A family-owned Thames business is championing sustainable tourism by introducing the UK’s first all-electric sightseeing boat, The Tower of London River Tour, launching in summer 2025.
Woods’ Silver Fleet has announced the launch of their first zero-emission vessel, being built at Pendennis Shipyard in Cornwall. With a legacy of over 100 years on the Thames, the Woods family has hosted prestigious clients such as Google, Net-A-Porter, and Lamborghini on their private chartered yachts and is now expanding into eco-conscious tourism.
This new vessel will be the first in the UK to utilise lightweight aluminium and a state-of-the-art battery-powered drive train. After rigorous testing by Vulkan Marine, the team selected an EST Floattech Octopus Series battery system, which will be quickly recharged from a two-megawatt shore charging station, supplied by renewable sources.
Through the Tower of London River Tour, Woods Tours is merging its heritage with modern sustainability in an all-electric luxury tour 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, caretakers of the Tower of London, has committed to exclusively partner with the 39-metre flagship vessel, Thames Explorer, as the official Tower of London River Tour. The Pendennis-built vessel will accommodate 250 passengers per trip, reaching a yearly total of 500,000 visitors.
Pendennis Managing Director Toby Allies shared, “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.”
The 40-minute guided tour will start and end at Tower Bridge Quay, just a short riverside walk from the Tower of London, passing famous London landmarks like the Palace of Westminster, Tate Modern, London Eye, and Traitor’s Gate.
The commentary, led by British actress Martha Howe-Douglas of Ghosts and Horrible Histories, will be crafted with expert historians, blending facts with British humour.
Andrew Jackson, CBE, Governor of the Tower of London, expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “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!”
Designed to honour both past and present, the vessel’s clean lines echo the elegance of 1920s river cruising, featuring panoramic decks, eco-friendly furnishings, and bespoke carpets from Kidderminster.
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 go on sale in winter 2024, with the first public tour set for summer 2025.
