top of page
Writer's pictureJustin Merrigan

More than just A to B

Along the Thames with Uber Boat by Thames Clippers

Uber Boat Thames Clipper
Meteor Clipper © Justin Merrigan
Tower Bridge
Under Tower Bridge in the Neptune Clipper © Justin Merrigan

For me, a trip to London is never fully complete without a hour on the river with Uber Boat by Thames Clippers - what better way to see the city than a trip on the Blue Highway Riverline! From The O2 to Battersea Power Station and everything in-between the fast and frequent River Bus service sails right through the heart of London and stops at world-famous landmarks every 10-20 minutes.


From Bankside we sailed passed the magnificent HMS Belfast before stopping at Tower Pier, for the Tower of London. Then it was beneath London’s most iconic bridge on the way to Maritime Greenwich, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in just 27 minutes or so!


Drinks and snacks are available at the onboard Café Bar, including coffee crafted by trained baristas, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. Snacks consist of sandwiches and cakes. While every passenger is guaranteed a comfortable seat in the spacious, climate-controlled cabin, with large panoramic windows, I always spend the trip on the open-air aft deck!

Thames Clippers London sightseeing
The Tower of London © Justin merrigan

Incat Tasmania Thames Clippers
Built in Tasmania by Incat © Justin Merrigan

It was a treat to come back from the O2 on a little piece of my Hobart home - the Incat Tasmania-built Hunt Mk I vessel Neptune Clipper. She and sister Galaxy Clipper were delivered in 2015 and each carry 150 passengers at speeds of up to 30 knots. The two were loaded onto a cargo ship in Hobart for the 10,000-mile journey to the UK. When they arrived, Tower Bridge was raised so that Galaxy and Neptune could be welcomed onto the Thames in central London.


Kudos to the Neptune's deck crew. Working hard with a full boat she handled lines, gangways and the passenger count with impressive skill and all with a smile and good wish for disembarking passengers. As for the boat handling skills of the master - wow! Saturday space on London’s busy pontoons can be at a premium!





Neptune Clipper Incat
Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, Neptune Clipper

Anyone with on hour or two spare on a visit to London I’d highly recommend a trip on the Riverline and Uber Boat by Thames Clippers!


Comments


bottom of page