Approaches
The River Blackwater is not one of Britain’s great waterways. Indeed at Maldon, which is barely 10 miles from the sea, it’s little more than a muddy ditch at LW. Nevertheless in its last 5 miles or so it opens out into a magnificent stretch of water a mile wide transforming it into one of the finest cruising grounds on the East Coast. Sitting on the terrace at Bradwell Marina, glass in hand, watching the sun go down over the Blackwater is one of boating’s memorable pleasures.

From the north the approach is relatively simple. Head down the Wallet keeping a mile or so offshore and as the coast curves away to the west continue on your course of about 235º until you have located the north cardinal Knoll buoy. From there head in to the estuary leaving the Eagle, Colne Bar and Bench Head to starboard. More intrepid sailors can cut the corner and cross the Priory Spit to the N. Eagle (another north cardinal) leaving it to port.

From the south you need to cross the Spitway which offers a way over the sands. From the S Whitaker buoy locate the red and white Swin Spitway buoy on a bearing of about 010º. When you get there, find the Wallet Spitway buoy at the other end of the channel on a bearing of 325º. Then crab across, making sure you keep between the two, while offsetting any tidal stream up or down the coast.

During the day in good visibility it’s not difficult, though there’s not a lot of water. Night time can be a different story. Locating the Swin Spitway is not the easiest, and identifying the feeble flash once every ten seconds of the Wallet Spitway against the bright shore lights is distinctly problematic. Then as you cross you have to make sure you keep between these occasional flashes as the tide tries to drag you on to the sand lying in wait in the darkness. It can be a chilly feeling — especially in mid-December when we last did it.

Moorings and marinas
From the Wallet Spitway it’s still some way before the Blackwater offers any kind of haven, probably a couple of hours for most yachts. The easiest option is Bradwell Marina on the south side just beyond the disused power station and breakwater marking its former cooling intake. Most yachts will need at least half tide to enter, but it’s easy enough to anchor near the entrance channel if you have to wait. When you think you’ve got enough water, head in along the home-made port hand buoys with the withies to starboard and round the starboard hand buoy to access the marina itself which lies beyond the moorings behind Pewet Island. There is a bar which will keep you afloat when the tide goes out again. Contact the marina on VHF Ch M, or tie up at the end of the pontoons and walk up to the marina office for advice during normal hours.

Bradwell has good facilities including fuel and a clubhouse, though these days the berth sizes are beginning to look meagre. Best local eating is to be had at the Green Man in the village 5 minutes walk away (in season it’s worth booking, T 01621 776226).

Across the river on the other side lies Tollesbury Marina of which people speak well though we haven’t been there. (See our Links page for Tollesbury SC’s splendid knots demo). To find it, leave the Nass Beacon to port at West Mersea and then follow the port hand buoys round to the left. The entrance to Woodrolfe Creek is marked by an east cardinal buoy, at the end of which is the marina protected by a bar. You will generally need to be within an hour of HW to get in or out.

If you don’t fancy a marina, there are moorings for all shapes and sizes where you can stay afloat at West Mersea along the buoyed Salcott Channel running west from the Nass Beacon. Dinghy ashore to the Victory pub or (lunchtimes only) the wooden shed serving seafood.

Further up river are various other possible destinations progressively more difficult to access. To the south of Osea Island, Lawling Creek extends from port hand buoy No.2 towards Maylandsea. Yachts of any size will need to be close to HW to get up there but there is plenty of room to dry out at Blackwater Marina when you do.

Heybridge Basin at the end of the old Chelmer and Blackwater Canal is an unusual and attractive berthing option with a couple of pubs for diversion and not much else. Look for the entrance after No.8 port hand buoy; you will need to be close to HW to lock in (lock keeper T 0621 853506).

Finally, in theory you can get up to Maldon at HW Springs. It’s a pretty little town, but there are no real facilities for yachts and unless you can find somewhere to tie up against or take the ground you are likely to have to come straight back down the river again as the water disappears.

When you come to leave the Blackwater, departure at around HW will give you the benefit of the ebb down the river plus a few hours of the northward flowing tidal stream up the coast. If you are heading south you might want to delay departure by an hour or two — though not if you are getting out of Tollesbury, and not by more than an hour if you are leaving Bradwell.

© 2008 Yachtpilot