Topsail Charters

Topsail Charters, incorporated in 1999, operates a fleet of restored Thames sailing barges from Cooks Yard on the Hythe in Maldon, running public cruises and private charter on the Blackwater estuary and along the Essex and Suffolk coast. Its vessels include Reminder, built in 1929 as a cargo barge and converted with cabins, a lounge and a galley; Thistle, dating to 1895; and Hydrogen, built in 1906. Public trips cover lunch and afternoon tea sailings, sunset cruises and Sunday roasts cooked on board using locally sourced food, while private hire covers weddings, birthday parties and corporate events. The company also runs multi-day trips along the coast to Ipswich, Harwich and Brightlingsea. Crew members have been recognised at the East Anglian Maritime Awards for their work maintaining the barges. Topsail Charters is based solely in Maldon, and its vessels are among the last working examples of the barges that once carried cargo on the Thames estuary.