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.
Tangier is a town in Accomack County, Virginia, United States, on Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay. The population was 436 at the 2020 census. Since 1850, the island's landmass has been reduced by 67%. Under the mid-range sea level rise scenario, much of the remaining landmass is expected to be lost in the next 50 years and the town will likely need to be abandoned.
Tangier Combined School and the Tangier water tower, two landmarks on the island
A typical cemetery on the island, showing overcrowding
Tangier Island in October 2023, taken at high tide from the steps of Tangier Combined School.
The marshes outside of town