Last Legs 1

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We have been away for 33 days, of which we went to sea on 19. We have visited 17 different destinations: 2 buoyages, 2 anchorages, 4 marinas with locks, 3 without, and 6 tidal harbours where we mixed it with fishing boats, ferries and other commercial vessels. We have been accompanied by 4 friends, 1 dad and 1 brother. We have covered 548 nautical miles, our shortest day being 2 miles and our longest 67. We've been in Essex a week, I will be 47 tomorrow, and we have something short of 100 miles to go. One week from now I'll be walking back into the office. We are a lot better at sailing than we were.

Today, we motored from Burnham-on-Crouch to North Fambridge and the Ferry Boat Inn for Sunday lunch. We sailed lazily back in light winds, dodging the locals racing on the river. The sun shone and in the evening we wandered through the town, enjoying the pubs and pretty boats.

Elsewhere in Essex we strolled along remote dykes from an abandoned nuclear power station to a well loved chapel fashioned in 650 from the gate and wall of a Roman fort. And we gazed contentedly out across the marshes and the shifting sands which we sailed around without getting stuck.

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Photos

East coast mud
On the way to St. Peter's chapel, along the dykes

Common Tern
In Bradwell marina

Local boats
Off Mersea Island