The Build
of
ROYAL THAMESIS
Thamesis
Used for historic and charitable events based on a traditional Queens sShallop
BOAT NAME: Thamesis
BOAT TYPE: Royal Barge
BOAT LENGTH: 36ft
BOAT BEAM: 6ft
BOAT DRAFT:1FT 6ins
BOAT CONSTRUCTION: Brazilian Cedar
BOAT DESIGNER: Michael Dennett
BOAT BUILDER: Dennett Boat Builders
BOAT YEAR: 1996
ROYAL BARGE
COMMISSION
Royal Thamesis was built by the order of the Thames Traditional Boat Rally. This is an organisation which helps to promote and encourage the highest standards of wooden boatbuilding, an honour that we were chosen for this prestigious project . They requested that she be a six-oared Shallop design. (Shallops were the limousines and taxis of the lower Thames in the 17th and 18th centuries.)
She has a crew of 8 and has seating for 6 passengers in comfort in the stern.
ROYAL BARGE
IN THE MAKING
The Royal Thamesis was built out of Brazilian cedar, she is 36 feet long, has a beam of just under 6ft and can be towed on a road trailer. The carving on her stern represents the head of father Thames, as seen in the keystone of the bridge at Henley-on-Thames
In 2003 she was sold to The Drapers company. The boat is kept in Oxford and looked after and maintained by a local rowing Club named City Barge, which was founded by the Company’s first Barge Master
FIT FOR A QUEEN
THAMESIS TODAY
Founded over 600 years ago, the Drapers’ Company is incorporated by Royal Charter and is one of the Twelve Great Livery Companies in the City of London.
The Royal Thamesis is based on the design of the Queen’s Shallop, which was built for Queen Mary II in 1689, at the order of King William III. The last of the old state barges, the Queen’s Shallop was serviceable in her royal role until 1919, making her last appearance at the Peace Pageant on 4th August.
The Company commissioned the current Drapers’ Barge in 1996 which is used for charitable and historic events, and has taken part in the renowned 30 kilometre row, The Voga Longa around Venice, the Great River Race, the re-enactment of Lord Nelson’s funeral in 2005, the Lord Mayor’s Show both as a land float in the main parade and on the river, the Diamond Jubilee Pageant in 2012, Countryside Live and many more.
