either side of HW) or on linear pontoons in the creek – the main channel from the mouth of the creek is dredged to a minimum of 1m below CD. www.brightlingseaharbour.org • Government research found that in England, an estimated 4.7bn plastic straws, 316m plastic stirrers and 1.8bn plastic -stemmed cotton buds are used each year. About 10 per cent of cotton buds are believed to be flushed down toilets – ending up in waterways and oceans. • Global analysis published in 2017 estimated that 8.3bn tonnes of plastics have been produced since the industry began to expand after the Second World War, around four-fifths of which has been dumped as waste, often washing up on coastlines. • The Marine Conservation Society said it found on average 17 cotton buds for every 100m of beach in England.

Coastal Guide 2020

BROKERAGE NEWS

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Brightlingsea Harbour is a small mixed leisure and commercial port situated in Brightlingsea Creek, close to the mouth of the Colne where it meets the Blackwater and Thames Estuaries Brightlingsea Harbour is a Trust Port managed by Brightlingsea Harbour Commissioners, who also run Waterside Marina. Harbour facilities include:

Water Taxi • Fresh Water • Fuel • Sewage Pump Out • Laundry • Showers • Maintenance Posts • Wifi and electric in the marina • Waste Disposal Brightlingsea has a great selection of hostelries, shops, clubs and services, and our Harbour boat trips and Foot Ferry make it easy for visitors to explore the area further

01206 302200 • mail@brightlingseaharbour.org • www.brightlingseaharbour.org • VHF Channel 68 Coastal Guide 2020

AGENTS SINCE 1996

Visit our website to see full details and pictures of over 250 boats for sale ● International award winning power boat & sailing yacht brokerage ● Professional comprehensive marketing service inc. mobile website ● Dedicated sales areas in premium locations to sell your boat from Are you looking to buy or sell? Our brokerage service is here to help and our Used Boat Shows are the biggest events of their kind on the East coast! Chatham Marina

Suffolk 01473 659681

Coastal Guide 2020

9-11th Oct

Burnham Yacht Harbour

16-18th Oct

Suffolk Yacht Harbour

23-25th Oct

Essex 01621 785600

Kent 01634 571605

Have a go Make 2020 the year you do something different…

oolverstone Marina-based Shearwater Sailing School has had to cancel its spring and early-summer RYA-accredited sailing courses due to the Coronavirus. However, Principal Mark Lewis and instructor Tom are offering a way for sailors and novices alike to brush up on some key skills while confined to quarters – a series of videos offering ‘quick lessons’ on subjects such as springing off, tying up, and lowering the mainsail. Shearwater’s classroom-based RYA theory courses run over the autumn and winter. • www.shearwatersailingschool.co.uk

Keen to try an open water swim but not sure how to start? The John West Great East Swim is due to take place at Suffolk’s Alton Water on 20 June, with distances ranging from 250m to 10k. Ideal for new or nervous swimmers, families, and children aged eight and over, the shorter courses offer an opportunity to – literally! – test the water and get a feel for swimming in the great outdoors. • Numbers are limited and this event could be affected by the COVID-19 crisis, so check www.greatrun.org/great-swim for updates.

Catamaran training is included in the sailing programme at Viking Mariners, a business that’s been operating on the historic waterfront in Ipswich since 2008. Comprised of a team of accomplished sailors, the company was formed by Lee Weavers and Sue Clark to provide unforgettable experiences while exploring the Suffolk rivers and East Coast on board sailing yacht Viking Blue. More recently catamaran Alchemy (below) has joined the Viking Mariners fleet. Lee says: “In the last few years, we introduced catamaran training to our offerings due to the increasing popularity of catamaran holiday chartering; so far, this has proved very popular.” Catamaran familiarisation days are scheduled throughout the year, with specific RYA course dates allocated to training on board this vessel. Alchemy will also fulfill Viking Mariner’s busy schedule of leisure sails, while Sue and Lee embark on a new adventure setting sail towards the Mediterranean on board Viking Blue. •www.vikingmariners.co.uk

Coastal Guide 2020

Historic Harwich It was once an important naval base and today is a thriving passenger ferry port. But it’s the commemoration of an event four centuries ago that makes Harwich a must-see in 2020…

arwich: the name is synonymous with ships and sailors. The harbour here, created by a storm surge in the 1100s, is the only Haven Port between the Thames and the Humber. Famous seafarers Hawkins, Drake and Frobisher all sailed from Harwich during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I; in 1588 the English Fleet put into Harwich on their return from the defeat of the Spanish Armada; in 1600 a shipyard was built; and soon afterwards ‘packet boats’ began sailing from here to Holland. But it’s Harwich’s role in the story of America that’s fuelling the town’s re-emergence as a tourist hotspot – a story of one ship that links four nations, spans 400 years of history and connects millions of people. Mayflower 400, a year-long celebration, marks the 400th anniversary of the pioneering voyage undertaken by a group of people that more than

Coastal Guide 2020

30 million US citizens have descended from. Hailed as ‘the world’s biggest family reunion’, the aim is to create an inspiring and unforgettable series of events in the UK, Holland and the US to commemorate the legacy of the passengers and crew who were on the Mayflower when it sailed from Plymouth UK to Plymouth Massachusetts. The Mayflower and the story of its voyage across the Atlantic in 1620 are intrinsically linked with Harwich. The ship is believed to have been built here – it was originally designated as ‘of Harwich’ – and was commanded and part-owned by Captain Christopher Jones, who had lived in the town. Jones was twice wed in St Nicholas Church, Harwich; his first wife Sara Twitt lived in a house opposite his (top left) and which is now home to popular local hostelry, the Alma Inn (below left).

Hints of Harwich’s nautical heritage can be seen throughout the ‘old town’, built on a grid pattern in the 13th century to make the most of its strategic position at the mouth of the Rivers Stour and Orwell. Many of the houses here have cellars that were interconnecting and had the dual purpose of facilitating smuggling and avoiding the press gangs. Other historical gems include the Electric Palace, built in 1911 and now the oldest unaltered purpose-built cinema in Britain, St Nicholas Church which was rebuilt 1821, and the » Coastal Guide 2020

Part of the Mayflower 400 programme, Octopus Ahoy! will see parks and open spaces taken over by 100 octopus creations, all designed and painted by local professional artists and school pupils. The Octopus Ahoy! trail is due to run from 4 July to 12 September, before the large sculptures are auctioned off, with proceeds going to Essex charities. •www.octopusahoy.co.uk

The RNLI Harwich Lifeboat Station was built in 2002 and accommodates a B class inshire lifeboat, while an all-weather lifeboat lies afloat on a pontoon close by. Closed to visitors currently, the Station remains operational through the Coronavirus crisis – its website will keep you in touch with the crew’s latest call-outs. •www.harwichlifeboat.org.uk

Harwich International Shanty Festival marks its 15th anniversary this year – the event started with a bunch of friends meeting up in a couple of pubs to drink and sing, but today the whole town resounds to the sound of Shanties and sea songs… if you’ve never been before, prepare for a day out like no other! In addition to impromptu performances there’ll be concerts, barge trips, street theatre, maritime crafts, pirates, singing workshops, spoken word sessions, train rides and much more to enjoy – put 8-11 October in your diary and check out the website www.harwichshantyfestival.co.uk for full information.

Coastal Guide 2020

» atmospheric Redoubt Fort which dates back to the Napoleonic Wars. Whether you’re arriving on land or water, an enjoyable way to discover the historic town is to follow its Maritime Heritage Trail. Don’t miss the High and Low Lights – the latter is now a Maritime Museum – the Lifeboat Museum, the Barge Murals that overlook the site where Thames Sailing Barges were once built, and the Treadwheel Crane – built in 1667 and based on a Roman design, it men walked in the interior of two large wheels to raise and lower goods and materials. Also visit the old Radar Tower at Beacon Hill Fort, which was the first radar installation of the Second World War. Major investment is delivering two new Mayflower 400 experiences for visitors looking to understand the origins of the ship and her crew. The King’s Head Street home of Christopher Jones is due to open to the public for the first time this year, and feature a range of interactive elements. Further information on Harwich’s links to the Mayflower will be explored at the town’s new Heritage Centre, which will house a dedicated exhibition including a range of artefacts that have never been publicly displayed before. »

Founded in 1969, the Harwich Society offers a wealth of info and has created a Maritime Heritage Trail to help visitors explore the town’s historic sites. www.harwich-society.co.uk Harwich Haven Authority was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1863 to oversee marine operations in Harwich and Felixstowe. Its jurisdiction covers the Harbour (including the Port of Felixstowe, Harwich International Port and Harwich Navyard), the tidal River Stour (including the Port of Mistley); through traffic to Associated British Ports, Ipswich; and an area to sea extending to the Shipwash Bank. HHA exists to ensure the safety of everyone using Harwich Harbour – VHF Channel 71, call sign Harwich VTS, is always busy and leisure sailors will know that monitoring this channel is the best way to check out commercial vessel movements. The main deep-water navigational channels within Harwich Harbour are well marked by buoys and lights. Yachts are advised to keep clear of the channels and use the recommended yacht tracks; if the main channels have to be crossed, do so as nearly as practicable at right angles. Avoid crossing the bows of oncoming commercial traffic – large container ships, in particular, have restricted visibility ahead when carrying a deck cargo of containers. And adhere to both the ColRegs and best practice advice given by the Royal Yacht Association. •www.hha.co.uk Coastal Guide 2020

Built on the site of a quayside brewery in 1860, The Pier at Harwich is something of a local icon. Overlooking the harbour, ships and working docks – and just a stone’s throw from the estuary where fresh fish is landed daily – the first floor restaurant is a stunning redefined brasserie, while on the ground floor below the NAVYÄRD is a continental-inspired bar with an enviable drinks and gin list. Here, the Gin Library offers more than 100 gins, along with craft, cask and artisan beers, ales and a Nordic-inspired smallplate bar menu. The gin selection is split simply over four shelves, and an expert team is on hand to help guests decide which to try. For those who prefer a different type of tipple, prosecco cocktails are great fun and there’s a choice, too, of 25 whiskeys plus enticing lists of tequilas, cognacs and bourbons. Whether you arrive by foot ferry from Felixstowe or Shotley, tie up your boat at Ha’penny Pier, or designate a driver and enjoy a leisurely motor into Harwich, The Pier is a most definite ‘must-do’ for lovers of great food and drink. • www.milsomhotels.com Harwich is home to Trinity House, the charity dedicated to safeguarding shipping and seafarers, and a General Lighthouse Authority with a statutory duty to deliver a reliable, efficient and cost-effective ‘aids to navigation service’ for the benefit and safety of all mariners. Incorporated by Royal Charter by Henry VIII in May 1514, Trinity House’s primary purpose is to guide ships safely through some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, including the Dover Strait. Alongside its work maintaining lighthouses and buoys, Trinity House has pioneered the development of solar and wind energy systems for both onshore and offshore installations, and it offers a diverse range of commercial services, from asset management and data solutions to holiday cottages and visitor centres in coastal locations. • www.trinityhouse.co.uk

Coastal Guide 2020

Modern-day Harwich and its Harbour remain a centre of sailing activity. Dating from the early 1960s, Harwich Town Sailing Club (above, top) is a vibrant club committed to promoting sailing as an all-round family activity in all its forms, from championship racing to pottering about in and around the harbour area. The club has helped many sailors become champions in their class, and continues to offer Youth training under its own RYA instructors. •www.htsc.co.uk The HQ of the Harwich & Dovercourt Sailing Club (above centre) resides on the bank of the River Stour – LBK6 is the last survivor of the Thames lighters requisitioned by the Admiralty for D-Day, and converted for use by the Royal Navy. LBK6 – the title means Landing Barge Kitchen – sailed for Normandy as part of Force ‘S’; her job was to provide hot meals and fresh bread to the 52 barges she supported. Other wartime postings followed, and after VE Day LBK6 was left by the Navy in Rotterdam to work as a soup kitchen for the starving Dutch population. Eventually returned to England, after various refits and repairs she was sold in 2007 to Harwich & Dovercourt Sailing Club, the oldest club on the River Stour. •www.hdsc.org.uk

Annual regattas at Harwich providing racing events for both yachts and working boats were first organised in 1828, and in 1843 a yacht club was formed to run them. Two years later the socalled Eastern Yacht Club secured Royal Patronage – securing the Dowager Queen Adelaide (King William IV’s widow) as patron – and was renamed the Royal Harwich Yacht Club. In the 19th century the Royal Harwich became one of the leading racing yacht clubs in the country, but in WWII it closed down. Post-war, people had little money to spend on recreation. But Austin Farrar, a boatyard operator, yacht and rig designer, acquired a yard at Woolverstone on the River Orwell and offered the RHYC a chance to re-form there, initally using wartime Nissen huts as a clubhouse. In 1969 a smart new clubhouse was opened on the site and, with various later additions including a marina with floating pontoons and a number of swinging moorings, it continues to provide facilities for members and visiting yachtsmen alike. Together with laying-up on-shore facilities, an active sailing and social programme and a variety of RYA training courses, the club (above left) offers something for every sailor, plus a superb food and drinks offering. •www.royalharwichyachtclub.co.uk

Named after the toll once charged for admittance, Ha’penny Pier was built in the early 1850s to serve cross-Channel ships and local paddle steamers. Today it’s one of the UK’s only surviving wooden, working piers and home to the town’s Visitor Centre.The pier also has a café, moorings for visiting yachtsmen (main photo), and provides the best vantage point to see ships entering and departing Harwich Haven. The Harwich Harbour Ferry (www.harwichharbourferry.com) calls here as part of its regular schedule of crossings between Harwich, Shotley and Felixstowe.

Coastal Guide 2020

THE PIER AT HARWICH HOTEL, RESTAURANT, BALCONY, BAR & TERRACE. OPEN ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. NOW SERVING AFTERNOON TEA.

Harwich, home of the Mayflower

To book call 01255 241212 or simply turn up.

www.milsomhotels.com

Estuary Vessel Management Providing a comprehensive range of marine services for yachts and powered craft berthed on and around the Shotley Peninsula, Suffolk We provide a friendly, reliable maintenance/ management service including: • All-year-round vessel wash downs. • Accommodation cleaning. • Hull sides & top deck polishing with Ceramic wax protection. • Underwater hull prep/antifoul application. • Teak cleaning/renovating. • Anode replacement. • Seacock/Skin fitting servicing. • Varnishing/Painting. • Rigging/running rig maintenance/ renewal. • Day/Passage crewing. • Vessel handling tips/local rivers awareness.

Further details please call Jon or Sue: 01473 788806 – 07455 913257 jonhumby@gmail.com www.estuaryvesselmanagement.co.uk

Coastal Guide 2020

Ferry good! Let someone else do the driving and discover more of the region around our coastal rivers

he East Coast’s rivers are a perfect playground for sailors and watersports enthusiasts, but they’re ideal for journeys of discovery too. The historic cinque port of Brightlingsea, for example, sits close to the mouth of the River Colne where it meets the Blackwater and Thames Estuaries, and its Harbour Ferry opens up opportunities to explore the local area and attractions. Importantly, travel by the ferry greatly reduces road miles – a round-trip by road between Brightlingsea and St Osyth is 20 miles but typically takes just three minutes on the ferry, while the round-trip by road to East Mersea is 40 miles and only takes approximately nine minutes by ferry. Once there, it’s easy to explore Cudmore Grove Country Park, an excellent coastal-themed play area, or to go further afield for afternoon tea and locally brewed beer at Mersea Island vineyard, or to enjoy locally-caught oysters at the popular Seafood at Dawn restaurant. Still on a foodie theme, Brightlingsea offers a pub lunch and river cruise along the Colne to Wivenhoe, a postcard-pretty village that’s been home to many famous people including actress Joan Hickson – TV’s Miss Marple – plus numerous artists and writers. The town’s history centres on

fishing, shipbuilding and smuggling, and included in the price of this trip is a meal at the 300-yearold Black Buoy Inn, which is steeped in maritime history and this year’s Colchester & North East Essex CAMRA Pub Of The Year. If you’d prefer to really push the boat out, the Brightlingsea Harbour Ferry is available for private charter, or for those short of time a simple harbour tour might be more suitable – the trip takes passengers around the salt marsh that is Cindery Island, home to many local birds and wildlife. • For further information visit www.brightlingseaharbour.org

he Harwich Harbour Foot & Bicycle Ferry (pictured top) provides a vital link at the confluence of the Rivers Stour and Orwell, usually offering regular passage between Shotley, Harwich and Felixstowe from April to November. A 60-minute harbour round-trip gives passengers the opportunity to see the ancient Landguard Fort from the water – designed to guard the entrance to the port of Harwich, its fortifications date from 1540. And for wildlifelovers, a new Seal Watching voyage takes passengers into the Hamford Water Nature Reserve, home to a healthy breeding population of seals as well as a variety of birds. The trip from Harwich lasts 90-120 minutes and runs all year, weather permitting. •www.harwichharbourferry.com Coastal Guide 2020

One location • Three great reasons to visit!

Tollesbury Marina on the River Blackwater 250 berths • Water • WiFi • Electricity • Chandlery • Boatyard for lifting & repairs • Wonderful views & countryside

www.tollesburymarina.com • 01621 869202

Eat at the Harbour View overlooking the Marina Seafood, specials and a fabulous Sunday Roast Lovely waterside setting with great views www.the-harbour-view.co.uk 01621 869561

Buying or selling a boat on the East Coast? We hold Spring & Autumn used boat shows in a great location Free storage ashore No sale – no fee GIVE US A TRY! www.davidmorrisboats.co.uk • 01621868494

Tollesbury Marina, Essex CM9 8SE 20

Coastal Guide 2020

Stone Sailing Club

One of the East Coast’s best-kept secrets

ocated on the south bank of the River Blackwater where the river reaches two kilometres wide at high tide and the open sea is just a few miles away, Stone Sailing Club offers great on-thewater action at any state of the tide. Run by and for its members, the club is in St Lawrence Bay, near Southminster in Essex, and has a long tradition of being family-friendly – it’s said that many of today’s leading members practically grew up here! A busy committee works hard to promote and facilitate amateur yacht and dinghy racing and sailing, rowing and canoeing. Along with top-notch tuition and a busy calendar of social

Stone Sailing Club hosts a busy schedule of sailing events in 2020, including: 8-10 May VE Day Trophy Races 23 May RYA Try Sailing Day 26-29 May Cadet Week 5-7 June Blaze Nationals 25 July Old Gaffers Race 3-7 August Stone Week 14-16 August Hurricane Nationals 29-31 August Essex Dinghy Championships 20 September Bart’s Bash

The River Blackwater forms the northern boundary of the Dengie Hundred, a peninsula of ancient farmland designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty made even more remarkable by its salt marshes and milky skies. Not only is the water here great for racing, but the Dengie has its own sub-climate, the prevailing winds from the south-west resulting in more good weather than many other places. events all year round, Stone Sailing Club offers storage ashore for dinghies, plus a limited number of swinging moorings on the River Blackwater for squibs and cruisers. The ability to launch from the beach all points of tide makes this club an attractive proposition for the Slow and Fast Dinghy classes – the latter features fleets of K6s, 505s, B14s, ISOs, RSs Musto Skiffs, Laser 4000 and 5000s, 470s, Hornets and 29ers, while the former includes K1s, Snipes, Wayfarers, RS Varios, 420s and Phantoms. Windsurfers, Symmetric Cats, Superfast craft and Squibs are also active here, and Stone Sailing Club has a substantial Cruiser class too. Off the water, a full galley service is available through all sailing events, and free camping is available within the grounds.

Stone Sailing Club, Tinnocks Lane, St Lawrence Bay, Nr Southminster, Essex CM0 7NF 01621 779344 contactus@stonesailingclub.org.uk www.stonesailingclub.org.uk Coastal Guide 2020

Over... and out

One of the East Coast’s most iconic landmarks has fought – and lost – its final battle with the elements

A familiar sight to seafarers on passage along the Suffolk coast, Orfordness Lighthouse has been used as a location for concerts, music videos, student films, TV documentaries and even some marriage proposals

Coastal Guide 2020

elentless coastal erosion and catastrophic storms dealt a fatal blow to one of the most familiar sights on the Suffolk shoreline over the winter. After a battering from storms Ciara and Dennis, it was announced in February that the Orfordness Lighthouse could no longer be defended from inevitable demise, and work began shortly afterwards to dismantle the building and preserve its artefacts. Dating from 1792, the iconic red and white landmark was decommissioned by Trinity House in June 2013 and a few months later was purchased by the Orfordness Lighthouse Company Ltd before subsequently being transferred to the Orfordness Lighthouse Trust. Previously the National Trust had suggested that the Lighthouse’s final solution should be one of ‘controlled ruination’, with visitors to the Ness limited to seeing the exterior only until the fateful day arrived. However the Trust, a registered charity, vowed to preserve the Lighthouse for as long as possible and aimed to allow visitors greater access while it was still standing. The Trust spent significant sums trying to defend the Lighthouse from the encroaching sea, but with 10m of beach disappearing over the winter of 2013/14, it was always known that the structure’s days were numbered. Over successive years the Trust created ‘sausages’ of beach shingle

encased in a roll of strong geotextile material, which were placed at the top of the beach with the help of a team of local volunteers. As these ‘sausages’ were massaged by successive tides, they sank deeper in the shingle, and new ones were placed on top, forming a soft wall of defence that extended the Lighthouse’s life well beyond the four months envisioned by some in 2013. Unfortunately, almost immediately after volunteers hosted a visit from the children of a nearby school in October 2019, a severe storm hit Orford Ness, taking away the engineers’ bungalow and the sea-side concrete plinth around the base of the lighthouse itself. “Where days before the kids had joined hands and formed a ring around the lighthouse, much of the ground on which they had stood had been stripped away. It was clear to us then that the long-avoided time had come to dismantle the lighthouse if there was to be any hope of preserving any of the artefacts,” said a statement on the OLT’s website. “We had long known this day would come. In 2009 Trinity House determined (after a number of studies) that, for a raft of technical and regulatory reasons, their much-loved Lighthouse could not be maintained where she was nor could she be moved. They chose to decommission the Lighthouse in June 2013, estimating that the building would survive only a short while before »

Coastal Guide 2020

» it succumbed to the sea.

“This was the context in which Orfordness Lighthouse Trust took responsibility for the Lighthouse. As a Trust we committed to defend Orfordness Lighthouse where it stood for as long as possible, and if possible to preserve the artefacts after that. We are proud that we kept the Lighthouse standing for years longer than anyone envisaged.” In February of this year, Anglian Demolition was commissioned to carry out the demolition work in a way that enabled the Trust to preserve the key artefacts. “In the lull between storms Ciara and Dennis plant was brought to site to make preparations to dismantle the building, demolishing the undermined oil-store and placing the debris temporarily in front of the Lighthouse to protect it from storm Dennis. They also managed a temporary repair of the track down from Aldeburgh and prepared the beach to provide a stable platform for the crane that would take down the Lantern Room from the top of the Lighthouse and then begin to take apart the rest of the building,” explained the Orfordness Lighthouse Trust.

Coastal Guide 2020

The timescale for the demolition to begin was said to be weather dependent and the Trust announced there would be no further visitor or media access to the site, but the process would be captured in a time-lapse film by the demolition company.

The first lights in this area were a pair of wooden leading lights constructed in 1637. These were replaced in 1780 by a pair of brick towers but scarcely a dozen years later the lower light of the two was precariously close to the sea due to shore erosion, and it collapsed not long afterwards. In 1792, anticipating this inevitability, landowner Lord Braybrooke built a new ‘high light’ in a different position – this was the lighthouse so recently demolished; its 30m tower was designed by architect William Wilkins and it contained a light that at one time had a range of 24 nautical miles. The former high light functioned as a new ‘low light’ until it, too, was lost to erosion in 1887. The low light was not replaced again; instead, in 1888, red and green sectors were added to the high light. In 1914 a new revolving optic was installed (which remained in use for 99 years), and a new additional light was installed along with fixed lenses at a level below the lantern, so the sector lights now shone from windows on the tower. The lighthouse was electrified in 1959, and in 1964 it became the first lighthouse to be monitored by telemetry from Harwich, ushering in a process of automation that continued around England over the next 35 years. Orfordness Lighthouse was decommissioned in June 2013 because of the encroaching sea, its modern electrical equipment and hazardous materials all safely removed, and Trinity House increasing the power of the light at Southwold Lighthouse to compensate for its closure.

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The East Coast is home to a number of fiercely-competitive and fun events each year...

ounded in 2002 and now firmly established in the UK classic yachting calendar as the largest event of its kind on the east coast, the Suffolk Yacht Harbour Classic Regatta is scheduled to take place from 12–14 June. This year’s regatta will include an additional race on the Friday evening and, for the first time, classic displacement motor yachts are invited to attend. The event is open to everyone from keen racers to social sailors who wish to compete in the fast, slow and Stella classes. Friday’s race is an optional, informal addition to the weekend and will take place in the River Orwell. This race will have separate prizes to the overall regatta and is followed by a three-race series on the Saturday and Sunday in Dovercourt Bay, Harwich Harbour, and the Orwell and Stour estuaries. On-the-water action is complemented by socialising in the on-site Haven Ports Yacht Club lightship, with a regatta party and live band on Saturday evening. Entry criteria for the regatta requires yachts to be either pre-1970 design of traditional construction, Bermuda or gaff rigged and built of wood or steel. Modern classic yachts with wooden or steel hulls are also welcome. •www.syhclassicregatta.co.uk Coastal Guide 2020

Medway Regatta

edway Yacht Club hosts the Medway Regatta, which usually takes place over the last of the May Bank Holiday weekends. With a racing area that includes the reaches and creeks of the River Medway and the Thames Estuary, this open event is always popular – please check the website for confirmation of this year’s dates. •www.medwayyachtclub. com

Wroxham Week

orfolk Broads Yacht Club has suspended its racing programme until at least 30 April, but so far Wroxham Week is still on the wcalendar. Due to take place from 26 July–2 August, the regatta is open to all single and double-handed dinghies. •www.nbyc.co.uk

Coastal Guide 2020

Finesse Rally

inesse owners and crews hope to hold their ninth annual class rally at Burnham Yacht Harbour on 24-26 July this year. This popular get-together has been held at locations including Chatham, Bradwell and Brightlingsea in the past, and usually features up to 35 of the East Coast’s clinker classics. Mark Milsom is the man with all the info on this year’s plans... email him at markmilsom911@btinternet.com.

Nore Race

combined open cruiser and dinghy race held each year over a 20-mile circuit of the Thames Estuary, The Nore Race starts and finishes at Southend Pier. Benfleet Yacht Club has organised the event since the 1930s – it’s likely to have taken a break during the war years – and for many skippers and crew, it is the only race that they will compete in. Entries usually number around 140 vessels, and include all classes of sailing dinghies and cruising yachts, both multi- and monohull. This year’s event is due to take place on 28 June, and there’ll be split start times for the dinghy and cruiser classes. Southend on Sea High Water on race morning is at 06:28 (5.4m); once they’ve completed the circuit, competitors often anchor in The Ray and enjoy the Ray Sands before returning home on the tide – this year evening High Water will be 18:49 BST (5.2m).

The entry fee for the Nore Race is £20 for all classes and includes a free race pennant and entry to a prizegiving event on 3 July for all entrants, crew, family and friends. Dinghy sailors travelling to take part in the Nore Race are welcome to use the launching facilities at Benfleet Yacht Club, but as that’s a long way from the start line, special arrangements are in place with both Thorpe Bay Yacht Club and Alexandra Yacht Club to allow dinghies travelling from outside the area to use their club and launching facilities. Both clubs offer good access to the water and are not too far from the start and finish areas. •www.benfleetyachtclub.org Coastal Guide 2020

East Coast Piers Race

pen to fast dinghies, small open keelboats and catamarans, the East Coast Piers Race is a charity event that raises funds to support The Cirdan Trust, which works to benefit socially and physically disadvantaged children. Based at Marconi Sailing Club on the River Blackwater in Essex, the race is due to take place this year on 28 June and goes up the East Coast to Walton and back again. Three course options are available: the Bradwell Race is 13 miles long and open to boats 1046PY and below; the Colne Point Race is 27 miles long and open to boats 980PY and below; and the full ECPR is 48 miles long and open to catamarans only. Motor boats anchor at every mile and a number of support boats spread out along the course to assist if required. •www.eastcoastpiersrace.com

Mersea Week

he sheltered waters of the River Blackwater provide a fitting setting for the ‘family and friends-oriented’ Mersea Week, due to be held on 16–21 August this year. Organised by a committee of volunteers from the Dabchicks Sailing Club and the West Mersea Yacht Club – which means that competitors are welcome to use the facilities of both throughout the week – this event is one of the Essex island’s premier fixtures. The Mersea Town Regatta is scheduled for 22 August. •www.merseaweek.org

Coastal Guide 2020

Round Canvey Race

enfleet Yacht Club’s Coastal Rowers are an active group of rowing enthusiasts. The club has a number and variety of fixed and sliding seat coastal rowing craft available for all members to use, and many of its rowing members compete in major events in other parts of the UK and on the near continent. Keeping the action close to home, however, Benfleet Yacht Club organises the annual Round Canvey Race, a rowing, row/sail or paddle event that covers a 14.5 mile circuit of the entire coast of Canvey Island. This annual open event was established in 2010 and an eclectic mix of vessels have competed to date: fixed seat and sliding seat row boats, surf skis, kayaks, outrigger canoes and a variety of sailing dinghies. The current time record is 1 hour 44 minutes – an average speed of 7.2 knots – and boats from as far away as Whitby have travelled to compete. Sponsored by Canvey Island’s Windjammer

public house, this year’s Round Canvey Race is due to take place on 4 July and entry is £8 per crew member. The course includes four tidal barrages, there are bridges to pass under – so masts will come down – and all craft must be suitable for deep water and potentially rough conditions. Free overnight camping is available at Benfleet Yacht Club, which is on the northern shore of Canvey Island. •www.benfleetyachtclub.org

Coastal Guide 2020

Maldon Town Regatta

aldon Town Regatta has been held for many generations and in its present form since 2002. This year’s event is scheduled to take place on 19 September and the full programme is due to be published in June. •www.maldonregatta.co.uk

Burnham Week

he region’s ‘most challenging and friendly’ regatta, Burnham Week attracts a full range of sailors including national champions and beginners with cruisers, one designs, multihulls and dinghies. The sheltered waters of the Rivers Crouch and Roach and all-tide access to the Thames Estuary are the setting for a variety of courses and there’s plenty of action off the water too. This year’s event is from 29 August5 September •www.burnhamweek.com

Coastal Guide 2020

Trafalgar Race

he prestigious Thames Trafalgar Race, hosted jointly by Little Ship Club and Erith Yacht Club, is a two-stage race that gives sailors an opportunity to tackle the fickle tides and winds of the River Thames. Day one’s competition starts from Blackwall Reach near Greenwich and finishies at Erith Yacht Club, and is followed by a dinner which pays respect to Horatio Lord Nelson and the Battle

of Trafalgar. Stage two sees the race return upriver to Greenwich the next day. This event is scheduled to take placeon 26-27 September and entry is limited to 40 boats. The race is open to any yacht with a Byron handicap system – if you don’t already have one, email the organisers and they will let you know how to apply. •www.littleshipclub.co.uk

IOS Round the Island Race

he East Coast’s own Round the Island Race is due to take place on 5–6 September when the Isle of Sheppey Sailing Club hosts its endurance event – at 40 miles it’s the UK’s longest annual dinghy, catamaran and board race and not to be confused with other ‘24-hour’ races which allow for a change of helm and crew. Sailed clockwise around the island, the race was established in 1959 and starts and finishes at Sheerness. It includes tidal sea, river and estuary sailing – larger dinghies and multihulls have to be stopped, heeled over and walked under the inner span of the lifting road bridge at Kingsferry. The race is open to all classes of dinghy, catamaran and sailboard, and any vessel that does not have an RYA Portsmouth Yardstick number should make contact with the IOS Sailing Club before the event. Typical passage times are between three and 10 hours and current course records are 1 hour 52 minutes for multihulls, 2 hours 17 minutes for monohulls and 2 hours 34 minutes for sailboards. •www.iossc.org.uk Coastal Guide 2020

Three Rivers Race

t’s the 60th anniversary of what is known as ‘Europe’s toughest inland sailing race’. The course of this Horning Sailing Club event covers over 50 miles and three different rivers – the Bure, Ant and Thurne – and sees competitors having to lower masts to navigate three bridges at Potter Heigham and Acle. Each has up to 24 hours to complete the course – here’s hoping the racing takes place as scheduled on 30–31 May! •www.3rr.uk

North West Norfolk Week

ffering close racing at a different location every day, this family-friendly event is due to take place 18 August. Organised by all the clubs in the area, a near-unique feature is the variety of sailing on offer: Hunstanston and Snettisham Beach SCs are in the Wash and offer large open sea courses, while The Ouse Amateur Sailing Club offers tidal river racing and the largest coastal salt marshes in the world stretch between Brancaser Staithe and Blakeney. Daily and weekly trophies mean there’s something for all and the facilities offered by host clubs are as varied as the sailing itself. •www.norfolkweek.co.uk

Coastal Guide 2020

Brightlingsea Regatta

rightlingsea harbour and waterfront are the setting for a host of activities on 4–5 July. Brightlingsea Sailing Club and Colne Yacht Club will be offering newcomers the chance to try sailing, and the town’s Coastal Rowing Club and University Community Sailing Club will be providing gig rowing opportunities too. A St Helena Hospice Craft Your Raft Race is open to teams for more on-the-water fun. • www.brightlingsearegatta.com

North Sea Race

osted by the Royal Harwich Yacht Club, the North Sea Race starts outside Harwich and typically meanders around the Galloper wind farm before heading north to Smith’s Knoll Buoy and across the North Sea to a finish at the Scheveningen Yacht Club. This 180-plus mile race is scheduled for 22 May and forms the second part of the North Sea Regatta, book-ended by the Vuurschepenrace feeder race, which starts on Tuesday 19 May from Scheveningen to Harwich, and an inshore race series in Scheveningen afterwards. •www.rorc.org

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Visiting Burnham Yacht Harbour? Please call our Harbourmaster on

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For a full list of incentives and deals please visit our website www.burnhamyachtharbour.co.uk or call 01621 782150 email: admin@burnhamyachtharbour.co.uk 36

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Girl power! Action-woman Dawn Wood spends much of her life on the water, but she’s really putting her back into her latest offshore adventures

ceans are generally something crossed as swiftly as possible via airplane or, perhaps, more leisurely on board a luxury cruise liner. But for Burnham seafarer Dawn Wood, the journey is just as important as the destination – and an opportunity spread an important environmental message en route. Dawn is a commercially-endorsed Yachtmaster instructor and the principal of her own sea school. When not teaching first aid, sea survival, VHF radio procedures and other maritime skills, she’s a full-time skipper with the Essex Police Marine Section, which patrols the coastline from the Dartford River crossing to Mistley on the River Stour on board its fast RIB and larger vessel Alert IV. A former hockey and rugby player – she has represented the Police in both – and a keen diver, Dawn tried rowing for the first time in 2014 when invited to take part in an East Coast Harkers Yard gig race for Burnham-on-Crouch Coastal Rowing Club. “I’m pretty sure we came last, but I was

hooked!” she says. It was at this club that Dawn met its President, Charlie Pitcher, the founder of ocean rowing specialist Rannoch Adventure and holder of several ocean rowing records. Aware of Dawn’s experience on the water and new-found enthusiasm for rowing, he asked her to help with an exciting new project – one that involved three years of training and ending with 10 students taking part in a 300-mile ocean row into Hong Kong. In January 2018 Dawn witnessed four of her students in team ‘Kung Fu Cha Cha’ cross the Atlantic Ocean, gaining several world records in the process. “I was incredibly proud of them,” she says, “but realised that I could not tell people I’d helped to train them and not actually do it myself. I knew then that I was going to row an ocean; I just did not know when, how, or who with.” Fast-forward to a Rannoch Adventure ocean rowing open day in April 2018, and Dawn met » Coastal Guide 2020

Kiko Matthews who had just become the fastest female to row the Atlantic, solo and unsupported. “I listened to her speak and the things she was saying basically blew my arguments as to why I hadn’t committed to do it,” Dawn says. And so the Row Aurora Solo Atlantic Challenge was launched, with a start date of January 2019 in mind! The following months were a whirlwind of activity, and expense. Dawn’s Rannoch-built ocean rowing boat True Blue cost £46,000 and she had shipping, equipment, food, flights, medical equipment and training to fund too – plus some world record ambitions and a commitment to raise money for the Marine Conservation Society. Husband Jaime contributed £6,000 on behalf of his business, Station Automotive in Burnham, and a £30,000 bank loan plugged the funding gap until sponsors came on board. Creating a website, producing brochures and launching the ‘250 club’ – where people could pay to have their name on the boat – was all completed while Dawn

The name ‘Aurora’ comes from the Latin word, meaning ‘Dawn’, so it was an easy choice of name for Dawn’s challenge and sailing school. “It symbolises a new beginning, which is a powerful way to start each day!” she says. Photo: Beccy Plummer

Coastal Guide 2020

set about training for her Atlantic Crossing… all while continuing to work full-time and talk to local schools and groups about her campaign against single-use plastics. Just after Christmas 2018 Dawn flew to Gran Canaria to be reunited with True Blue, which had been shipped out earlier. The boat was launched for Dawn’s first outing on Atlantic waters on 30 December, and after a few days of weatherwatching, problem-solving, maintenance and repair, True Blue slipped her lines on 5 January 2019. Dawn’s Atlantic challenge is charted in her book, Row Aurora, which includes the blogs she wrote while at on the water. Sealife encounters, severe headwinds, solar power worries and a debilitating migraine are all described, along with the routine of rowing for 12-plus hours a day, the importance of messages from home and the joy of fresh fruit and beer gifted by a passing yacht crew. You can buy the book on Amazon and via Dawn’s website… suffice to say she arrived in Barbados after rowing 3225 nautical miles singlehandedly across the Atlantic, a journey of 51 days 17 hours and 15 minutes that raised £20,000 for the Marine Conservation Society. “The whole thing

still feels a bit surreal,” she says. “I often do talks about my adventure, and sometimes have to pinch myself to be sure it was me that did it. “I am mostly proud of myself for having the courage to actually get up and make it happen. Though I have been involved in training in the ocean rowing industry over the past six years and have had a secret desire to do it myself for a long time, I kept coming up with excuses as to why it was not the right time, or reasons I could not do it. Then one day I just asked myself ‘what are you waiting for?’ I was the only one putting up a barrier.” The story could end there… but it doesn’t. Dawn is now training for another, rather different challenge: in August this year, she and husband Jaime (above) will be rowing in the Arctic Circle. “The plan is to leave from Tromsø in Norway to the farthest point north we can get before hitting the ice shelf. We will then row down into Longyearbyen in Svalbard where our expedition will finish,” she explains. Although it will be August the couple will face freezing conditions, but they’re aiming for a number of world records, including being the first mixed crew to row on the Arctic Open Water, the first related pair (husband and wife) to row on the Arctic Open Water, the northernmost (recorded) latitude a female started an ocean row, and the oldest (recorded) team to row above the Arctic Circle – their average age will be 43 years and 197 days at the start of the row. “Although this is another rowing challenge the dangers are very different,” Dawn explains. “In the Atlantic I had the danger of extreme heat, heat stroke and sunburn. This time the issues will be extreme cold and frostbite. And as we get closer to

land there is also the danger of polar bears – they can swim much faster than our rowing boat will travel, so as a precaution we will be staying far from land as we can for as long as possible.” There’ll also be, for Dawn, a distinct difference in no longer being alone on the water. “There are some huge advantages of doing a row as a double rather than solo,” she says. “For example, it’s always easier to solve issues as a pair; two heads are better than one. It also means the boat should never be left to drift as there will always be someone rowing. And in tough conditions we can row two-up. “The downside is that it’s a very small space for two people to live in for what could be a month. When tired, wet, cold and hungry we will certainly find out a bit more about each other’s patience levels!” • You can support Dawn and Jaime’s Arctic row via the website www.rowaurora.co.uk – a donation of £7 will buy them a meal, £25 will feed one of them for a day and £50 will feed both for a day. Donations of £250 will feed the couple for five days and get your name or logo on the boat. » Coastal Guide 2020

awn has been an RYA instructor for the past 16 years and in 2018 she set up Aurora Sea School to offer bespoke training for future ocean rowers. “What better way to do your mandatory RYA courses than with someone who has rowed an ocean themselves?” she says. “At the moment our Ocean Rowing courses are the most popular. This involves a five-day training package including basic navigation, first aid, sea survival and VHF radio.” The course also includes guest speakers and lessons on specific ocean rowing topics. “One of the things I love about ocean rowing is that anyone can take part,” says Dawn. “The sport has broken down so many barriers: men and women in their 60s, amputees and, most recently, a lady from team ‘Oarsome Foresome’ became the first profoundly deaf person to row an ocean. “Rowing an ocean is not an easy challenge, it takes hard work, dedication and the ability to overcome adversity. But humans are a lot more resilient than you think when pushed to limits.

Dawn’s Atlantic adventure aimed to convey an important environmental message. “Being on the water almost every day of my life means I have witnessed so much of the pollution and rubbish we throw into our waters, and seen the damage it causes,” she explains. “Every day I am out on the water I recover rubbish such as balloons, plastic bottles food containers and much more.” Volunteer work for a marine mammal rescue charity and an international exchange dealing with marine pollution from commercial shipping opened Dawn’s eyes even more to the problem. “I realised I could use the Atlantic row to raise awareness about the problem and encourage others to reduce their single-use plastic consumption. At one point

Coastal Guide 2020

“For people living on the UK East Coast, ocean rowing is literally on our doorstep. Rannoch Adventure based in Burnham-on-Crouch produces the most popular design of rowing boat in the world. The majority of ocean rowing boats you see today were built here in Burnham. Rannoch not only builds the boats, it offers help and support along the way and can provide all the equipment needed for your adventure. “Ocean rowing is not a cheap sport – most people budget £100,000 for their whole campaign and this includes the boat purchase, shipping, food, communications, equipment, training and event registration. However, if you have a good story and message behind you, you can get sponsorship to cover your costs. It’s a really tough job, but if you are passionate about your expedition you will find a way to make it happen.”

on that crossing I was closer to the satellites in space than the nearest land, and a plastic bottle floated past. It’s just heartbreaking. In the last 12 months I have given about 40 talks in schools, youth and adult groups and organisations across the region to raise awareness about this issue. If I can convince everyone to make a small change, together this will make a massive difference.” • Learn more about the UK’s leading marine conservation charity at www.mcsuk.org

The Swallowtail Restaurant and Bar is situated in Burnham Yacht Harbour and with its full height sliding doors has stunning views of the marina and River Crouch. The large open balcony has an amazing new canopy which means you can enjoy alfresco dining no matter the weather.

We are open 7 days a week. We welcome visiting groups, functions and families and our friendly staff will make it their aim to give you a truly memorable experience. Please call us on 01621 785505 or visit our website: www.swallowtailrestaurant.co.uk Foundry Lane, Burnham on Crouch, CM0 8BL

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Beach Bonkers Suffolk’s shingle beaches are home to many treasures and provide a rare habitat for a variety of vegetation. Expert beachcomber Kate Osborne explains what to look out for next time you’re at the water’s edge…

e’ve a lot of shingle beaches in Suffolk – so many in fact that we might take them for granted, or complain that they hurt our feet or are rubbish for sandcastles at high tide. But did you know that beaches like ours are only found in three places in the world? They are known as Vegetated Shingle Habitat and the plants that live here are specially adapted to the desert-like conditions. The stones hide many treasures and some are even treasures in their own right! Some beachcombing finds are common to every beach and some finds are more common than others. What is surprising is that beaches a short distance apart can be good for beachcombing very different things. Seaweed often marks the high tide line on the beach and is often the best place to look for treasures. There are over 650 species of seaweed in the UK. Seaweed, along with driftwood, is critically important to the food chain of the beach, providing shelter and food for tiny little bugs on the beach, that bring in the beetles and spiders we may see, which in turn provide food for birds and mammals. Explore the seaweed – but please always leave it on the beach.

Felixstowe Felixstowe beach is brilliant for beachcombing. It’s great if you have limited mobility or very young children, as there are lots of old concrete groynes and the promenade to sit on. There are tons of treasures here – you should be able to find at least 15 different species of shells including: • Limpets, which have their teeth on their tongue, will grind their shell for a perfect fit to make a home ‘scar’. They return to this every time the tide goes out and await its return when they will graze on algae on the rocks. • Slipper limpets which are born as males but then become females. • Fossil sharks’ teeth As sharks can have up to 3,000 teeth at any one time and up to 30,000 in their lifetime there are plenty to be found and a huge variety to look for, from long and thin to squat and triangular. Other natural treasures include square, black mermaids’ purses which are the egg cases of skates and rays, and sea wash balls, which look like clumps of Rice Krispies and are the egg cases laid by Common Whelks. The first few whelks » Coastal Guide 2020

» that hatch out will cannibalise their siblings as they are the first available food source. Bawdsey Bawdsey beach is stunning and wild, full of shingle plants with white lines of common whelk shells marking the tide line. There’s a great mix of beachcombing treasures to be found, especially: • Top shells, which were used by the Victorians for buttons. • Mud with holes in. The holes are made by a rock-boring piddock which spends its entire life in the mud, sticking up a feeding tube when it gets peckish. Few top shells or examples of mud with holes in make it further down the coast to Felixstowe beach. • Sea glass is essentially pretty litter. Once the glass has passed the point of being lethally sharp, it is smoothed by the stones and the waves and becomes frosted sea gems, much loved by collectors and crafters. You will always find sea glass where you find people. • Bawdsey Quay beach is another good spot for fossil sharks’ teeth too!

Photos courtesy of Beach Bonkers, Cerys Parker and Rachel Sloane

Sizewell Sizewell beach is superb for shingle plants and, further along it, there’s a chance of finding chunks of coralline crag - a reddish-brown local shelly sand. This is 2-3million years old and full of fossils, including shells and small organisms. Sizewell is great for: • Hag stones (or stones with holes all the way through them). Historically thought to protect you from the ‘hag of the night’ giving you nightmares, hag stones are generally perceived as lucky and so are hung in long strings on boats, in homes and beach huts. • Driftwood is another beautiful find but should

Coastal Guide 2020

always be left on the beach unless it’s full of nails or heavily painted, in which case it needs to go into the bin. Wood found on the beach is often full of holes, the small ones caused by something similar to a wood louse, called a gribble. The large tunnels, often lined with a white chalky substance, are caused by shipworm; not a worm at all, but a pair of shells with a body too long to be contained within them. • Crab and lobster claws, and shells, are often found in pieces. Both shed their hard outer bodies as they grow. Lobsters eat theirs to reclaim the calcium, so lobster claws you find on the beach may well be the remains of someone’s picnic!

• Beach Bonkers was founded by Kate Osborne in July 2016 and is run as a not-for-profit. You can join Kate on a beachcomb throughout the year and she also organises a quarterly beach clean survey that you can take part in. Kate also brings beachcombing to schools, libraries, festivals and fetes with a portable shingle mini beach, a tableful of beachcombed treasures and a giant beachcombing board game. She is much in demand, giving talks to WIs and other clubs. See www.beachbonkers.org.uk for Kate’s events page, or call her on 07512 557200.

T h e Au t h e n t i c C o a s t a l S p i r i t

Crafted in Aldeburgh, between the sea and the salt marshes. Fishers gin infuses local herbs and coastal botanicals, capturing the wild and forgotten flavours of the British Isles. Fishers founder, Andrew Heald, whose family has lived in Aldeburgh for many generations, was inspired to create a gin that reflects the power of the sea and the beauty of the wind swept landscape that surrounds this majestic old fishing town. Botanicals are foraged locally and sourced from remote stretches of the British coastline, paying tribute to the maritime history of these islands. Fishers Gin will be opening a new distillery in Aldeburgh later this year, in a stunning location flanked by the River Alde and the North Sea.

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\Fishers_Gin Coastal Guide 2020

The complete service for all sailing and motor yachts At Fox’s Marina & Boatyard, our team is a great mix of experienced cruising/racing sailors and time served engineers and craftsmen. Whether you own a dinghy or a superyacht, we understand our customer’s problems and how to resolve them quickly and cost eﬀectively. TALK TO US ABOUT PREPARING YOUR YACHT FOR OFFSHORE CRUISING – WE HAVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

Ipswich, Suﬀolk, IP2 8SA +44 (0) 1473 689111 foxs@foxsmarina.com foxsmarina.com

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Coastal Guide 2020

Ipswich, Suﬀolk, IP2 8SA +44 (0) 1473 688431 sales@foxschandlery.com foxschandlery.com

Ship to shore

A new East Coast initiative is helping women navigate life by teaching them how to sail

e all like a boat that’s on ‘an even keel’ and in everyday life, too, those words suggest that all is well. In both cases, it’s a state achieved by learning to work with what we have, meeting the challenges of those things we can’t change and staying focused only on what really matters – and an analogy that resonates powerfully with professional life-coach, NLP practitioner and mum-of-three Miriam Burrell and qualified RYA instructor Bev Lloyd-Roffe. The two have been friends for many years, but it was a discussion about the common themes in their work with women that led, in 2019, to the launch of BeMighty (www. bemighty.coach), an initiative that combines one-to-one life-coaching with learning how to sail a yacht. Mentor, trainer and trouble-shooter Miriam had identified that many of her female clients were fighting a losing battle against negative internal narratives: mistrusting their instincts and grappling with imposter syndrome. Bev, meanwhile, had noticed that the energy » Coastal Guide 2020

» and atmosphere within the women-only groups she taught was radically different to others: there was more support, encouragement and shared counsel, her students instinctively granting one another ‘space’ to work stuff out and applauding everyone’s success. ”Our intention is to create an experience that enables, empowers and inspires women to be an even better version of themselves, and to deliver it in a fun, different and challenging way,” says Miriam. “When clients first sit down with me, they have lost sight of the real world, or at least the present moment. They’re so busy listening to the chatter in their heads that they’ve become disconnected with what is actually going on right in front of them.” “Yachting is a perfect metaphor for life,” says Bev. “If you stop focusing on the wind and the tide – the only things that truly matter – you end up in trouble very quickly. But if you remain focused and notice the subtle changes going on around you, you’ll alter your tack accordingly. The trick to sailing – and life – is being truly ‘present’. Do that and you’ll stay on course.”

“It’s only by stepp of our co ing out mfort zo ne that w can reall e y discove r what we capable o ’re f”

Coastal Guide 2020

With places limited to just four participants at a time, BeMighty passages begin in Ipswich and after initial introductions and a safety briefing, crews are quickly out on the water. “Over two days we’ll sail the River Orwell, navigate our way through the shipping channels of the ports of Felixstowe and Harwich and into the Stour,” says Bev. “There’ll be container vessels, an occasional cruise ship and all sorts of other sailing and motorboats plus locks, fast-flowing tides and unexpected shallows to deal with… the combination of intense activity and calm creates ideal conditions for reflection both as a group and individually.” With one successful sailing season under her BeMighty belt, Miriam says: “It’s only by stepping out of our comfort zone that we can really discover what we’re capable of. We give women a space to reflect on what they are good at, and a variety of tasks that challenge them mentally and physically. We allow them to get in their own way in order to learn how to get out of their own way. “Bev gives instructions and all around the wind is blowing, the sail is swinging from one side of the boat to the other, it’s chaotic and it’s overwhelming! And then, suddenly, it’s not… it’s calm, quiet, the boat is moving under the power of the wind alone, the sunlight is reflecting off the water, everyone pauses and there is a moment of recognition that you are doing this thing… you are sailing! We’ve witnessed a physical transformation of the women in front of us. The smiles come and their confidence grows until you can almost feel it vibrating around the boat. The crew finish the course with countless new skills, friends, laughter lines and, most importantly, a strategy for coaching themselves through whatever choppy waters lie ahead.”

â&#x20AC;˘ BeMighty offers a range of individual and corporate options for participants to choose from, each including life-coaching alongside the two-day sailing experience. Prices include meals on board the yacht, plus all the essential safety and wet-weather gear. For more information, see www.bemighty.coach Coastal Guide 2020

Welcomes you to one of the most attractive harbours on the East Coast

Full Marina Facilities

Temporary & Permanent Berthing Available Winter Storage Ashore or Afloat

www.titchmarshmarina.co.uk Harbour Office T: 01255 672 185 VHF Channel 80 info@titchmarshmarina.co.uk

Coastal Guide 2020

Benfleet Yacht Club Open to new members

ounded in 1922, Benfleet Yacht Club is a large and friendly members-run club located alongside Benfleet Creek, on the northern shore of Canvey Island in Essex. The club offers great opportunities for all craft – dinghy sailing and coastal rowing mainly take place in the sheltered waters of Benfleet Creek, while for cruising yachts, the Rivers Medway and Swale are just a few hours away, and slightly further afield are the superb cruising grounds of the East Coast rivers. For a great summer cruise, Benfleet is within striking distance of the northern coast of France and Belgium and the vast inland waterways of Holland. Complementing the club’s busy sailing

Low Cost Moorings and Winter Lay-Up available Benfleet Yacht Club offers a large number of tidal moorings for yachts, along with second-to-none on-shore storage for both yachts and dinghies. A range of membership options and a one-off club joining fee are applicable, but the club is keen to be affordable for all: it’s possible to keep a 29ft yacht here for less than £600 a year – and that includes haul out, winter lay-up and relaunch! programme and popular Cadet Sail Training Week, a superb clubhouse includes a bar that’s open lunchtime and evenings seven days a week, and there’s an active social and entertainments programme all year round.

Benfleet Yacht Club is well known for organising The Nore Race, a combined open cruiser and dinghy race that covers a 20-mile circuit of the Thames Estuary, starting and finishing at Southend Pier. Since 2010 Benfleet Yacht Club’s Coastal Rowers have also organised the Round Canvey Race, an annual open event in which rowing, paddling and sailing vessels complete a 14.5 mile circuit of Canvey Island. An eclectic mix of craft have competed to date, with boats from as far as Whitby travelling to take part. Details of both events can be found on the club website – please check in case of changes due to Coronavirus. Benfleet Yacht Club, Canvey Road, Canvey Island, Essex SS8 0QT 01268 792278 membership@benfleetyachtclub.org www.benfleetyachtclub.org Coastal Guide 2020

COASTAL Sevylor Madison Inflatable Kayak Kit £348 www.foxschandlery.com

7” Auto Adjust needle-nosed pliers £26.07 www.arthurbeale.co.uk

Noah An Old Fool, part of The Suffolk Trilogy £7.99 www.thewritefactor.co.uk

Grabit Boat Hook with 9.5m spliced line and bronze shackle £310.39 (£247.94 for just the hook) www.arthurbeale.co.uk

Beerenberg Pullover made from the wool of hardy Welsh Mountain Sheep £105 www.arthurbeale.co.uk Helly Hansen Women’s Ahiga V4 Hydropower Sailing Shoes £85 www.foxschandlery.com

On board, on shore, come rain or shine... 52

Coastal Guide 2020

SHOPPER Gun Metal Sounding Lead Kit £126.53 www.arthurbeale.co.uk

Navigation A Newcomer’s Guide £12.99 www.fernhurstbooks.com

Gul Evorobe waterproof Changing Robe Towel £80 www.foxschandlery.com

Helly Hansen Crew Midlayer Jacket £120 www.foxschandlery.com

Gul Cross Inflatable SUP Package £359 www.foxschandlery.com

some of this year’s must-haves Coastal Guide 2020

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First-class facilities for all Woolverstone Marina features a luxury lodge park amid a glorious riverside setting

Woolverstone Marina’s luxury lodges accommodate up to eight guests. Some have hot tubs and, in all, modern open plan living areas are complemented by free WiFi.

Coastal Guide 2020

oolverstone Marina is set in 22 acres of glorious parkland overlooking the picturesque River Orwell. It is part of MDL Marinas, Europe’s leading marina operator, which has 19 sites across the UK. The marina also features an on-site luxury lodge park, specially designed to extend Woolverstone Marina’s appeal as a destination for both on-water and land leisure pursuits, as well as attracting new visitors seeking a family-friendly retreat. Kelly Sharman, Woolverstone Marina Manager, says: “The lodges are ideal for those looking for a taste of the outdoors with a touch of luxury. With their clean, modern aesthetic and open plan living space, they provide accommodation for up to eight guests. Some lodges have hot tubs, and all of them have spacious living and dining areas and woodland balconies plus free WiFi, multi-channel TV and the latest appliances. Currently we have 10 lodges, but this number will be increased during the year due to popular demand.” The marina has 235 berths, first-class facilities including electric vehicle charging, and boatyard facilities for boat repairs or maintenance work. There is storage ashore for more than 250 boats plus yacht stores and undercover mast storage. In addition, Woolverstone offers the best swinging mooring package available on the Orwell with multiple benefits including a water taxi service. Lifting facilities are available, alongside a wide,

Woolverstone is a family-friendly destination for leisure pursuits both on the water and on land

easy-access slipway and ample space for car parking and trailer storage. There is also a main Volvo Penta dealer on-site, and an electronics and engineering specialist, plus a broker, sail and cover maker and camping company. “Visitors can enjoy a range of watersport activities, including an RYA-accredited sailing school for both sail and powerboat courses,” adds Kelly. “For those who like to keep their feet firmly on dry land there is a children’s play area and beautiful walks and cycling trails that are suitable for all ages. The brand new Loch & Quay bar and restaurant, which is open to berth holders, visitors and the public, is a wonderful place to relax and unwind, with stunning views out across the water.” Woolverstone is an excellent base for cruising as well as enjoying the local rivers. Beyond the Orwell and the Stour there are numerous creeks in the Walton Backwaters to explore. To the south, the Colne and Blackwater estuaries offer varied sailing, while turning north takes you along the coast to the River Deben, where leisure sailors can cruise upriver past Ramsholt to the pretty town of Woodbridge. A little further up the coast is the Ore/Alde River, where a fast tide sweeps past Havergate Island, on to picturesque Orford and then to Aldeburgh. If you’d like to go further afield, Ostend in Belgium is only 92 miles from Woolverstone, whilst Holland and France are also within easy reach.

Woolverstone Marina, Woolverstone, Ipswich, Suffolk IP9 1AS 01473 780206 woolverstone@mdlmarinas.co.uk www.woolverstonemarina.co.uk @MDLWoolverstone woolverstone.marina

Coastal Guide 2020

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Home to Deben Café on HMS Vale

Melton Boatyard Dock Lane Melton Woodbridge IP12 1PE 01394 386327

Here at Melton Boatyard we pride ourselves on good, honest service. We are down to earth and, in a boating world increasingly full of shiny paint and expensive solutions, refreshingly straightforward. This is a traditional working boatyard, and we are proud of it. Our 30-berth marina is modestly priced and our floating berths stay full all summer, although we can usually accomodate short-term requests by moving our own small fleet to free up a berth. Long-standing customers become our friends and many have been here for years. Customers tell us they appreciate our friendly service, relaxed attitude and open approach. We are able to store 100 boats ashore, can offer mud berths on request, and offer membership to Deben Bar, our licensed club house located in The Engine Room of HMS Vale.

Steel fabrication & repairs • Grit, sand & bead blasting • Mechanical & electrical engineering • Full yard services • Lay-up and lifts to & from transport • 40t lift, up to 75’ loa, 17’5 beam

info@meltonboatyard.co.uk www.meltonboatyard.co.uk

Coastal Guide 2020

All hail, HMS Vale! A former Swedish warship has new purpose as a popular café and private members’ club on the River Deben

elton Boatyard is a traditional working boatyard with a reputation for offering a friendly welcome and straightforward boating advice. Established in 1981, the yard remained unchanged for many years until Simon Skeet took over from his father Mel, who passed away in 2015. Simon has been sympathetically clearing, tidying and improving the yard, while carefully maintaining his father’s vision of providing a business where customers feel welcome and part of the Melton Boatyard family. As part of his improvement plans, Simon wanted customers to be able to sit in the warm and dry with a hot coffee, a jolly good breakfast and to have a clubhouse for evening gatherings and boatyard events – and so the search for a suitable provision began. Many ideas were put forward, but nothing seemed to fit with this unique boatyard setting. And so it remained, until HMS Vale (known as TS Lord Nelson) became available. Cate Meadows, who owns the ship with Simon explains: “We were watching Anglia News and saw the plight of Norwich Sea Cadets, who were being forced out of their floating headquarters. It was at this moment, we made a decision to visit the ship, with a firm view that this may be the café/clubhouse the boatyard had been searching for.” After much negotiation a price was agreed, but before business could be finalised there was the small matter of how to get a 120 ton ex-Swedish Missile Attack Craft out of the centre of Norwich, through

the Norfolk Broads, out to sea at Yarmouth for a 41-mile journey along the coast to Felixstowe Ferry, over the notorious Deben Bar and upriver to Melton Boatyard.” Cate, who is clearly passionate about her ship, says: “Moving such a vessel was going to be no easy feat, especially as she had no means of selfpropulsion or steering. Many companies shied away from this task and wouldn’t even quote, but Tam and Ben Grundy thought that not only was it achievable, it was an exciting proposition; they joined forces with Melton Boatyard and fully immersed themselves in the project”. The purchase of HMS Vale was finally complete and – after months of preparation and negotiation with the multitude of authorities responsible for the differing waterways, eight bridges, ports and the MCA – a move date was agreed. » Coastal Guide 2020

Deben Café offers enviable views over the Deben; visitors can simply watch the tide as it ebbs and flows, or enjoy the sight and sounds of a variety of wildlife

» “In the early hours of 24 June 2018, Tam and Ben arrived in Norwich city centre with their tugs, Ben Michael and Fury, to tow HMS Vale home; only to be immediately met with an eight-day delay waiting for the Haven Bridge to open – but that’s a story in itself!” says Cate. With the bridge finally opening, HMS Vale recommenced her journey. First she was lifted out in Yarmouth for inspection, repair and painting by Melton Boatyard. Then on 11 July 2018 she was taken out to sea, along the coast to Felixstowe where an ‘at sea’ transfer took place. “With the light beginning to fade and some challenging sea conditions, Tam and Ben once again took over the tow and safely negotiated HMS Vale over Deben Bar and into the river. Stopping at The Rocks for a few days to wait for a spring tide, they picked her up once more, took her through the narrow and twisting Woodbridge fairway and pushed her into place at Melton Boatyard on16 July to the sound of triumphant boat horns and cheering crowds,” says Cate. Initial work to the ship involved preventing any further deterioration and improving her external appearance. This was quickly followed by the creation of a quay and then the construction of the small café galley in the ship’s former wardroom. Since this day work has never ceased; each week bringing new ideas and challenges: fitting out the café, creating a clean food storage area, 58

Coastal Guide 2020

fitting windows into the former engine room, constructing a bar area and creating a roof and sides for the café on deck. Now, HMS Vale boasts a popular café and Deben Bar, a private members’ club located in her engine room. Asked about the challenges of the enormous task to convert HMS Vale, Simon says: “Throughout the project, none of the work has been difficult; it’s more about how much money you can find and how many hours you can fit into a day.” “Looking back, it’s hard to remember all the challenges we faced – at the time they were almost insurmountable but now are moulded into the story of the ship and her history,” says Cate. “Once a mighty warship, she has her own tales to tell and now we are part of that story. And it all turned out alright in the end; she is the perfect place for the boatyard and wider community to come together and make their own. Every day we continue to move the project forward and it is a lot of hard work, but I expect it’s always going to be this way; she’s settled in now and that’s what really matters.” • Deben Café will open Thursday to Monday (closed Tues and Wed) except for school holidays, when it is open every day. It offers a good selection of food and drink and uses local ingredients wherever possible. Future plans include a pontoon for small craft to moor up while visiting the café or clubhouse. For more information, look for Deben Café on Facebook.

COME HOME TO CHATHAM MARITIME MARINA Chatham Maritime Marina offers first-class berthing and marina services at the heart of a multi-million-pound leisure and retail development. The marina has 412 berths and is close to a factory outlet shopping complex, multi-screen cinema, and numerous restaurants and bars.

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Coastal Guide 2020

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Coastal Guide 2020

Wish you were here! Winter hibernation may have been extended this year, but there are some lovely holiday properties ready to offer the warmest of welcomes when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safe to travel once more...

Coastal Guide 2020

Claim your place at the captain’s table with a stay at Admiralty Lodge, one of an exclusive development of properties on the promenade leading to Shotley Marina at the mouth of the River Stour. Offering panoramic views across the river to Harwich, Felixstowe and beyond, this three-bedroomed holiday home was constructed last year and offers every modern convenience, including underfloor heating and triple glazing. Each of the double bedrooms has views worth waking up for, while a small enclosed shingle garden leads to a private garden and boat slip on to the Stour – there’s off-street parking for two cars and boat trailers on site, plus two visitor spaces close by. Two large balconies accessed from the lounge give far-reaching estuary views, and if you tire of watching the water, WiFi, Sky TV and BT Sport offer further entertainment options. Pets are not allowed, but a self-contained apartment at ground floor level provides additional accommodation for two more guests – enquire at the time of booking if you’d like to make use of this. •www.suffolk-secrets.co.uk

Coastal Guide 2020

n unrivalled position and spectacular sea views all come as part of the package at 3 Centre Cliff (above and right), which has to be one of Southwold’s most prestigious properties. Ideal for gatherings of family and friends, this impressive holiday home has five dreamy bedrooms, three bathrooms and a showroom-standard kitchen. There’s a lot of ‘outside’ here too – a large, lawned front garden leads directly onto the seafront path... it’s just a few steps along here to the famous Sailor’s Reading Room and the

mustn’t-miss Lord Nelson inn (known as ‘The Nelly’ to locals, in case you want to blend in!). Head in the other direction and you’ll find the famous Gun Hill; below this path there’s nothing but sea and sand, plus an always-changing view of the North Sea and its shipping traffic. Off-street parking for two cars is a real prize in such a location, and to make sure that none of the family has to miss out on the holiday fun, one well-behaved dog is welcome to holiday here too. •www.sosouthwold.co.uk

njoy a break at the heart of the Broads boating community with a holiday in Marina Outlook, a modern first-floor apartment overlooking the boats at Horning Marina (left). One of the joys of this two-bedroomed property is a covered balcony where guests can watch the world go by, while views to the Bure are enjoyed from every room inside. There’s a good pub on the river nearby and restaurants within walking distance, plus designated parking for one car. If you’d like to get out on the water yourself, day boat hire is available direct from the owner – it’s a great way to explore the Broads National Park – while the coastal stretch between Sea Palling and Winterton-on-Sea is a comfortable drive away and offers wide stretches of sandy beaches, often unpopulated. •www.norfolkcottages.co.uk Coastal Guide 2020

Wild and wonderful Shingle Street is the location for the lovely 6 Coastguard Cottages, a traditional dwelling furnished and decorated in artisan style. Four guests sleep in comfort here and for those who still have energy to burn after walks on the beach, use of the nearby tennis court is included in your holiday price. •www.suffolkcottageholidays.com

righton Marina is one of the South Coast’s most upmarket holiday locations... and if you can’t be there on a boat, the next best thing is to be looking at the boats there! Two-bedroomed Orion (below) is a top-floor apartment with a private balcony offering views over the marina and beyond, while close by a boardwalk leads to restaurants, shops, a gym, cinema and casino. Furnished to a high standard and equipped with an array of must-have electronics including a Smart TV plus Xbox and Playstation gaming consoles, along with some ‘old school’ fun courtesy of aa games table that offers air hockey, table football and billiards for friendly competition. This wheelchair-accessible property also comes with underground parking, unlimited fibre optic WiFi and charging facilities for an electric car. www.kentandsussexcottages.co.uk

Coastal Guide 2020

A self-catering escape like no other, The Pavilion sits in a secluded part of Orford, next to the local sailing club on the banks of the River Alde. Coastal cool interiors are flooded with light thanks to bi-folding doors opening onto a large balcony, and there’s space to sleep up to ten for the ultimate in big group getaways. Five acres of grounds tended by a professional gardener include a heated outdoor swimming pool complete with its own changing room, and there’s a private tennis court too. •www.suffolk-secrets.co.uk

Coastal Guide 2020

ne of Walberswick’s most-loved landmarks, Top Deck (above) is a first floor, split-level apartment with wonderful views across the Blackshore to Southwold. Accommodating four people in two bedrooms, this oasis of calm is just minutes from the beach and a short stroll from the famous rowing boat ferry that crosses the River Blyth. •www.sosouthwold.co.uk

Don’t be fooled by the unassuming facade of 13 East Cliff – this pretty cottage has spectacular sea views and interiors filled with colourful, skilfully-curated eccentricity. A quirky snug and sleeping area in the basement (left) complements the two double-bedded rooms upstairs, and steps just across the road lead to the seafront promenade that’s lined with Southwold’s iconic beach huts. •www.sosouthwold.co.uk

Coastal Guide 2020

Boat Building

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01728 452019 info@demonyachts.co.uk Demon Yachts, Aldeburgh Boatyard, Aldeburgh, Suffolk IP155DE

Coastal Guide 2020

High quality sails with service to match

Official supplier to the Clipper Race for more than a decade, Hyde Sails is a British brand backed by 50 years of expertise. Made with market-leading material and technology, our sails offer high performance and impeccable quality for every cruising yacht. And our ranges offer the ultimate in cloth, cut and stitching options â&#x20AC;&#x201C; choose Touring for best in-class durability at an entry-level budget, or improve your offshore passages with the high-spec Voyager.

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Coastal Guide 2020

Tell us what you want and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll make a sail to suit...

Snettisham Beach Sailing Club History, heritage, and a unique location

nique on the North Norfolk because it has both an inland lake and the open sea available for dinghy racing and training, Snettisham Beach Sailing Club has a history stretching back as far as 1908 – and is one of the only clubs from that time to still be operating today. Cash injections of more than £100,000 over recent years have given the family-friendly club new safety boats, storage facilities and a fabulous new clubhouse, which includes additional conservatory space for social events and teaching. SBSC has a broad range of members who own a wide variety of boats, including catamarans, monohulls, single and double handed boats plus windsurfers, kitesurfers and kayakers. Its season

SBSC is one of the coastal clubs behind Norfolk Week, which this year is due to take place from 1-8 August. Sailors compete in nine races – with six to count – and with daily and weekly trophies plus lady and junior helm prizes, there is something for all abilities. The racing is competitive but the atmosphere friendly and relaxed – and short tidal windows mean there are no long postponements, allowing for plenty of family time on the area’s beautiful beaches. • www.norfolkweek.co.uk usually extends from April to the end of October with scheduled racing every weekend and on Bank Holidays, with additional races and social sailing on Friday evenings as the tides allow. The junior fleet enjoys its own programme of racing on the lake at weekends and a Wednesday Evening Club, plus sea racing for the more competent sailors. • Find out more at www.snetbeach.co.uk.

SBSC has a dedicated RYA Recognised Training Centre with RYA British Youth Sailing Recognised Club status. Keen to nurture the next generation of talent, it’s currently offering special prices for the youngest Novice sailors at its summer Cadet Week. Instead of the 2019 price of £85 a person for the week, Novices – seven years and older – can now take part for £60 each, and if they book with a friend the pair will pay just £100. Novices take part in five three-hour sessions each day of Cadet Week (due to take place 27-31 July) with prizegiving on the following Saturday. • Only 24 places are available and participation is limited to club members – see www.snetbeach.co.uk for information on how to join. Snettisham Beach Sailing Club, Snettisham Beach, Kings Lynn PE31 7RB 01485 542647 secretary.snett@gmail.com www.snetbeach.co.uk Coastal Guide 2020

Situated at the mouth of the River Blackwater, Essex, TSL’s natural marina provides yacht moorings, boat & mast lifts, winter storage and local access to associated services. Great for sailing too! Benefits include; ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Hardstanding area Hauling & Launching Access to our maintenance posts Access to water and electricity Located just 15 minutes from the A12 Coded Toilet and shower block for customer use only Private parking Recycling, rubbish and chemical wash out facilities Local chandlery, tea room and other amenities

Range of half-tide berths available Join our friendly, welcoming community

Visitors welcome - find out more, visit

TSL-ONLINE.CO.UK

Mob: 07521 318155 Tel: 01621 868113 E-mail: info@tsl-online.co.uk 70

Coastal Guide 2020

Get on board Affordable, accessible and absolute fun, Stand Up Paddleboarding has exploded in popularity over the last decade. In these extracts from his book, Simon Bassett, chairman of the British Stand Up Paddle Association, offers advice for anyone tempted to have a go this summer

he popularity of Stand Up Paddleboarding has exploded over the last 10 year, driven by its affordability and accessibility to all types of water – from inland rivers, lakes and canals to coastal estuaries and surf locations. You can paddle on flat water, surf, tour, race, join a club, take a holiday with your SUP and use it for fitness or yoga. Choosing a new SUP board is quite a daunting task but there are some guidelines to help when you are starting out. The best advice generally comes from people who use SUPs a lot, so your local SUP school or specialist watersports shop would be an ideal place to start. An all-round type of board is ideal: you need enough volume to support your body weight and extra flotation to help with the glide of the board. Volume is the board’s total cubic measurement – measured in litres – which supports your body weight. Each brand has a different way of approaching

Board volume calculator

Rigid board: body weight in kilos multiplied by 2.3 (approx) • 70-85kg rider: 33in wide, 10/11+ft long, 180 litres • 85-100kg rider: 33in wide, 10/11+ft long, 220 litres Inflatable board: • 70-85kg rider: 33in wide, 10.4ft long, 285 litres • 85-100kg rider: 34in wide, 10.8ft long, 300+ litres

Suggested paddle widths

• Child: 6.5in (16cm) • 50/60kg adult: 6.75–7in (17–8cm) • 80kg+ adult: 7–8in (18–20cm)

the board design but the dimensions and volume versus your weight will determine the board you buy. You can use an all-round board in flat water, in small waves, inland and coastal waters as they tend to be versatile and forgiving to paddle. Some brands offer fittings for storage of gear and even windsurf mast foot options. Should you buy an inflatable or rigid board? Both work, but try to get a good quality brand that has put some work into the development of the shape and construction of the board. Rigid boards have a more defined rail (edge), sit in the water because of their foam epoxy construction and are more rigid than an inflatable board. They will perform better in rougher and windier conditions and have a very positive feel. But you will need a car, roof rack and storage for a rigid board – and you will need to take more care carrying it to and from the water. Inflatable boards pretty much solve all the storage issues – they fold up into a backpack-sized bag. However, you have to pump them up each time and make sure you get full pressure. They are more susceptible to wind drift, but less prone to damage. They are ideal to take on most water types and are very portable, very durable and will glide well. You will also need a paddle; these come in lots of different options but to start with an adjustable handle is ideal – pick a small blade, either composite or plastic. Look for a good handle shape: a T-bar or bulb-type grip. As a beginner, a leash is an essential piece of gear – it keeps you attached to your board and Coastal Guide 2020

A coiled ankle leash (bottom) is ideal for beginners as it stays on top of the board. You can get a calf- or ankle-fitting version. A straight leash (top) is ideal for use in surf. stops it drifting away when you fall off. The leash needs to be good quality, well made and must be securely tied to the leash plug. The leash needs to be the same length as your board. Attach the leash to the board before carrying it, and to yourself at the water’s edge – the leash should be attached to your back leg (whichever foot you would naturally use to kick a football should be your front, or lead, foot so you put your leash on the other leg). You’ll get a hand-activated pump supplied with your Inflatable SUP (ISUP), with high/low pressure settings and a pressure gauge. The gauge has measurements indicated in PSI/BAR. The maximum pressure will be indicated either on your board or in the instruction manual. On an average board size of 10ft 4in to 10ft 6in, it will be 15-20PSI. The harder the board feels, the stiffer the ride and the more stable it will be. It’s always worth pumping your ISUP to maximum pressure to get the most out of the board. Inflatable boards can be left inflated for some time (hours, days or weeks) but they should not

Safety first

The perfect conditions for SUP are as little wind as possible, onshore and with no tide or current… but on the East Coast that could be a tall order! Always check the weather forecast and tide table before you set out on the water, and stay close to the shore line. Aside from a leash attaching you to your board, a buoyancy aid is an essential piece of safety equipment – each should have a CE mark with a weight guide, should fit securely around your chest and not be too loose on the shoulders. A flatter profile is ideal for SUP as it makes it easier to get back on the board from the water. be left in direct sunlight, so semi-deflate them in hot climates and keep them out of the sun. Each time you go out on the water, check the pressure and top up with air if required. • BSUPA leads the development of the sport through training and coaching schemes and events, and provides third-party insurance for its members. www.bsupa.org.uk.

Simon Bassett started Stand Up Paddleboarding in 2006 after hearing about Laird Hamilton crossing the English Channel on a new type of surfboard craft with a single-bladed paddle. He started to SUP on a tandem Surftech surfboard with paddles imported from Hawaii. “At the time we were part of very small group of paddleboarders – there were less than 10 in the UK,” he says. “They were exciting times, lots of things happened very quickly. By 2007, the British Stand Up Paddle Association (BSUPA) had been set up after the first UK SUP contest in Watergate Bay. By 2008, Andy Gratwick and I had started developing the BSUPA teaching scheme and I had also run, with others, the first BSUPA National SUP series.” Simon’s book Stand Up Paddleboarding A Beginner’s Guide, is published by Fernhurst Books. Priced £10.99, it’s filled with step-by-step photography and offers basic knowledge, advice, technical tips and water safety information – don’t buy a board without it. •www.fernhurstbooks.com

Coastal Guide 2020

- See... Sail... Support Arthur Ransome’s

NANCY BLACKETT Owned by the author of Swallows and Amazons The real-life Goblin from ‘We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea’

Joining the Trust entitles you to enjoy this unique sailing experience. One low membership subscription covers the whole family. Skippered sailing: cost contribution applies - but children sail free!

www.nancyblackett.org - 0117 962 1802

Day, overnight or longer cruising. Based on the River Orwell

in Swe u es Ri atSwa ve e an r r d Su side sllowc nd C assr ww ay in au w. Ap emaRandise riv r 1 W n A er 9t o s mth sid h od o a e e.c - 3 br m zo s o. pm idg e! nsa u m e

Rescued, restored and now preserved and maintained by the Nancy Blackett Trust

Coastal Guide 2020

Sail Arthur Ransome’s Nancy Blackett ...we do mean to take you to sea!

verybody on the East Coast seems to know Pin Mill, the little sailing village on the River Orwell, with its pub, the Butt and Oyster, its sailing club and its two boatyards, King’s and Webb’s. For many people, they have Arthur Ransome to thank for this, as he set the opening of We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea here, “down the deep green lane that ended in the river itself, with its crowd of yachts”. And the most famous of these yachts is undoubtedly Ransome’s own boat, the Nancy Blackett, which in the book becomes the Goblin, the “little white cutter with red sails”. This is the boat in which the four children, John, Susan, Titty and Roger (the Swallows from Swallows and Amazons) find themselves unintentionally sailing across the North Sea to Holland. Ransome bought the 28ft four-berth cruiser in

1935 when he and his Russian wife Evgenia were moving into the area, from the Lake District, in search of some sea sailing. He renamed her – she was called Electron when he found her in Poole Harbour – and sailed her round to Pin Mill through some atrocious weather, which helped give him the idea for the book. Nancy is still sailing on the Orwell, thanks to the efforts of the Nancy Blackett Trust, which was set up over 20 years ago to look after her, following her rediscovery, derelict in Scarborough Harbour in the 1980s, and an extensive restoration. Based at Woolverstone Marina, she is available

espected sailor and writer Peter Willis will be forever known as founder and President of the Nancy Blackett Trust, which celebrated its 20th anniversary 2017. His book Good Little Ship explores the themes of Ransome’s rite-of-passage novel We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea, and how it came to be written. Part maritime history, part literary criticism – and a joyous homage throughout – it’s an impeccably-researched tale of the life, near-death, rescue and restoration of the Nancy Blackett and a thoroughly engrossing read, whether you’re a lifelong lover of Ransome’s works, or only just discovering them for the first time. Photographs add life to the story, while Ransome’s drawings and own account of a voyage in her – as well as brief details of his other boats – mean this is a must-have for lovers of both boats and literature. Good Little Ship is published in paperback by Lodestar Books, £14.

Coastal Guide 2020

for anyone to go for a sail and experience the feel of being aboard the Goblin. Trips can be short, day or half-day cruises on the Orwell, perhaps down to Harwich and back, overnighters a little further afield, or longer cruises, perhaps a week at a time, sleeping aboard. Nancy reguarly explores the East Coast and its rivers, up the Thames, down to the Solent and even across the North Sea to Holland, usually with a change of crew at some convenient port of call every Saturday. Sailing is under the charge of a qualified volunteer skipper; membership of the Trust is needed, but the modest annual subscription covers the whole family. Ransome actually wrote two books featuring the Goblin while he lived here; the second, published win 1939, is Secret Water, set in the Walton Backwaters. He loved the area, and would sail down there in Nancy to drop anchor for a bit of peace and quiet to work on his next book – except that he was often tempted to play truant, and escape for a bit of sailing in her tender, the clinker-built dinghy Coch-y- Bonddhu. The Backwaters may be a bit less ‘undiscovered’ now than they were in Ransome’s day, but they still have an air of mystery and isolation, with a silence punctuated by bird-song. They’re still a favourite destination for Nancy Blackett crews, and certainly will be this year.

Nancy Blackett is 28ft 6in long, plus the 10ft bowsprit. She’s been painstakingly restored to make sure she is just as Ransome would have known her, and as the Goblin is described in the book: “I say, just look down,” said Titty. They looked down into the cabin of the little ship, at blue mattresses on bunks on either side, at a little table with a chart tied down on it with string… a little white sink opposite the tiny galley where a saucepan of water was simmering on one of the two burners of a little cooking stove. She has various open days throughout the summer, at Woolverstone and elsewhere, so come and see her and find out more about how this humble Hillyard 7-tonner became one of the most famous boats in fiction. And if you’d like to sail her yourself, just join the Nancy Blackett Trust; it’s not expensive, and you can book a day-sail or a longer passage. •www.nancyblackett.org If you’d like to sail into Secret Water aboard Nancy Blackett – or anywhere else on ‘Arthur Ransome’s East Coast’ for that matter – take a look at the website (www.nancyblackett.org) and get in touch. And don’t forget, children sail free! Coastal Guide 2020

Coastal Guide 2020

ON THE WATER CLUB

LOCATION

WEBSITE

Adastral Park SC

Ipswich, Suffolk

adastralsailing.org.uk

Aldeburgh YC

Aldeburgh, Suffolk

aldeburghyc.org.uk

Alexandra YC

Southend, Essex

alexyachtclub.co.uk

All Hallows YC

Rochester, Kent

allhallowsyachtclub.net

Alton Water

Stutton, Suffolk

altonwater.co.uk

Ardleigh SC

Ardleigh, Essex

ardleighsc.co.uk

Beccles Amateur SC

Beccles, Suffolk

becclesasc.co.uk

Benfleet YC

Canvey Island, Essex

benfleetyachtclub.org

Blackwater SC

Heybridge, Essex

blackwatersailingclub.org.uk

Blakeney SC

Blakeney, Norfolk

blakeneysailing.co.uk

Bradwell Quay YC

Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex

bqyc.org.uk

Brancaster Staithe SC

Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk

bssc.net

Brightlingsea Coastal Rowing Club

Brightlingsea, Essex

brightlingsearowing.co.uk

Brightlingsea SC

Brightlingsea, Essex

sailbrightlingsea.com

Burnham on Crouch SC

Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex

burnhamsc.co.uk

Chapman Sands SC

Canvey Island, Essex

chapmansands.gosnold.info

Chelmsford Canoe Club

Chelmsford, Essex

chelmsfordcanoeclub.co.uk

Clacton Canoe Club

Clacton-On-Sea, Essex

clactoncanoeclub.co.uk

Clacton on Sea SC

Clacton-on-Sea, Essex

clactonsailingclub.org.uk

Coldham Hall SC

Surlingham, Norfolk

coldhamhallsailingclub.co.uk

Colne YC Waterside,

Brightlingsea, Essex

colneyachtclub.org.uk

Crouch YC

Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex

cyc.org.uk

Dabchicks SC

West Mersea, Essex

dabchicks.org

Deben Canoe Club

Woodbridge, Suffolk

dwsc.org.uk

Deben Rowing Club

Woodbridge, Suffolk

debenrowingclub.co.uk

Deben YC

Woodbridge, Suffolk

debenyachtclub.co.uk

Dereham Canoe Group

Swanton Morley, Norfolk

derehamcanoeing.co.uk Coastal Guide 2020

ON THE WATER

CLUB

LOCATION

WEBSITE

Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre

Isle of Dogs, London

dswc.org

East Suffolk Wakeboard & Water Ski Club

Felixstowe, Suffolk

eswsc.co.uk

Erith YC

Erith, Kent

erithyachtclub.org.uk

Essex YC

Leigh-on-Sea, Essex

essexyachtclub.co.uk

Eyott SC

South Woodham Ferrers, Essex

eyottsailingclub.org.uk

Felixstowe Ferry SC

Felixstowe, Suffolk

ffsc.co.uk

Fox’s Marina YC

Ipswich, Suffolk

fmyc.org.uk

Gravesend SC

Gravesend, Kent

gravesendsailingclub.co.uk

Greenwich YC

Greenwich, London

greenwichyachtclub.co.uk

Gt Yarmouth & Gorlestone SC

Gorleston on Sea, Norfolk

gygsc.co.uk

Gunfleet SC

Holland on Sea, Essex

gunfleetsailingclub.co.uk

Harlow Blackwater SC

Maylandsea, Essex

harlow-blackwater-sailing-club.co.uk

Harwich Town SC

Harwich, Essex

htsc.co.uk

Haven Ports YC

Levington, Suffolk

hpyc.com

Hickling Broad SC

Hickling, Norfolk

hicklingbroad.com

Hickling Windsurfing Club

Hickling, Norfolk

hicklingbroad.co.uk

Hoo Ness SC

Rochester, Kent

hooness.org.uk

Horning SC

Horning, Norfolk

horning-sailing.club

Hostellers SC

Paglesham, Essex

hostellerssailingclub.org.uk

Hundred of Hoo SC

Rochester, Kent

hundredofhoosailingclub.org

Hunstanton SC

Hunstanton, Norfolk

hunstantonsc.co.uk

Iken Canoe Club

Aldeburgh, Suffolk

ikencanoe.co.uk

Ipswich Canoe Club

Ipswich Suffolk

ipswichcanoeclub.org.uk

Ipswich Rowing Club

Ipswich, Suffolk

ipswichrc.org.uk

Island YC

Canvey Island, Essex

islandyachtclub.org.uk

Isle of Sheppey SC

Sheerness, Kent

iossc.org.uk

King’s Lynn Coastal Rowing Club

King’s Lynn, Norfolk

klcrc.club

Coastal Guide 2020

ON THE WATER CLUB

LOCATION

WEBSITE

Leigh on Sea SC

Leigh-on-Sea, Essex

leighsailingclub.org

Lower Halstow YC

Lower Halstow, Kent

lhyc.org.uk

Lowestoft Rowing Club

Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk

lowestoftrowingclub.org.uk

Maldon and Dengie Canoe Club

Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex

madcanoeclub.co.uk

Maldon Gig Rowing Club

Maldon, Essex

maldongigclub.org.uk

Maldon Little SC

Maldon, Essex

mlsc.org.uk

Marconi SC

Southminster, Essex

marconi-sc.org.uk

Maylandsea Bay SC

West Maylandsea, Essex

maylandseabay–sc.org.uk

Medway Cruising Club

Gillingham, Kent

medwaycruisingclub.org.uk

Medway Watersports Trust

Gillingham, Kent

medwaywatersports.co.uk

Medway YC

Lower Upnor, Kent

medwayyachtclub.com

Mersea Island Rowing Club

West Mersea, Essex

mersearowingclub.org.uk

Norfolk Broads School of Sailing

Acle, Norfolk

norfolksailingschool.co.uk

Norfolk Broads YC

Wroxham, Norfolk

nbyc.co.uk

Norfolk Punt Club

Barton Broad, Norfolk

puntclub.co.uk

Norfolk School Sailing Association

Filby Broad, Norfolk

nssa.co.uk

North Fambridge YC

North Fambridge, Essex

Essex nfyc.co.uk

Northern Rivers SC

Acle, Norfolk

thenrsc.com

Orwell YC,

Ipswich, Suffolk

orwellyachtclub.org.uk

Oulton Broad Water Sports Centre

Lowestoft, Suffolk

oultonbroadwatersportscentre.co.uk

Ouse Amateur SC

King’s Lynn, Norfolk

oasc.co.uk

Pin Mill SC

Pin Mill, Suffolk

pmsc.org.uk

Queenborough YC

Queenborough, Kent

queenboroughyachtclub.co.uk

River Stour Boating

Essex

riverstourboating.co.uk

Rowhedge Coastal Rowing Club

Rowhedge, Essex

Facebook page

Royal Burnham YC

Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex

wrbyc.org.uk

Royal Corinthian YC

Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex

royalcorinthian.co.uk Coastal Guide 2020

ON THE WATER CLUB

LOCATION

WEBSITE

Royal Harwich YC

Woolverstone, Suffolk

royalharwichyachtclub.co.uk

Royal Norfolk and Suffolk YC

Lowestoft, Suffolk

rnsyc.net

Segas SC

Gillingham, Kent

segassailingclub.co.uk

Shotley SC

Shotley Gate, Suffolk

shotleysailingclub.co.uk

Shotley Point Yacht Club

Shotley Gate Suffolk

shotleypyc.org

Slaughden Sailing Club

Aldeburgh, Suffolk

slaughdensailingclub.co.uk

Snettisham Beach SC

Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lynn, Norfolk

snetbeach.co.uk

Southwold SC

Southwold, Suffolk

southwoldsc.orgSouthwold SC

St Edmundsbury Sailing & Canoeing Association

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

westsuffolksailing.org.uk

Stone Sailing Club

Southminster Essex

stonesailingclub.org.uk

Stour SC

Manningtree, Essex

stoursailingclub.co.uk

Strood YC

Rochester, Kent

stroodyachtclub.jimdo.com

Thames Estuary YC

Southend-on-Sea, Essex

teyc.co.uk

Thorpe Bay Yacht Club

Thorpe Bay Essex

tbyc.org

Thurrock YC

Grays, Essex

thurrockyachtclub.org.uk

Tonbridge Town SC

Tonbridge, Kent

tonbridgesailing.org

Up River YC

Hullbridge, Essex

upriver.org.uk

Waldringfield SC

Woodbridge, Suffolk

waldringfieldsc.com

Walton and Frinton YC

Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex

wfyc.co.uk

Waveney & Oulton Broad YC

Oulton Broad, Suffolk

wobyc.com

Waveney Sailability

Lowestoft, Suffolk

waveneysailability.co.uk

Wells SC

Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk

wellssailingclub.co.uk

Wensum Ospreys Canoe Club

Fakenham, Norfolk

wocc.org.uk

West Mersea YC

West Mersea, Essex

wmyc.org.uk

Wilsonian SC

Hoo, Kent

wilsoniansc.org.uk

Wivenhoe SC

Wivenhoe, Essex

wivenhoesailing.org.uk

Yare SC

Norfolk

yaresailingclub.org.ukw

Coastal Guide 2020

Visit our website for all the information and ideas you need to enjoy the East Coast, plus a schedule of events at local clubs and marinas.

www.coastal.events Founded in 1946 - 3rd generation - Suffolk Engineers

Fabricate, machine & repair ferrous & non ferrous materials stainless steel - aluminium -mild steel- brass - copper - nylon for marine, food and leisure industries

www.bolendaengineering.com â&#x2014;? office@bolendaengineering.com 01359 250343

Coastal Guide 2020

EST 1898

A NEW DECADE WITH BROOM OF BRUNDALL

HERITAGE We’ve maintained and restored all types of boats for over a century, so there’s not a lot we don’t know about boats.

PASSION When we look out on the stretch of water that we call home, we’re reminded of our passion for protecting its beauty.

INNOVATION Broom is built on innovation and we look forward to bringing boating enjoyment to a new generation.

For marine services, moorings and boating holidays call 01603 712334 or visit:

www.broomboats.com

Coastal Guide 2020

syharbour.co.uk 01473 659465 enquiries@syharbour.co.uk

Suffolk Yacht Harbour:

the east coast’s leading marina Credits: Main Photo - Patrick Squire. Below - Gill Moon & Emily Harris.

Founded in 1967, Suffolk Yacht Harbour is the east coast’s largest independently owned marina offering a vast array of onsite services and facilities. Comprising 550 berths and additional swinging moorings, with access at all states of the tide, the marina offers the ideal stopover whilst cruising along the picturesque rivers and coastal waters of East Anglia.

A marine hub for local and visiting yachtsmen. • Busy calendar of events and regattas, including the annual Classic Regatta. • Haven Ports Yacht Club offers a warm welcome, hearty food and drinks for locals and visitors.

Coastal Guide 2020

• Maintenance facilities and services for classic and modern yachts, including boat hoists up to 75 tonnes, two well equipped chandleries and newly refurbished workshops.

Coastal Guide 2020

Articles inside

Sail Arthur Ransome’s Nancy Blackett

Snettisham Beach Sailing Club

Wish you were here

Have a go

Beach Bonkers

Coastal shopper

Ferry good

Just add water

Historic Harwich

Benfleet Yacht Club

Stone Sailing Club