The Thames Rocket Rib

Whilst the roads, parks and public spaces are bustling with tourists and locals there is a chance to escape the melee, yet still experience many of the great sights along the banks of London’s famous waterway, ‘The River Thames,’ and all in just 50 minutes. Is it really possible in such a short space of time? Well yes it is, if you are sitting on one of a fleet of high-performance crafts run by ‘London RIB Voyages’ that offers a very unique experience and perspective of London’s historical and modern buildings. Exhilaration, excitement, adrenalin-fuelled fun is just some of the adjectives that trip off the tongue as easily as the ‘rib’ carves a path along the river. Moored at the Pier immediately under the ‘London Eye’, the striking orange-coloured rubber dinghies are nestled between the large sightseeing barges, waiting to propel guests on a memorable excursion. The on-board guide, ‘sets the scene’ of the trip as soon as the life-jackets are strapped on, describing the history of everything from the gothic façade of ‘The Palace of Westminster’ through to the gleaming skyscrapers of the ‘Shard’ and ‘Canary Wharf.’ All the while anticipation is growing towards the moment the driver pushes the throttle forward and opens up the twin 200hp ‘Envinrude’ engines that lifts the nose of the rib, pins you firmly to your seat and quite literally makes your hair stand on end! After passing under ‘London Bridge’ the ‘rib’ gets free reign around the comparatively traffic-free waterways of ‘Wapping’ and ‘Canary Wharf,’ creating a blur of London’s modern developments as you are catapulted to speeds of 35 knots. Zipping across the water like a skimming pebble bouncing effortlessly from crest to crest, the driver arcing and swerving ever more acutely to encourage ‘whoops’ of joy from his passengers. The rib then returns more sedately to its berth and you return to firm ground with a camera full of unique images.