Yachting Monthly - November 2015

ANCHORAGES

T

he entrance to the River

Blackwater is generally

considered to start at the

Bench Head buoy, which is left

to starboard. Apart from the

decommissioned Bradwell Power Station

building (no longer lit) there is very little

to identify at this point except the wind

turbines that dwarf St Peter’s Chapel on

Sales Point to the south-west. Once the

trees and higher ground of Mersea Island

to the north come into view, a westerly

course midway between the two shores

can be altered to south-west when the

Nass Beacon comes abeam to starboard.

It is important to locate the Thirslet

Spit buoy marking a hazardous tongue of

hard sand protruding into the river on the

north side, near the entrance to Thirslet

Creek; and, even more important, to leave

it to starboard. The next starboard-hand

buoy marks the entrance to Goldhanger

Creek; Stansgate Point and the moorings

at Marconi SC are to port and ahead lies

the tree-lined Osea Island.

In the narrows between the eastern

end of Osea and Marconi Sailing Club,

the channel is deep and the tide runs

fast: in wind-over-tide situations the

Osea is joined to the mainland by a

causeway, probably built by the Romans,

which can only be crossed for a few

hours around Low Water. The Manor

House, easily seen from the river with its

distinctive red-tiled roof and turrets, was

part of a small village built on the island

in 1903 as a retreat for alcoholics. The

nearby pier was used by a small steamer

that ran trips to and from Maldon. During

the First World War the island was used

by the Royal Navy as a base for motor

torpedo boats and fast minelayers. In 1918

the MTBs from Osea were in action during

attacks on Ostend and Zeebrugge. In

recent years Osea Island has been used as a

therapeutic retreat, now closed down, and

is currently being marketed as a holiday,

wedding and party destination. There is the

possibility of loud music at weekends.

Landing on the shingly foreshore, to

walk around the saltings, barbecue or even

camp on the beach, was quite acceptable

until recently. Nowadays it is still possible

to go ashore, below the High Water mark,

to the east of the big house. Despite these

changes, Osea Island continues to provide

a good anchoring spot to wait for the tide

or just to watch the world go by and, once

a year in July, to watch the start of the

Blackwater Barge Match. W

Whether waiting for

the tide or seeking

shelter in northerlies

Janet Harber recommends

anchoring off Osea Island

‘ Vessels bound for

Maldon have probably

anchored hereabouts

since Viking times’

river can become quite lively here.

The south-east shore of Osea Island,

on the downriver side from the ruined

pier, offers a secure anchorage that is

sheltered from wind with any north in it.

Vessels bound for Maldon have probably

anchored hereabouts since Viking times

while waiting for the next tide to take them

further upriver. The anchorage is described

in old pilot books as The Barnacle, after a

shallow patch of that name, just north of

the main channel, east of the pier.

PHOTO: JANET HARBER. CHART: MAXINE HEATH

OSEA ISLAND

Marconi SC

Stansgate Pt

North Double

No7

Causeway

Power

South Double

No6

No3

Fl(2)G.6s No2Fl.R.3s

Bn

Pier (ruin)

2.FG

Marconi

Fl(2)R.3s

No1

Southey CreekNo4 The Barnacle

Fl(2)R.6s

0 1,000m

Goldhanger SC

Goldhanger Spit

Goldhanger Creek

East Pt

West Pt

RIVER BLACKWATER

Maldon

Bradwell

-on-Sea

Mersea I.

Osea

Island Bradwell NuclearPower Station

St Peter’s on

the Wall Chapel

Thirslet

Creek

Goldhanger

Creek

Sales Pt

Nass Beacon

VQ(3)5s2M

Thirslet Spit

Fl(3)G.10s

Bench

Head

Fl(3)G.10s

ESSEX

Osea Island,

River Blackwater

NOVEMBER 2015 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com 55

The Osea

anchorage has

the island with

its distinctive

Manor House and

dilapidated pier

as a background