*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.
Last updated October 22, 2025
This Privacy Notice for BROWNES VENTURES LIMITED (doing business as Brownes Thames Estuary Boat Trips) (‘we’, ‘us’, or ‘our’), describes how and why we might access, collect, store, use, and/or share (‘process’) your personal information when you use our services (‘Services’), including when you:
Questions or concerns? Reading this Privacy Notice will help you understand your privacy rights and choices. We are responsible for making decisions about how your personal information is processed. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Services. If you still have any questions or concerns, please contact us at info@brownesthamesestuaryboattrips.co.uk
This summary provides key points from our Privacy Notice, but you can find out more details about any of these topics by clicking the link following each key point or by using our table of contents below to find the section you are looking for.
What personal information do we process? When you visit, use, or navigate our Services, we may process personal information depending on how you interact with us and the Services, the choices you make, and the products and features you use.
Do we process any sensitive personal information? Some of the information may be considered ‘special’ or ‘sensitive’ in certain jurisdictions, for example your racial or ethnic origins, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs. We do not process sensitive personal information.
Do we collect any information from third parties? We do not collect any information from third parties.
How do we process your information? We process your information to provide, improve, and administer our Services, communicate with you, for security and fraud prevention, and to comply with law. We may also process your information for other purposes with your consent. We process your information only when we have a valid legal reason to do so.
In what situations and with which types of parties do we share personal information? We may share information in specific situations and with specific categories of third parties.
How do we keep your information safe? We have adequate organisational and technical processes and procedures in place to protect your personal information. However, no electronic transmission over the internet or information storage technology can be guaranteed to be 100% secure, so we cannot promise or guarantee that hackers, cybercriminals, or other unauthorised third parties will not be able to defeat our security and improperly collect, access, steal, or modify your information.
What are your rights? Depending on where you are located geographically, the applicable privacy law may mean you have certain rights regarding your personal information.
How do you exercise your rights? The easiest way to exercise your rights is by contacting us. We will consider and act upon any request in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
Want to learn more about what we do with any information we collect?
In Short: We collect personal information that you provide to us.
We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you express an interest in obtaining information about us or our products and Services, when you participate in activities on the Services, or otherwise when you contact us.
Personal Information Provided by You. The personal information that we collect depends on the context of your interactions with us and the Services, the choices you make, and the products and features you use. The personal information we collect may include the following:
Sensitive Information. We do not process sensitive information.
All personal information that you provide to us must be true, complete, and accurate, and you must notify us of any changes to such personal information.
In Short: Some information — such as your Internet Protocol (IP) address and/or browser and device characteristics — is collected automatically when you visit our Services.
We automatically collect certain information when you visit, use, or navigate the Services. This information does not reveal your specific identity (like your name or contact information) but may include device and usage information, such as your IP address, browser and device characteristics, operating system, language preferences, referring URLs, device name, country, location, information about how and when you use our Services, and other technical information. This information is primarily needed to maintain the security and operation of our Services, and for our internal analytics and reporting purposes.
Like many businesses, we also collect information through cookies and similar technologies. You can find out more about this in our Cookie Notice: https://brownesthamesestuaryboattrips.co.uk/cookies/.
The information we collect includes:
Our use of information received from Google APIs will adhere to Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
In Short: We process your information to provide, improve, and administer our Services, communicate with you, for security and fraud prevention, and to comply with law. We may also process your information for other purposes with your consent.
We process your personal information for a variety of reasons, depending on how you interact with our Services, including:
In Short: We only process your personal information when we believe it is necessary and we have a valid legal reason (i.e. legal basis) to do so under applicable law, like with your consent, to comply with laws, to provide you with services to enter into or fulfil our contractual obligations, to protect your rights, or to fulfil our legitimate business interests.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK GDPR require us to explain the valid legal bases we rely on in order to process your personal information. As such, we may rely on the following legal bases to process your personal information:
In Short: We may share information in specific situations described in this section and/or with the following categories of third parties.
Vendors, Consultants, and Other Third-Party Service Providers. We may share your data with third-party vendors, service providers, contractors, or agents (‘third parties’) who perform services for us or on our behalf and require access to such information to do that work. We have contracts in place with our third parties, which are designed to help safeguard your personal information. This means that they cannot do anything with your personal information unless we have instructed them to do it. They will also not share your personal information with any organisation apart from us. They also commit to protect the data they hold on our behalf and to retain it for the period we instruct.
The categories of third parties we may share personal information with are as follows:
We also may need to share your personal information in the following situations:
In Short: We may use cookies and other tracking technologies to collect and store your information.
We may use cookies and similar tracking technologies (like web beacons and pixels) to gather information when you interact with our Services. Some online tracking technologies help us maintain the security of our Services, prevent crashes, fix bugs, save your preferences, and assist with basic site functions.
We also permit third parties and service providers to use online tracking technologies on our Services for analytics and advertising, including to help manage and display advertisements, to tailor advertisements to your interests, or to send abandoned shopping cart reminders (depending on your communication preferences). The third parties and service providers use their technology to provide advertising about products and services tailored to your interests which may appear either on our Services or on other websites.
Specific information about how we use such technologies and how you can refuse certain cookies is set out in our Cookie Notice: https://brownesthamesestuaryboattrips.co.uk/cookies/.
We may share your information with Google Analytics to track and analyse the use of the Services. The Google Analytics Advertising Features that we may use include: Remarketing with Google Analytics, Google Display Network Impressions Reporting and Google Analytics Demographics and Interests Reporting. To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across the Services, visit https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. You can opt out of Google Analytics Advertising Features through Ads Settings and Ad Settings for mobile apps. Other opt out means include http://optout.networkadvertising.org/ and http://www.networkadvertising.org/mobile-choice. For more information on the privacy practices of Google, please visit the Google Privacy & Terms page.
In Short: We keep your information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this Privacy Notice unless otherwise required by law.
We will only keep your personal information for as long as it is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Notice, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law (such as tax, accounting, or other legal requirements).
When we have no ongoing legitimate business need to process your personal information, we will either delete or anonymise such information, or, if this is not possible (for example, because your personal information has been stored in backup archives), then we will securely store your personal information and isolate it from any further processing until deletion is possible.
In Short: We aim to protect your personal information through a system of organisational and technical security measures.
We have implemented appropriate and reasonable technical and organisational security measures designed to protect the security of any personal information we process. However, despite our safeguards and efforts to secure your information, no electronic transmission over the Internet or information storage technology can be guaranteed to be 100% secure, so we cannot promise or guarantee that hackers, cybercriminals, or other unauthorised third parties will not be able to defeat our security and improperly collect, access, steal, or modify your information. Although we will do our best to protect your personal information, transmission of personal information to and from our Services is at your own risk. You should only access the Services within a secure environment.
In Short: We do not knowingly collect data from or market to children under 18 years of age.
We do not knowingly collect, solicit data from, or market to children under 18 years of age, nor do we knowingly sell such personal information. By using the Services, you represent that you are at least 18 or that you are the parent or guardian of such a minor and consent to such minor dependent’s use of the Services. If we learn that personal information from users less than 18 years of age has been collected, we will deactivate the account and take reasonable measures to promptly delete such data from our records. If you become aware of any data we may have collected from children under age 18, please contact us at info@brownesthamesestuaryboattrips.co.uk
In Short: In some regions, such as the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom (UK), and Switzerland, you have rights that allow you greater access to and control over your personal information. You may review, change, or terminate your account at any time, depending on your country, province, or state of residence.
In some regions (like the EEA, UK, and Switzerland), you have certain rights under applicable data protection laws. These may include the right (i) to request access and obtain a copy of your personal information, (ii) to request rectification or erasure; (iii) to restrict the processing of your personal information; (iv) if applicable, to data portability; and (v) not to be subject to automated decision-making. In certain circumstances, you may also have the right to object to the processing of your personal information. You can make such a request by contacting us by using the contact details provided in the section ‘HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE?’ below.
We will consider and act upon any request in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
If you are located in the EEA or UK and you believe we are unlawfully processing your personal information, you also have the right to complain to your Member State data protection authority or UK data protection authority.
If you are located in Switzerland, you may contact the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner.
Withdrawing your consent: If we are relying on your consent to process your personal information, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us by using the contact details provided in the section ‘HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE?’ below.
However, please note that this will not affect the lawfulness of the processing before its withdrawal nor, will it affect the processing of your personal information conducted in reliance on lawful processing grounds other than consent.
Cookies and similar technologies: Most Web browsers are set to accept cookies by default. If you prefer, you can usually choose to set your browser to remove cookies and to reject cookies. If you choose to remove cookies or reject cookies, this could affect certain features or services of our Services. For further information, please see our Cookie Notice: https://brownesthamesestuaryboattrips.co.uk/cookies/.
If you have questions or comments about your privacy rights, you may email us at info@brownesthamesestuaryboattrips.co.uk
Most web browsers and some mobile operating systems and mobile applications include a Do-Not-Track (‘DNT’) feature or setting you can activate to signal your privacy preference not to have data about your online browsing activities monitored and collected. At this stage, no uniform technology standard for recognising and implementing DNT signals has been finalised. As such, we do not currently respond to DNT browser signals or any other mechanism that automatically communicates your choice not to be tracked online. If a standard for online tracking is adopted that we must follow in the future, we will inform you about that practice in a revised version of this Privacy Notice.
In Short: Yes, we will update this notice as necessary to stay compliant with relevant laws.
We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. The updated version will be indicated by an updated ‘Revised’ date at the top of this Privacy Notice. If we make material changes to this Privacy Notice, we may notify you either by prominently posting a notice of such changes or by directly sending you a notification. We encourage you to review this Privacy Notice frequently to be informed of how we are protecting your information.
If you have questions or comments about this notice, you may email us at info@brownesthamesestuaryboattrips.co.uk or contact us by post at:
BROWNES VENTURES LIMITED
169 New London Rd
Chelmsford, England CM2 0AE
United Kingdom
Based on the applicable laws of your country, you may have the right to request access to the personal information we collect from you, details about how we have processed it, correct inaccuracies, or delete your personal information. You may also have the right to withdraw your consent to our processing of your personal information. These rights may be limited in some circumstances by applicable law. To request to review, update, or delete your personal information, please contact us.
Our premier Southend boat trips showcase the very best of the Thames Estuary. We offer a huge range of destinations, including cruises to Southend Pier, the historic Mulberry Harbour, the SS Richard Montgomery shipwreck, Queenborough in Kent, scenic Benfleet Creek, Two Tree Island, and the incredible Red Sands, Shivering Sands, and Knock John Maunsell Forts. There truly is plenty to see and do.
All our southend boat trips depart from our pontoon at Leigh Marina, High Street, Old Leigh, Essex, SS9 2ES, or from the nearby Cockle Beach. For an exclusive experience, you can also privately hire the boat for a full day, enjoying a bespoke journey up the Thames to Tower Bridge, an epic forts tour, or a trip to Whitstable. For all private hire bookings, please email: info@brownesthamesestuaryboattrips.co.uk
If our scheduled Southend boat trips aren’t exactly what you’re looking for, we also offer a wide range of other professional marine services.
We were delighted to provide a bespoke trip for local artist, Andy Downes, who wanted to paint hard-to-reach iconic landmarks off the Southend coastline. Time and tide was on our side, even if it was an early start!
We’ve also had the pleasure of giving a unique tour to the photographer and explorer, Malenis Explores, showcasing the estuary’s best photography spots. You can read more about it below.
Call us today to see how we can help you!
We are a unique business dedicated to making your experience on the Thames Estuary an unforgettable memory. When you join one of our Southend boat trips, you will be looked after and made to feel comfortable for the whole duration. We are constantly investing in our business to make it the best charter boat service out there, and will continue to grow as Southend-on-Sea itself grows as a city. We want to play a big part in the community by offering first-class boat trips southend locals and tourists deserve, because there is so much to see. The views are breathtaking and can only be truly appreciated by boat. You will not be disappointed. We look forward to having you onboard.
Starfish is a 31ft Mitchell (MK1 with a MK2 rudder) motor boat with an SCMS commercial coding license for up to 10 passengers.
She was built in 1980 by Robert Ives Ltd and has 2 berths in the cabin. Her engine is a Ford Mermaid 280hp (turbo plus) from 2011. The hull is made from fibreglass (GRP), the fuel capacity is 250 litres, and she has an electric toilet onboard. Her electrical system is 12/24 volt with 240 shore power voltage. Dimensions are: LOA: 9.45m, LWL: 8.53m, Beam: 3.35m, Draft Min: 0.79m. Starfish cruises around 10-12 knots with a max speed of 16-18 knots, powered by a 4-bladed propeller. She weighs just over 6 tonnes. We carry a 12-man liferaft, 2 life rings, 2 rescue ladders, a stainless steel boarding ladder, flares, lifejackets, and a category C first aid kit with a defibrillator. Furthermore, she is equipped with full safety & navigational equipment including AIS, which sends signals to marine traffic so other vessels can track our position at sea.
She is exceptionally well-built for commercial use to keep everyone safe onboard. We service our engines every 100 hours and perform weekly maintenance checks to ensure the boat is ready at all times.
We are always on the look out for working with new companies to help their clients. We currently work with the below companies. If you would be interested in partnering with us, please contact us today.
EXCELLENT Based on 116 reviews Posted on Madelaine Hanman Murphy11 October 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. What an amazing day!! Angus was brilliant- so knowledgeable, highly skilled and confident on the water and we were so lucky to have seal sightings and a waterside view of the Waverley with the planned trip. Trip of a lifetime- I’ll do it all over again!!Posted on Julie Everitt21 September 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Yesterday, Nana Pat and I, along with a couple of her friends, scattered the ashes of Pat’s relative in the Thames Estuary. We used the services of Angus Browne on his boat Starfish. I can so recommend this to anyone who has kept ashes and is undecided on where to place them. Angus piloted his boat perfectly, was polite and respectful throughout. He really made the trip delightful and we were fortunate to have calm waters for the event. We chose the area of water opposite the Roslin Beach Hotel. Pat chose appropriate pieces of music for the journey, and once I had scattered the ashes we raised our glasses to toast the departed. I highly recommend Brownes.Posted on Fabian Steele30 August 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Very professional all worked like clockwork. A fitting ashes scattering. Great communication at all Times.Posted on Jan Zammit23 August 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We went out with Angus today to scatter the ashes of my Mum & Dad, my kids Nan & Grandad My Dad was in the navy in WW11 and regularly sailed from the pier, my mum grew up in Kent and loved her childhood there. Explained this to Angus and he took us past the pier and right over to the Kent side of the Estuary where we stopped and scattered them together. Angus played one of my mum’s favourite pieces of music which made it very special. He then took us over to the wreck of SS Montgomery which my Dad would have loved. This was a very emotional day for us and Angus made it perfect. Such a lovely guy Would most definitely recommend going out for a boat tour with himPosted on Carly Watkins23 August 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Incredible experience! Angus made us feel completely at ease. We scattered our Nan and grandad ashes today, and it’s definitely a memory I will never forget. It’s exactly what we wanted. We were able to give our much loved grandparents a peaceful and dignified send off. I cannot recommend Angus highly enough. A genuinely friendly, patient and respectful person.Posted on Amrik Seehra8 August 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Angus Browne went above and beyond to make the ashes scattering service a very special and personal experience. His compassion and professionalism made the ceremony truly memorable. Every detail was taken care of, even the music. The weather conditions were good, the experience was stress-free and everyone felt comfortable. We highly recommend Angus Browne for anyone looking for a dignified and professional ashes scattering service. We went in the Starfish boat for 6 people. Prior to boarding, he gave a safety briefing. (8 Aug 2025)Posted on Claire Gibson3 August 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Thank you Angus for an amazing boat ride for my husband’s 40th birthday! Cant recommend it enough and will definitely be back. Such a great way to see your local area from a different point of view. Loved going to Two Tree Island too as it’s somewhere we go so much. Thank you again! Claire, Sam, Jo and ChrisPosted on Finn Parry30 July 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Posted on Obie Won30 July 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had a fantastic day out on Starfish last Saturday. After our safety briefing from Angus, we headed out from Cockle Beach as soon as the tide came into the creek. The trip to Queenborough was excellent with lots of info on the river from the very knowledgeable Angus & we were even treated to some dolphins on route. The mooring at Queenborough was super convenient & after a short walk we were in the pub 5 minutes later. We had a lazy lunch in the Flying Dutchman pub which was really excellent. The trip back was great too. We alighted at Bell Wharf & wandered through the Old Town to the Crooked Billet to discuss the fantastic day over a couple of drinks. Everyone involved absolutely loved the entire experience. We will definitely book another trip in the future. Can’t recommend this highly enough!Posted on Emma Garnsey18 July 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Really want to start but saying thank you Angus for a great birthday trip! Really recommend this trip out past Southend Pier, to Mulberry Harbour and then back via Two Tree Island. It was a fab couple of hours and great to look back onto Leigh to Thorpe Bay from the Estuary. Angus is a great host and captain! Thank you! We look forward to our next trip!Showing only 4-5 star reviews
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!
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.