Watermen's Cutters Group

The modern day Waterman’s Cutter is a design based on drawings of boats used by the Watermen of London in the 1700’s. In the 1980’s the organisers of the Great River Race developed the modern day boat and produced the first of the fleet of 24 many of which now compete annually in this Marathon of the River.

The Cutters are 34 feet long with a beam of 4ft 6ins and can be rigged for up to six oarsmen either rowing or sculling. In keeping with their traditional origins they can carry a cox and passengers under a canopy thus in this form resembling the decorated craft commonly depicted in historical prints and pictures of the River Thames in the 17th & 18th Centuries. Now a days with the canopies and armorial flags flying they perform the role of ceremonial Livery Barges on special occasions.

The boats are a robust, stable and fast equally at home on the tidal or non-tidal river or sheltered costal waters. Their adaptability makes them ideal for all standards and ages of oarsmen and women allowing the coach to be aboard for training sessions.

The Watermen’s Cutters annually compete in the Port of London Challenge, the Port Admirals’ Challenge and the Great River Race. Cutter races are also to be found at various town rowing and skiffing regattas.

In the past ten years Cutters have successfully broken the record times for sculling the English Channel (2hrs 42mins) and sculling non-stop from London to Paris (4days 15minutes).