River Thames Explorers Voyage in London

With the wind blowing in our hair, eyes streaming and feeling like sailors at sea, Leoni and I took part in our latest adventure –  a  high speed RIB ride on the Thames. Both being complete powerboat ‘newbies’, it was something we both were looking forward to. So, we left our office in Brighton and headed for London Waterloo to begin our experience.

The meeting point for the ride could not have been more central; just a 5 minute walk from Waterloo Station and located at the pier adjacent to the London Eye. We walked down the dock and could see the bright red RIB waiting in the river, ready for action. Dave, our enthusiastic host for the ride greeted us on the dock, helped us on board and provided a quick health and safety briefing. After putting our life jackets on (safety first!), we clambered on board and got our camera’s fitted. Leoni and I chose the back seats in the hope we would miss getting so wet (although luckily you remain a lot dryer than expected!)

The RIB gently eased us into the adventure with a slow ride through the hub of the city – if it was up to the captain (minus the speed restriction) I’m sure he would have loved to put the boat to the test for the whole experience. We passed the iconic landmarks London is so famous for including The Shard, The Walkie Talkie and Somerset House. Once we had passed the police docks, Salty our captain for the day, put is hand on the throttle and the RIB jumped in speed from 12 to 35 knots. He also mastered quick turns and tight corners, making the boat bank to each side and leaving us feeling like we were on a roller-coaster!

After our high speed hit on the Thames, we headed back towards the pier and Dave indulged us in some informative history about the riverbank and the surrounding buildings. He had some fun facts to share, including some of the TV productions the boats have worked with. From The Apprentice to Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire, they’ve worked with them all. So, we even felt a bit like movie stars being in the boats!

Thank you again Thames Rockets for letting us experience such an adventure! A RIB ride is one for the bucket list when you are next in London. You can see our selection of RIB rides here.