LAND lubbers got their sea legs with a day of quayside fun.

Thousands of people walked the planks of the Ha'Penny Pier in Harwich and strolled along the sea wall during the annual Harwich Sea Festival and Lifeboat Day.

The event on Sunday saw lifeboat displays, a sailing dingy race, stalls, live music and a vintage Rolls Royce display.

Harwich Horse Rangers, a rollercoaster simulator and duck race were also highlights.

Steve Oxley, organiser, said: "It was great.

"Myself and the rotary team plus the RNLI team made it a very successful day.

"I think we had about 4,000 people.

"The RNLI did a great job, they did a lot of offshore exercises.

"We were also able to allow people to come and sell their goods for charity, like CRY, Inner Wheel.

"We had rope making and Harwich Sing and morris dancers.

"The aim was to put the sea back in sea festival, which we did."

The event also included a competition judging the best dressed vessel, the RNLI Beach and Sea Safety Team and a net making demonstration.

Sailing Barge Centaur, which was first launched in 1895 and later took linseed oil in drums to London, and MTB102 Faramir, which took Winston Churchill and General Eisenhower on their review of ships assembled on the south coast for the D-Day landings, were moored and open to the public.

The festival is jointly organised by the Harwich and Dovercourt Rotary Club, Harwich RNLI and Harwich Harbour Board.

Money raised at the event will be counted and donated to various charities.

To apply, contact the rotary on harwichseafestival@gmail.com