Traditional Sailing · North Norfolk · Skippered Voyages
Bespoke sailing adventures
Private and shared skippered voyages aboard traditional boats from Wells-next-the-Sea on the wild North Norfolk coast. Explore salt marshes, hidden creeks and the open sea with an experienced skipper at the helm — no sailing experience required.
Sail the north Norfolk coast from Wells-Next-the-Sea and Blakeney
Our experiences blend adventure with nature, heritage, and mindful living. Reconnect, recharge, and embrace a lifestyle that respects our planet, celebrating a slower, sustainable way of life.
Start your exploration
Choose your group size and your boat before proceeding to our booking page.
1. Select your group size:
2. Choose the boat that suits your group:
Every boat is fully skippered by an experienced sailor. No prior sailing experience is needed.
4
Saffron
Our 16' mussel flats are ideal for smoothy exploring the protected salt marsh - combine with VB&K for a larger group (2x4)
1–4 guests
4
Mabel
Our 16' Norfolk beach boat is based on Blakeney quay, ideal for gently exploring the creeks leading to Cley, Morston and Blakeney Pit
1–4 guests
6
My Girls
Our plucky 20' crab boat is ideal for exploring the salt marsh and for going to sea, the best of all possibilities!
1–6 guests
10
Salford
Our sturdy 30' whelker - the most sociably with easy seating, she can go to sea with 8 pax or gently explore the larger creeks with 10 pax.
1–10 guests
Individual Sails
Join a group of like minded sailors and explorers and book a single seat on a combined sail. Typically 3-4 hours exploration, wildlife watching, wild swimming (for those hardy to take a dip) always a locally sourced meal aboard. Prices start from just £100 per person, see our latest diary dates below.
| Date | Location | Times | Boat (PAX) | Trip highlights and details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 24 Mar 2026 | Wells Saltmarsh |
Depart0800
Return1130
|
Mussel Flat |
Watch winter loosening its grip as spring starts to emerge in the saltmarsh.
|
Book Call now |
| Sat 28 Mar 2026 | Wells Saltmarsh |
Depart1300
Return1630
|
Mussel Flat |
Join us just ahead of the spring equinox as the clocks prepare to fast forward.
|
Book Call now |
featured in
National press coverage
... the shore seems a different world entirely, even if it’s entirely visible and almost within reach ...
read the article:
The tide waits for no man. April 2020
... you receive training from a former Royal Marine in seamanship skills including knots and tides, before putting what you’ve learnt into practice ...
read the article:
Sails of the century! June 2019
... the grand peaceful arena of this coast is profoundly soothing. And the wilderness of its salt marshes is nothing compared to the wilderness out there, among the sandbanks and cormorants, a strange liminal landscape where sand meets sea and the tide is the master of all ...
read the article:
Sandbank picnic: a sailing adventure off the Norfolk coast. July 2019
My mission? A two-day voyage along the Norfolk coast to deliver potatoes for a chip shop. June 2024
Wellness sailing: shed the stress in the Norfolk salt marshes. September 2020
Navigating Norfolk’s hidden creeks and salt marshes – in a 1950s whelk boat. June 2017
... our foraged fish, cooked undercover on the boat, is delicious ... as with all the best adventures, it feels like we’ve been gone for weeks ...
... up ahead, the River Yare remains glassy, while the call of a cuckoo sounds against the pale pink sky. Buttered slices of sourdough, plates of organic eggs and a fresh pot of coffee will soon be under way ...
... lungs full of sea air, salty, sun-kissed and feeling totally recharged on nature ...
... out here on the water, with the sails up and the engine off, it feels like we've stepped back in time ...
read the article:
A sustainable sailing trip in Norfolk's wildest waterways. Oct 2025
... riding the high tide into the North Sea. It greets us with its customary cruelty, tossing our open boat and soaking us with spray ...
... a sailing trip to The Wash provides more than the promise of a gold rush ...
read the article:
Hunting for treasure in Norfolk’s sandbanks. January 2021
featured in
Stories told on film
Experience the coast under sail
A glimpse of our skippered voyages through salt marshes, hidden creeks and open water on the North Norfolk coast.
Smuggler's Wilderness
A short film featuring some of the crew who work behind the scenes at Coastal Exploration Co.
The Coastal Explorer
Classic Yacht TV channel profile Henry Chamberlain, the owner of Coastal Exploration Co.
Special events for individuals
Sea School for small boat and salt marsh exploration.
Learn to sail in North Norfolk salt marshes aboard our lug rigged mussel flats and crab boat, with tidal navigation, foraging, knots, water safety and wildlife observation.
Salt Marsh Sail & Special Supper on our Whelk Boat
Join others and savour a locally sourced fish and shellfish supper with wine aboard a 1950s lug‑rigged whelk boat on an evening salt marsh sail from Wells‑Next‑the‑Sea.
Also featured in
Other media coverage
... taking the ground on the drying sands of the Wash and foraging for cockles ...
... We inch our way back under the beautiful firmament, enveloped by the salt marshes with not a soul in sight ...
Get in Touch
Contact CEC HQ who will be pleased to assist you with booking or any enquiries:
+44 (0)7817 307551
explore@coastalexplorationcompany.co.uk
