Journey of a Cobra 750 |
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The Tollesbury SaltingsI love the Saltings at Tollesbury. For those who are unaware of them, they are lovely mud berths on the Essex mud flats at the top of the river Blackwater about 9 miles to the East of Maldon. They are a real link with the past, and Tollesbury is a very unaffected village which supports a thriving boating scene. There are most of the trades you would expect from a traditional sea faring location such as the small boat yards, sail lofts, upholsterers and engineers. But it is the unassuming way in which many of these people ply their trades which is as such odds with the larger more commercial yachting areas, especially along the English south coast. Tradespeople here have a real sense of pride about their jobs and their place in ensuring the boating folk can continue to enjoy messing about on the water. The other constant reminder of the past are the numerous quietly rotting hulls of boats from another age. These range from discarded leisure boats to a big old wooden barge, left to disintegrate when it could no longer pay its way. Amongst all of this is some fantastic wildlife especially the birdlife. Although the Little Egret is becoming a common site along the Essex coast it is still a great thrill when you first see one. They are such elegant birds and seem such an exotic visitor to our (increasingly warm) climes. |
The Trinity lightship in the background, now used as a base for the sail training organisation "Fellowship Afloat". With the boards across the Saltings in the foreground. |
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