A historic Thames-based family business is championing British shipbuilding and sustainable tourism with the debut of an electric-powered river tour, set to launch in summer 2025 as The Tower of London River Tour.
Woods’ Silver Fleet has unveiled plans for its first zero-emission tourist boat, which is currently being built at Pendennis shipyard in Cornwall. The Woods family, known for over a century of Thames-based sightseeing services and private charters for high-profile clients like Google, Net-A-Porter, and Lamborghini, are driving this pioneering venture.
Marking a first for the UK, this vessel combines advanced lightweight aluminium construction with a revolutionary battery-powered drive system. After extensive testing by Vulkan Marine, Woods’ Silver Fleet chose the EST Floattech Octopus Series battery bank, which will recharge quickly between tours using a sustainable two-megawatt shore facility.
The Tower of London River Tour reflects Woods’ heritage and experience while launching Woods Tours, an electric-powered luxury sightseeing fleet. “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 operating on the river whilst striving to lead the industry’s push towards sustainability,” says Chris Kangis, CEO of Woods Tours. “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 charity managing the Tower of London, has agreed to exclusively partner with the project’s flagship 39-metre vessel, Thames Explorer, as the official Tower of London River Tour. Built by the renowned Pendennis Shipyard, the vessel will carry up to 250 passengers per tour, with an annual capacity of 500,000.
Toby Allies, Managing Director at Pendennis, commented, “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.”
Allies continued, “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.”
This circular 40-minute Thames tour will start and finish at Tower Bridge Quay, a short riverside walk from the Tower of London, offering views of London’s iconic landmarks like the Palace of Westminster, Tate Modern, London Eye, Traitor’s Gate, and Tower Bridge.
The live tour narrative, developed with top historians, will be delivered by British actress Martha Howe-Douglas, known for her roles in BBC’s Ghosts and Horrible Histories, blending history with touches of British humour.
Andrew Jackson, CBE, Governor of the Tower of London, said, “We are delighted to be partnering with Woods Tours on the first official Tower of London river tour. For centuries, some of the most famous Kings and Queens in our nation’s history approached the Tower by boat. Now, even more visitors will be able to experience a unique view of the Tower from the Thames, discovering more about the history of this remarkable place throughout their journey. We look forward to sharing the story with them!”
The vessel’s design will embrace both classic and contemporary elements, with nods to 1920s and 30s Thames cruising style. Features will include panoramic decks, wool carpets from Kidderminster, eco-leather seating, and awning-shaded areas for comfort.
There will also be 21st century full accessibility, solar gain reducing glazing, sound system and LED lighting. All hand built by Pendennis’ experienced team, supporting maritime apprenticeship in Falmouth, with both traditional and new technology. Due to its innovative design, the project is part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 4 (CMDC4), funded by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered by Innovate UK. CMDC4 is part of the Department’s UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme, a £206m initiative focused on developing the technology necessary to decarbonise the UK domestic maritime sector.
Tickets will be available from winter 2024, with the first river tour planned for summer 2025.
