Leigh on Sea local knowledge please!

[xyachtdave]

Having been to Leigh on Sea to Mike's Boatyard (good service and nice guy) this week for a RYA course, I would like to visit with the family on our boat. 1.9m/11m

A quick look in the East Coast Rivers/Pilot suggests there is room to either anchor or grab a mooring in the Ray Gut.

What I would like to know is, are the moorings available for visitors in the Ray Gut, how long is the creek useable by dinghy and where is a good place to land/leave the dinghy?

Any tips gratefully received, I tend to stay away from the drying areas of the chart but the place does seem to have a certain charm to it, probably improved by arriving from the sea!

 

[Athene V30]

MoodySabre is your man - expect Roger will be along soon. He lives in the area.

 

[Keith 66]

Most of the moorings in the ray are fishing boat moorings or privately owned.
Benfleet yacht club has one south of Leigh & two more further up in the hole near Two tree, you can land there from a dinghy at any state of the tide but its a long way to carry a dinghy to the top of the causeway & a long walk into the old town.
Avoid Old Leigh on sunny weekends particularly bank holidays as it gets invaded by countless chavs whose sole intent is to get ****faced & trash the place.

 

[MoodySabre]

Thre is plenty of water in the Ray. As Keith says, most of the moorings belong to fishing boats. There are no official visitors moorings although the ones out from Chalkwell are often free and I've spent a couple of nights out there. It would be a very long dinghy trip to Old Leigh and frankly not really viable. This is one reason why we moved our boat from Westcliff to Bradwell - there is no whereto come alongside on the North bank of the Thames.

I live almost opposite Mikes on the other side of the railway. Chavs are not an issue although it is busy on hot weekends mostly with families. The pubs do a good trade. Come by car and enjoy.

 

[xyachtdave]

Thanks for the info.

I may give it a go one weekend soon when the weather is light. If you look out of your window and see either, an X Yacht laying on it's side, or a family stuck in a dinghy half way up your drying creek..... you'll be able to wisely say "I told him not to!"

Fortune favours the brave....