Many east coast sailors know and love the pretty little marina at the head of Woodrolfe Creek at Tollesbury. But, how many realise that just up the road, a little beyond the tide line, sits a world beating innovative company.

I didn’t, but I have known of Tollesbury’s connection to the wider maritime world in a communications company and a ‘control’ engineering company going back to my time at sea.

Last summer while we were berthed aboard Whimbrel in Fox’s Marina, I spotted a strange looking vessel.

Upon talking to the harbour master, I discovered that it was an autonomous boat built in Essex for ocean exploration and survey work. ‘Down the coast…’ he said, presumably not knowing where.

I later found the company on a web search. It is based in Tollesbury, Essex, just up from the old fishermen’s sheds.

Information about the Essex based company, Sea Kit, can be found here: https://www.sea-kit.com/

The company manufactures these craft to exacting parameters which enables the oceanographic scientists to do their jobs…

I ‘forgot’ all about the event, however, reading a recent copy my Marine Engineering Society magazine – Marine Scientist – I alighted on an article about the autonomous survey of one of the world’s undersea volcanoes in action – described as the biggest eruption man has witnessed or recorded.

The eruption was near the Pacific island of Tonga.

Sadly, for me, the article was light on detail of aspects I thought should have been expanded upon.

The Tollesbury Company has been expanding its output to cope with an increased demand for autonomous survey vessels. See Sea Kit’s press release.

On the company’s site there was a press release. See: https://www.sea-kit.com/post/press-grelease-sea-kit-expands-production-facility-to-meet-growing-usv-demand

And another that caught my eye:

https://www.sea-kit.com/post/press-release-sea-kit-triples-production-and-expands-r-d-with-new-facility

So, the next time you pop into Tollesbury, remember that this is not a sleepy little Essex waterside mud-hole, but a place at the heart of the Tech Community, controlling autonomous vessels on the other side of the world, built metres from the mud…

Fascinating and fantastic to learn that a marshland ancient centre for boat building, repair and fishing is still producing craft.

Well worth a visit, if allowed!