What a difference on Mersea!

Today I had a cause to visit Mersea and found quite a few differences since I was last here, which was less than a month ago.

The weather had certainly changed. In fact it had changed considerably since I wrote my blog 13 days ago when much of Essex was still covered in snow. Today, I walked in short sleeves in bright sunlight and a temperature of 17 degrees Celsius. Less than 2 weeks ago, the very same spot recorded -5. Bloody hell, I'd better get the boat launched before the summer is over!

17 degrees C on 23rd Feb

With a spring tide, high just after 1pm and the strood covered, I timed my visit so I was kept on the island over lunch. This meant that I had to take a walk around and chat with a few folks to catch up on the goss. Oh yes, and take the obligatory drink at the Coast Inn. 

Whilst sitting on the bench savouring the Doom Bar watching the packing shed dip its gravel boards into the sea, a solitary boat put on a show, sailing in and out of the vacant moorings for the spectators sunning themselves for the first time this year on the lawn of the West Mersea Yacht Club. It was a perfect, light airs day, enough to make any wintering sailor hanker for those coming months.

Shiny New Building

Walking along the coast road towards the Victory pub a new landmark has risen up on the foreshore right next to the oyster tanks where the Thames barge is moored. You'll have walked passed the building many times. I remember it as not much more than what looked like a 2 bay garage, balancing on stilts with its front face pressed hard up against the edge of the road. Not any more, now its a smart looking boarded building with a glass apex roof and a vastly enlarged deck area hanging over the water at high tide. I have to say, I like it, although I'm sure there'll be many who would have preferred to see the old building fall into the water and disappear rather than have it replaced by this shiny new one.

Final Resting Place

When over on Mersea I always like to walk beyond the Mersea Marine yard to see what else has been dragged ashore and positioned in its final resting place on the mud. I find it fascinating to see the result of the hundreds of man hours and mini fortunes that are spent on turning these old hulls into habitable spaces. Well, to be fair, there are quite a few that look as if they've hardly had any money spent on them, and I for one, who has previously claimed that, 'I could live in a garden shed', wouldn't occupy them.


There are quite a few though, that make you think that perhaps the money spent on them, could infact have been used to kept the old girls sailing.


OK, I'm off. Time to stir that antifoul I think.