Find Your Spot Before You Unpack

A good harbour picnic begins with a slow walk. Arrive an hour before you plan to eat and wander the quayside, the promenade and any grassy verges above the water. You are looking for three things: shelter from the wind, a view of the tide, and enough space to spread a blanket without blocking a footpath or someone's mooring line.

Benches along a harbour wall are tempting, but check which way the breeze is blowing. A spot that feels balmy on the walk down can turn brisk once you sit still for an hour. Look for a low wall, a hedge or the lee side of a boat shed. If you have children with you, favour a grassy bank with a gentle slope rather than a sheer drop to the water, and keep an eye out for slipways, which stay slick even on dry days.

Pack Food That Travels Well

The best harbour picnics are the ones you can carry in one trip from the car. Aim for food that improves at room temperature and does not mind being jostled in a rucksack.

• Something savoury and sturdy: a pork pie, slices of mature cheddar, a wedge of quiche or cold pasties wrapped in greaseproof paper.
• Bread that holds up: a crusty bloomer, focaccia or rolls rather than soft sliced bread, which goes squashed and clammy.
• Easy vegetables: cherry tomatoes, radishes, sugar snap peas and a pot of hummus. Nothing that needs peeling or chopping on site.
• Fruit with its own packaging: apples, pears, grapes and satsumas.
• A small sweet thing: flapjacks, shortbread or a couple of scones with a tiny jar of jam.
• A flask of tea or coffee, plus a bottle of water. Reusable cups and a small cloth for wiping them.

Freeze a bottle of water overnight and use it as a cool pack in your bag. It will keep cheese and butter fresh for hours and then melt into cold drinking water by mid-afternoon. Pack a bin bag and a couple of spare food bags for scraps and wrappers; harbour bins fill up quickly in summer.

The Blanket, the Bench and the Small Comforts

A groundsheet under a wool blanket beats a single thin throw every time. Damp grass soaks through in minutes, and harbour-side grass is often dewy well into the morning. If you are claiming a bench, take a folded blanket or a couple of cushions anyway; slatted timber is unforgiving after half an hour.

Add a few things that make the difference between a snack and a proper picnic: a small sharp knife, a bottle opener, a couple of tea towels, and a lightweight bag for rubbish. A pack of wet wipes handles sticky fingers and gull-related incidents. If the forecast is uncertain, a compact waterproof and a couple of bin bags to sit on cost almost nothing and save the day. Sun cream and a hat are worth carrying even on a hazy day, because reflected light off the water is stronger than it feels.

Time It Around the Tide

Tides move faster than most people expect, roughly a metre an hour in many estuaries. Check a local tide table before you go and plan to eat either side of high water, when the harbour is at its liveliest and the mudflats are covered.

Low tide has its own charm. You will see exposed sand, lugworm casts, wading birds and the odd stranded dinghy, but the water can be a long way out and the smell on a warm day is unmistakable. If you want the classic picture of boats afloat and reflections on the water, aim for the two hours around high tide.

Watch where you sit if the tide is rising. A sandy spit that looks perfect at noon can be under water by three. Keep an eye on fixed landmarks, and if the water is creeping towards your blanket, move early rather than dramatically.

Watching the Boats Is the Whole Point

The pleasure of a harbour picnic is that you do not need to do anything. Sit back and let the comings and goings provide the entertainment.

• Fishing boats heading out on the ebb, crews sorting ropes and crates.
• Yachts motoring gently through the moorings, sails still flapping.
• Ferries and trip boats loading passengers, foot passengers counted by hand.
• Kayaks, paddleboards and the occasional swimmer braving the cold.
• Gulls arguing over a dropped chip, and oystercatchers piping along the shoreline.

Take a small pair of binoculars if you have them. They turn a distant seal, a raft of eider ducks or a coastguard vessel into a proper sighting. A notebook for sketching or jotting down boat names is a lovely thing to have on a long, lazy afternoon.

Leave the Harbour as You Found It

Take everything home with you, including the bits that seem harmless: fruit cores, crusts and loose crumbs all attract gulls and rats. Never leave glass on a quayside where bare feet and paws pass by. If you have used a barbecue, allow it to cool completely before disposing of ash, and only ever use a designated area.

Before you go, do a slow sweep of your spot. Blanket shaken out, litter bagged, bench wiped. Then sit for five more minutes with the last of the tea and watch the light change on the water. That final quiet pause is the part you will remember longest.