A waterman is a river worker who transfers passengers across and along city centre rivers and estuaries in the United Kingdom and its colonies. Most notable are those on the River Thames and River Medway in England, but other rivers such as the River Tyne and River Dee, Wales, also had their watermen who formed guilds in medieval times. Waterman can also be a person who navigates a boat carrying passengers. These boats were often rowing boat or boats with sails. Over the years watermen acquired additional skills such as local pilotage, mooring vessels at berths, jetties, buoys, and docks, and acting as helmsman aboard large vessel.
The Doggett's Coat and Badge, the oldest rowing race in the world, sees apprentice watermen competing on the River Thames. Above painting by Thomas Rowlandson (1756–1827).
Model of a steamship, built by d'Abbans in 1784
Announcement of the annual race for Doggett's Coat and Badge
Watermen's Hall (1778-80), by William Blackburn.
London River Services Limited is a division of Transport for London (TfL), which manages passenger transport—leisure-oriented tourist services and commuter services—on the River Thames in London. It does not own or operate any boats itself, except those of the Woolwich Ferry, but licenses the services of operators.
London River Services
18th-century view of river traffic in Canaletto's painting The Thames from Somerset House Terrace towards the City (1751)
Steamers on the Thames in 1841
Paddle-steamer Pepys used in the 1905-1907 service