If you are looking for the hovercraft seen on the Thames on 15th March 2011, click here.
Sorry for the appalling photo quality, but I just saw a hovercraft on the Thames heading into central London.
Normally when sitting at home, I hear unusual boats (etc) as they approach the flat and I get up to have a look at the odd noise. Today, the windows were closed so I missed this until it was right in front of the flat and I scrambled to get the camera – by which time, it was a hundred yards or so away.
Anyhow – this is an ideal time to suggest reserving a weekend for a rather special event later this year.
This year happens to mark the 50th anniversary of the first crossing of the English Channel by a hovercraft, and the national hovercraft museum will be hosting a four-day series of events in the last weekend of July.
The museum is just outside Portsmouth and is about 90 minutes by train from London – so ideal for a day out.
Still waiting for the exact details to be announced, but the preliminary itinerary sounds exciting.
- James Bond “Die Another Day” Hovercraft
- Exciting Guest Hovercraft including 3 Rescue Hovercraft
- Giant SR.N4 Hovercraft “The Princess Margaret” Open to the Public
- SR.N5 & SR.N6 Restoration Projects
- SR.N6 Twin Prop Open
- Over 40 Historic Hovercraft from the collection on Display
BBC article about the Channel Crossing
Update
A slightly better photo taken later in the day when the Hovercraft was leaving London.
And finally, a close up taken on Saturday afternoon when it was back and on “my” side of the river.
As I was able to see the registration number, I was able to look up the details of who owns it and sent them an email asking if there was a specific reason why it was in town this weekend.
Seems that they hire the hovercraft out for private charters – Hovercraft Rental
Thanks for putting up details of this. We also live on the river and had been seeing this race up and down for the past few days. Curiosity finally got the better of us and we plumbed in ‘Hover craft on the River Thames’ and your site was top of the listing. Good to come across your interesting site. Ain’t the web a wonderful thing.
More pictures of this craft are on http://www.jameshovercraft.co.uk/hover/html/tiger12.htm
this is the exhovercraft rentals craft a 1982 Tiger 12 licenced for 9 now bought for £150,000 for operation down south . Hovershow is July 24th 25th 26th 27th at Lee On solent to matk 50 years of the hovercrfat on the anniversary of th channel crossing details 02392 552090