Topsails sailing barges back out on the river at The Hythe, Maldon

Topsail's sailing barges at The Hythe, Maldon are back out on the river after gaining the 'good to go' status with Visit England. To start with, only their largest barge, Hydrogen, is operating as she offers more space for social distancing. A spokesperson from Topsail said: "A high number of customer who have already booked, have told us they missed out on holidays and are choosing to do something locally, which is great for Maldon, our local suppliers, Buntings, Maldon Smokehouse and Maldon Brewing Co, and offers a glimmer of hope for the rest of the season. "It will be a challenging future, but we will be working very hard to keep the barges sailing from Maldon in the future." Topsail are also working hard to have 'Thistle' sailing again by the end of the month for private parties of up to 30 guests. The third barge 'Reminder' will not be sailing this year, but they hope to have it up and running by 2021 as more people choose staycations.