Electric Tour Boat

The UK’s First Electric Tour Boat

Woods’ Silver Fleet has announced its first electric tour boat, a zero-emissions tourist vessel, with construction underway at Pendennis shipyard, Cornwall, England.

Designers and owners, the Woods family, have built and crewed sightseeing vessels on the River Thames for over a hundred years.

They are best known for private charter events aboard their fleet of river yachts with recent clients including Google, Net-A-Porter and Lamborghini.

The new boat is the first of its kind in the UK said the company in a statement, featuring ultra-lightweight, aluminium design and construction technology coupled with an industry-first all-battery drive train.

Following extensive design and power profiling by Vulkan Marine, the team has settled on an EST Floattech Octopus Series battery bank which will be rapidly charged between each tour from a two-megawatt shore charging facility (sustainable energy sources).

The Tower of London River Tour focuses its huge breadth of experience and history on the new Woods Tours brand developing a world-leading, all-electric luxury sightseeing fleet.

Chris Kangis, CEO of Woods Tours said:

“This new vessel represents the bridge between the past and the future of river tourism, building on the generations of experience the Woods family have operated on the river whilst striving to lead the industry’s push towards sustainability.

“We are delighted to partner with Historic Royal Palaces for the Tower of London River Tour. The Tower of London is one of the most significant London landmarks on the river and the perfect match for the tour.”

Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that cares for the Tower of London, has agreed to exclusively partner with the first 39m flagship, Thames Explorer, as the official Tower of London River Tour.

Pendennis Shipyard, the renowned superyacht build team commissioned by Woods, is building a truly sustainable vessel which will have the capacity to cruise with 250 passengers a tour (500,000 passengers a year).

Toby Allies, Managing Director at Pendennis said: “The start of the Thames Explorer project has been an exciting period for the yard and all the team involved.

“The aluminium construction specified on the project is all in-house providing a perfect backdrop for some of our more experienced team members to transfer their skills and knowledge to a whole new generation of fabricators.”

“The client’s requirement for the vessel is also for it to be fully battery-powered advancing our own in-house capabilities in this area that in turn will transfer to other market sectors that we operate in.”

The circular Thames guided river tour will embark and disembark at Tower Bridge Quay, linked by an atmospheric stone riverside walkway to the Tower of London.

The last 40 minutes will feature landmarks old and new including the Palace of Westminster, Tate Modern, London Eye, Traitor’s Gate and Tower Bridge.

The attention to detail will be apparent throughout the vessel’s design from clean, contemporary lines echoing the heyday of Thames river cruising during the 1920s and 30s with wide, awning-shaded decks, single deck panoramic views, bespoke wool woven carpet from Kidderminster looms and generously upholstered in eco-leather seating.

There will also be 21st-century full accessibility, solar gain-reducing glazing, sound system and LED lighting.

Ticket sales will be launched in winter 2024 with the vessel arriving on the Thames for her first tour in summer 2025.

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