A sustainable sailing trip in Norfolk's wildest waterways
Setting off from Fosdyke in a golden haze of spring sunshine, Victorious - a 42-foot wooden shrimping smack - is in her element, her traditional gaff-rigged scarlet sails navigating the grey-green waters of Lincolnshire with pride and power. Ahead, a chorus of skylarks sound against the cobalt sky; a lone seal shyly bobs its head up near our vessel's lovingly restored bow. This stretch of the Wash, an isolated inlet of the North Sea famed for its tapestry of sandbanks and flocks of waders, is a heavenly pocket of wilderness, unhampered by the usual hum of tourists or pleasure boats - and the perfect setting for a new, uniquely sustainable travel adventure.
The brainchild of Coastal Exploration Company's founder Henry Chamberlain, this cargo-under-sail passage is cleverly leading the charge for low carbon deliveries along the east coast, while simultaneously showcasing 70 nautical miles of the region's wildest waterways. Intrepid 'crew' (no experience required) can hop aboard Victorious for a passage of between one and three days, navigating tidal rhythms in the Wash, before sculling into the historic quay at King's Lynn and traversing the scenic salt marshes of Wells-next-the-Sea.
Local artisan sourdough, free-range eggs and fresh pots of Colombian coffee (shipped across the Atlantic under sail, of course) are served up alongside tranquil stints at the tiller and a night spent under the stars on deck, or cocooned in a berth, toes toasted by the flickering flames of a log burner. It is a project eight years in the making, and one that Henry hopes will fuse the nostalgia of trade passages under sail with a purposeful adventure that is as green as it gets.
'We found Victorious in Cornwall, rotting away in a marina,' he tells me, while guiding the tiller and sipping tea. 'We are passionate about preserving Norfolk's maritime heritage, so restoring this beautiful, flat-decked boat, built in King's Lynn in 1923, was hugely important. She's the last of her kind.'
Crafted from characterful oak, her gleaming curves with handsome brass fixtures belie a long working life spent at sea. As we glide through waterways flanked by coot-filled reeds, meandering creeks and thick, shore hugging woodland, her hull is groaning with the local produce she is to Wells via King's Lynn: regional wine from Burn Valley Vineyard; botanical homecare products courtesy of Norfolk Natural Living; organic potatoes for Eric's Fish and Chips in Holt and Thornham; and premium apple juice from the Sandringham Estate. But the passage is smooth, meditative.
'Nature recharges you. It teaches you to slow down and appreciate the here and now in an increasingly unstable world,' Henry says, as the majestic silhouette of Hunstanton Cliffs slowly gives way to the Fens' emerald carpet. "There's a big focus on sustainable farming methods, but no one is talking about green transportation,' he adds. 'This felt like the missing link - a meaningful adventure that serves the soul and the environment.' Sustainability sits at the core of Coastal Exploration Company's offering and Victorious, like the rest of the fleet's charming crab, whelk and mussel flat boats, is, at her heart, purpose-built to harness free, sustainable energy - the wind. Henry even replants oak trees on his land as a symbolic way to offset the wood used for the boats.
'Reviving cargo deliveries under sail, while giving a unique passenger experience, is one way to help reduce our impact on the planet,' he says. 'It all goes hand in hand. We're promoting local produce, supporting independent companies, restoring traditional boats and transporting goods by sail. Businesses have a responsibility to protect the planet and we are doing what we can to help, which is crucial because, environmentally, we've had some shocks - wild fires, flash floods. People are more aware of the climate crisis now.'
It is a slow, slick operation that Henry hopes to expand to Suffolk and beyond. Today, though, the reassuring creaks and clinks of Victorious telegraph a modern reimagining of green adventure and, as the addition of the electric motor is mooted, we turn our attention to the Chinese water deer grazing on the shore. Out here on the water, with the sails up and the engine off, it feels like we've stepped back in time,' the skipper muses, as a heron glides silently overhead. ‘Sometimes you need to look back to move forwards’.
Ways and means
'Victorious' accommodates eight. A one-day passage (without an overnight stay) costs from £175 per person, including food and drink: coastalexplorationcompany.co.uk
