13^th April 2014

So yesterday I awoke in a nice secluded spot at the side of a small trail. It was slightly overcast but I knew the sun would burn through eventually. I was expecting anything really to happen and had so far found the people of essex to be more reclusive than those I had met in kent.

I headed off to the spit I was to launch Hoolley from in order to leave Mersea Island thinking I would have to wait for the low tide much later that day. The stroll was quite pleasant and meeting only a few dog walkers and grandparents with the grand kids. There has been quite alot of devastation to the shores of the island and many parts were severely damaged. Eventually I arrived at the spit so I sat down and checked the tide app I had on my phone. To my surprise I was just in time for the high tide. I had arrived at 11am and had 15 minutes to get Hoolley ready for the crossing. I grabbed my bag and made a dash for the shore. The local ferry man turned up just as I was inflating her and was quite intrigued by my journey so far. I asked about the current I was just about to tackle but he said it would be about average, what ever that was.

I picked a place to get out on the other side and went for it. The crossing was quite easy, every now and then riding the small waves across until I arrived on the other side. I guess I could have paddled further up the coast if I had wanted to but decided I needed to get some more supplies from a local supermarket and if possible recharge my phone.

As I started to pack Hoolley away and move on a young boy and his sister approached me and asked me about the boat, there dad appeared slightly behind them also intrigued by Hoolley. I explained about the trek and how Hoolley was able to help me cross the rivers and estuaries and that no one to my knowledge had ever attempted to navigate the british coast in quite this way before. The young boy was fascinated and kept saying "you're going to be famous" lol I couldn't help but chuckle. I let the dad have the website address abd he suggested his children tell there teachers what they had seen and about what I was attempting to achieve and maybe they could do a little project on it. This was great as I had wanted to involve the schools anyway. Eventually we parted company and I set off on my way. I stopped off ar a local spar and bought some freshly baked rolls and some cheese spread. I thoughr I would maybe have a picnic!

I still needed a charge so I stopped off at a cafe for a coffee and to drag things out a jam roll with custard. The owner of the cafe was a bitter and twisted old woman who wouldn't stop complaining often stating that the business wasn't doing very well and what was the point. Welll love service with a smile helps so stop your bitching! I am so glad I won't be going back there. For the first time on this trip I couldn't wait to leave.

Anyway I soon set off and had to follow the one and only road out of the town as all the coast line here is privately owned and inaccessible. Following the road along I eventually found a private track that would lead me back to the coast. Now just because a track says private it doesn't mean you can't go down it, it simply means its owned privately by the local residents. Along the track there is a bird sanctuary that anyone can visit and at the end of the track is lee on sands, the driest place in the British Isles. It is also the home of Robbie, a member of the cast from the british tv show "time team" an archeology show which I believe has now finished. A lovely guy who lives in this remote village with his wife and daughter, 4 sheep, 2 swans, 12 cats and a dog. He topped up my water and after a nice chat, mostly about the old 90s rolls royce he had sat on his drive, I headed off along the sea wall I wanted to get past Clacton if I could, and I would. On the way I passed a strange place called Holland on sea. The houses were tiny and only about the size of an average living room. Eventually I arrived at Clacton and stopped briefly at the new rnli station which was unfortunately closed. Only a few metres away there was a toby carvery  happy days! I decided to treat myself to a nice roast beef and turkey carvery and pint of orange juice and lemonade. I also decided I would get a full charge on my phone and one of my backup batteries as its always handy to have it for when no other supply is available.

This where I met harry, an 84 year old regular, now for someone who didn't like to say what he did he had a lot to say! A fantastic chap who had fought for the british empire. Apparently he couldn't swim due to the amount of replacement parts he had had fitted over the years. We chatted about my experiences, his experiences, what I had yet to experience and the challenges I had yet to come. He also constantly said he admired me and what I was doing and my plans for the future. Before we parted company he jokingly said he would watch the news and look out for my name and if I drowned at sea on one of my crossings he wouldn't send flowers but instead throw them straight into the sea. Lovely gesture I thought as I headed off. He also said I could sleep rough in his garden and use his shower as apparently I was looking old and haggered  I had to decline though as I really wanted to be the other side and near Frinton that night.

It was lovely meeting harry who could hardly walk by the time I left and that had nothing to do with his replaced parts but more due to the three "one for the road" he had consumed whilst we were chatting.

Anyway I headed off and eventually found myself between Clacton and Frinton so I set up the canvas coffin and pretty much crashed out in relative comfort on this clear yet warm night.