General Enquiries: 07590 637 233

Enquire & Book!

Meeting Locations:

*Leigh Marina: High Street, Old Leigh, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 2ES. Please wait outside the large white gates; a member of our team will meet you there. Do not enter the marina without our team.

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*Cockle Wharf: Southend-on-Sea, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 2ER. You will see my blue “MEETING POINT” sign outside the No 1 Cockleshed Restaurant on the Cockle Beach. Please meet us there. *Do NOT go to Leigh Marina if your itinerary specifies Cockle Wharf.

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We will confirm your specific meeting point on your boat itinerary.

Kayak Support Boat Hire

Kayak Support Boat Hire

Duration

Duration available upon request

Boat

Starfish

Passengers

Cost

Pricing available upon request

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About the trip

Unlock the full potential of the Thames Estuary with our professional kayak support boat hire service. The estuary offers some of the UK’s most challenging and rewarding sea kayaking, but its strong tides, shifting sandbanks, and busy shipping lanes demand respect. Our service provides the essential safety and logistical backbone for you to take on bigger challenges with complete confidence.

This service is designed for individual adventurers, groups of friends, and kayaking clubs looking to expand their horizons.

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Conquer the Estuary with Confidence

Kayak support boat hire is the ultimate tool for any serious sea kayaker looking to push their boundaries. We provide:

Group & Club Paddle Coordination: We are the perfect solution for keeping club trips together, managing different paddling speeds, and ensuring that every member of the group is safe and accounted for.

Expert Safety Cover: Our experienced skipper has intimate knowledge of the estuary’s channels, weather patterns, and vessel traffic. We act as your dedicated lookout, especially when crossing the main shipping lanes, allowing you to focus purely on your paddling.

Multi-Day Expedition Support: Dreaming of a multi-day trip along the coast? We can transport your camping equipment, food, and fresh water between locations, enabling you to paddle a lighter, faster boat and cover greater distances.

A Mobile Basecamp: Our vessel serves as a safe place to rest, rehydrate, or shelter if the weather turns unexpectedly. It’s your peace of mind on the water.

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Your Partner for Sea Kayaking in Essex

We are the ideal partner for ambitious sea kayaking in Essex. Our support opens up incredible routes that might otherwise be out of reach:

The Maunsell Forts Expedition: A challenging open-water paddle to the incredible Red Sands Sea Forts, made significantly safer with our expert supervision and navigation support. Read more

The Cross-Estuary Crossing: The classic paddle from the Southend area to the Kentish coast. We’ll guide you safely across the busy shipping lanes and be on hand for the entire journey. Read more

Remote Creek & Saltmarsh Exploration: Undertake a multi-day exploration of the beautiful and wild creeks of the Rivers Crouch and Roach, using our boat as your mobile basecamp. Read more

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Collaborative Trip Planning

We believe in a partnership approach. Before the trip, we will work with you to understand your objectives, assess your proposed route, and create a comprehensive passage plan that considers tides, weather, and potential hazards. Your safety and the success of your expedition are our top priorities.

Ready to plan your next big paddle? Contact us today.

Book now

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Food & Drink

Top up with water, on the water!
Keeping hydrated at sea is important.

We are offering an afternoon Tea at £18.00 per person from Sara’s Tea Garden in Old Leigh.

You can also bring your own food & drink but ALL food & drink must be consumed outside on deck & not in the wheelhouse.

There are no cooking facilities onboard.

Alcohol is allowed in moderation.

If you would like more information or want to arrange the afternoon tea, please contact us.

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FAQs

The tides in Leigh on Sea do not wait for anybody. The time on your booking is very carefully calculated and is the time we must meet to depart for your trip. If you do find yourself running late or stuck in traffic, please notify us immediately. We will then make the judgement if we will still be able to depart, however any time missed cannot be added to the end of your trip and you will lose that time.

The 50% deposit paid to secure your trip is non-refundable. If we cannot find a suitable alternative date to accommodate your trip, we will offer you the 50% balance you paid as a refund. You will not get the non-refundable deposit back, this can only be used towards another trip.

Our passengers safety is our main priority and if for any reason the weather is too dangerous to go out in, your trip will be cancelled. We will give you as much notice as possible and the weather is checked in the days leading up to each trip. The non-refundable deposit and any balance paid will then be used towards re-booking your trip. Once at sea, if we have to turn back due to bad weather we cannot offer a refund for this as this is out of our hands and your safety is key.

There is no minimum age as long as all children are accompanied by a responsible adult and are on their best behaviour!

Our trips are tide dependant but we are able to go out on most days, its just up to you to get in touch with a date and we will try our very best to accommodate you!

Yes! All of our trips are tailor made and the routes we take depend on what you would like to see on your trip (time and tide dependant). If you have any ideas in mind, please let us know when requesting your booking so we can tell you if they are achievable.

Yes of course, as long as all rubbish is taken with you when you depart, feel free to bring your own food and drink on board. We have no cooking facilities. Plenty of water is also recommended.

We are happy for you to bring your furry friends onboard, however dogs must remain on the deck, they are not allowed inside in the wheelhouse. Please also ensure any mess is cleaned up.

Layering is key for our trips! It can be significantly colder at sea so always ensure you have a coat with you. The majority of your trip will be spent outside on deck so waterproofs are a good choice as it is possible the spray will get you wet when onboard. In the summer months, always wear a hat and ensure you have suntan lotion with you. There is no shelter for shade on deck so please ensure you have taken this into consideration when deciding what to wear.

Sensible footwear is a must onboard our boats! Trainers/deck shoes are a good idea – we suggest you leave your high heels at home!

No, unfortunately not. Although we do offer seal spotting trips, this cannot be guaranteed (although we do see them a lot!) and we accept no responsibility if you are not successful in sighting any. 

Alcohol is allowed, but only in moderation. The boat will turn back to shore if there are any overly intoxicated passengers onboard who are causing disruption to the trip, but please do feel free to bring a glass or two to enjoy yourselves! 

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Kayak Support Boat Hire

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Preferred Dates
Factors like tides, other confirmed bookings and the weather may mean that your preferred date and time may not be available. We will, however, endeavour to do our very best to accommodate your preferences.

Meeting Point

Leigh Marina: High Street, Old Leigh, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 2ES. Please wait outside the large white gates; a member of our team will meet you there. Do not enter the marina without our team.

Cockle Wharf: Southend-on-Sea, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 2ER. You will see my blue “MEETING POINT” sign outside the No 1 Cockleshed Restaurant on the Cockle Beach. Please meet us there. *Do NOT go to Leigh Marina if your itinerary specifies Cockle Wharf.

We will confirm your specific meeting point on your boat itinerary.