CONVOY OF HISTORIC NARROWBOATS, 6-7 MAY - Canal Boat

30th April 2026

On 6 – 7 May there will be a convoy of historic narrowboats on the Tidal Thames, organised jointly by Cathy Haysom of the Historic Narrow Boat Club, the Fund Britain’s Waterway campaign (FBW), and the Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs.

The wider group of narrowboats will include leisure boats dispersing from the Inland Waterways Association’s annual Canalway Cavalcade festival, held at Little Venice over the Bank Holiday weekend. But in addition, this year marks a special anniversary, which is why this cruise will be so special. Of the convoy, 14 boats will be historic working Grand Union Narrowboats, which were all built at the Harland & Wolff yard at King George V Dock at Woolwich in 1936 and will be celebrating their 90th birthday.

In a momentous celebration of their anniversary, these boats will be returning to the dock where they were built. The majority have not been back since they left the docks in 1936. It is a testament to their build quality and the dedication of their owners that so many of these boats are still in use today, and many of them are still working full time delivering cargo on the canals.

The boats will be displaying banners in support of the Fund Britain’s Waterways campaign. Our canals and navigable rivers are not just for boaters, or even for the millions of other people who use them to walk, cycle, jog, commute, canoe, paddle, fish or just relax. They are vital for local economies and the environment and an irreplaceable part of our national heritage. We owe it to future generations to look after our waterways and keep them safe and well maintained.

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Photo opportunities:
1. A convoy of 24 narrowboats including fourteen historic working boats will pass through the Thames Barrier between 07.30 and 09.00 on Wednesday 6 May (South Bank) and at 13.30 on Thursday 7 May (North Bank)
2. Fourteen historic working boats will assemble at King George V Dock, Woolwich, where they were built 90 years ago starting at approximately 13.00 on Wednesday 6 May..
3. On the morning of Thursday 7 May, the historic boats will be manoeuvring in the dock ready for their departure.
4. The convoy will travel upstream, passing Tower Bridge and the Palace of Westminster on Thursday 7 May.