Welcome to the Lady Essex Website

Running out of Essex Marina, Wallasea Island and Burnham-on-Crouch Town Quay as well as other locations on the rivers crouch and roach, Essex Marine Services Limited trading as lady essex.com offer the following services:

Winter Bird and Wildlife Trips

Exclusively Charter Lady Essex for a 2 - 3 hour Bird and Wildlife Trip with a complimentary Tea or Coffee ONLY £60.00 (max 4 persons) running daily. Book Now to avoid disapointment! Target species include Waders Raptors Divers and Wildfowl as welll as Common Seals.

Our fleet

Lady Essex III
The Lady Essex III is a custom built starfish 10. She was originally built as a prototype for the Royal Navy and as such was built from fire retardant fibreglass to the most exacting standards. She is an exceptionally strong and seaworthy craft. With her Ford Mermaid diesel engine she is somewhat faster than her predecessor and is capable of 10 knots. She is 33 feet 10 inches long and was built in 1981 by Bounty boats in Brundall Norfolk. Though certificated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency as a Class V & VI passenger ship for 40 passengers plus crew we have now ceased operating as such and run only as a Code of Practice Cat 3 which allows us to carry 12 passengers plus crew up to 20 miles from safe haven day or night in any weather.

Lady Essex IV
A sister ship and almost identical to Lady Essex III, Lady Essex IV was acquired by us in November 2009 she is fitted with a 300 horsepower Ford Mermaid Turbo Plus diesel engine which will allow her to cruise at 15 knots. Originally built as a dive boat she is fitted with transom doors to facilitate divers but this also allows us to easily and safely board disabled and wheelchair bound passengers from Wallasea. Lady Essex IV will have her code of practice Category 2 for 12 passengers reinstated which will allow us up to 60 miles from safe haven. This will give us the ability to offer extended fishing and diving trips with overnight stops on the continent.

Maximus
Maximus is a retired all weather RNLI lifeboat in original condition, so much so she is still invited to RNLI open days every year. She is fitted with almost 1000 horsepower by means of her twin Caterpillar diesel engines. She carries up to 12 persons plus crew and runs mainly in the Crouch and Roach providing a superb high vantage point for our seal and wildlife trips, we also use Maximus for many of our Foulness trips. Usually we run Maximus from Burnham Town Quay but pickups from Hullbridge and Fambridge are also possible. Maximus is available for private Charter and other work. Please note that due to fuel consumption trips on this boat are more expensive.

The Deplorer II
Our fast reinforced aluminium assault craft has been fitted with a new ultra quiet engine for 2009. This open boat is insured to carry up to 8 passengers but is ideal for up to 5 people. She is available for hire as a water taxi and private charter her shallow draft allows us easy landing virtually anywhere on the Crouch or Roach including Foulness Island.

We can arrange private cost effective seal and wildlife charters, one way trips for walkers, perhaps to the remote untouched Branklet beach or the Wetlands. We can explore tiny creeks and even land you at Paglesham creekhead a short walk to the superb Punchbowl at Churchend.

Shore fishermen can get effortlessly to the more distant and better fishing marks. Or perhaps a few hours fishing. We aim to offer fly fishing for Bass and Mullet during the summer.

The Lady Essex III