Benfleet Yacht Club

Founded in 1922, Benfleet Yacht Club is a large and friendly members-run club located alongside Benfleet Creek, on the northern shore of Canvey Island in Essex.

The club offers great opportunities for all craft – dinghy sailing and coastal rowing mainly take place in the sheltered waters of Benfleet Creek, while for cruising yachts, the Rivers Medway and Swale are just a few hours away, and slightly further afield are the superb cruising grounds of the East Coast rivers. For a great summer cruise, Benfleet is within striking distance of the northern coast of France and Belgium and the vast inland waterways of Holland.

Complementing the club’s busy sailing

Benfleet Yacht Club offers a large number of tidal moorings for yachts, along with second-to-none on-shore storage for both yachts and dinghies. A range of membership options and a one-off club joining fee are applicable, but the club is keen to be affordable for all: it’s possible to keep a 29ft yacht here for less than £600 a year – and that includes haul out, winter lay-up and relaunch!

programme and popular Cadet Sail Training Week, a superb clubhouse includes a bar that’s open lunchtime and evenings seven days a week, and there’s an active social and entertainments programme all year round.

Benfleet Yacht Club is well known for organising The Nore Race, a combined open cruiser and dinghy race that covers a 20-mile circuit of the Thames Estuary, starting and finishing at Southend Pier. Since 2010 Benfleet Yacht Club’s Coastal Rowers have also organised the Round Canvey Race, an annual open event in which rowing, paddling and sailing vessels complete a 14.5 mile circuit of Canvey Island. An eclectic mix of craft have competed to date, with boats from as far as Whitby travelling to take part. Details of both events can be found on the club website – please check in case of changes due to Coronavirus.

Brightlingsea Harbour is a small mixed leisure and commercial port situated in Brightlingsea Creek, close to the mouth of the Colne where it meets the Blackwater and Thames Estuaries

Brightlingsea Harbour is a Trust Port managed by Brightlingsea Harbour Commissioners, who also run Waterside Marina. Harbour facilities include: Water Taxi • Fresh Water • Fuel • Sewage Pump Out • Laundry • Showers • Maintenance Posts • Wifi and electric in the marina • Waste Disposal

Brightlingsea has a great selection of hostelries, shops, clubs and services, and our Harbour boat trips and Foot Ferry make it easy for visitors to explore the area further Coastal Guide half page advert.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 10:00 Page 5 01206 302200 • mail@brightlingseaharbour.org • www.brightlingseaharbour.org • VHF Channel 68

•Main dealer for Jeanneau, Sea Ray, Highfield RIBs & Excel inflatables • 10 acre boatyard & 30 ton boat hoist • Workshop repairs, servicing & rigging • Large chandlery & clothing store • Paddleboards, Jobe Watersports etc • Wide pontoons, fully serviced • Secure storage yards & CCTV • Park & Ride on private slipway • New & used boats for sale • Brokerage - sail & motorboat • Plenty of free parking