About

Hobbs of Henley – the best in boating since 1870.

Hobbs provides a variety of ways to enjoy the Royal River Thames from public cruises or self-drive and chauffeur-driven days out, to its newest boats, luxury Linssen self-drive cruisers, the only ones for hire in the UK. Ideal for that special occasion or holiday. Charter by the weekend or the week.

Hire Boats

Cruise England’s most famous river, The Thames, at Henley. Choose from a row boat for an hour, a launch for a day, or a luxury motor cruiser for a boating holiday, there's a craft for every occasion. Chauffeured launches can be provided, if the whole idea of steering yourself seems a bit too much.

Rowing Boats – try your hand at rowing in a fibreglass skiff (rowing boat).  The skiffs are available for hire by the hour or by the day. 3 or 5 seaters.

Pearly Class Launches - Fun little boats for messing about on the river. Easy to drive outboard motor boat hire for you and up to three friends or family.

Pilot Class Launches - River boat hire for families and groups from 4-12. Self-drive launches with covers in case of rain and wind.

Edwardian Style ‘Self-Drive’ Launches – If you’ve previous boating experience, why not treat your friends and family to a day on the river.  Available for Day Hire only, seats up to 12.

Electric Class Launches - Electro Glide provide a more environmentally friendly way to enjoy the river. They are aluminium sloops and can take up to 6 passengers, they can be hired by the hour or the day.

Antaris Class Launches - Perfect for a special family day out on the river. Sizes vary from 8-12 people. They are fully convertible and can be half covered, or completely open to cope with changeable weather. Available for hire by the hour or for the day on a self drive basis or, (at an extra cost) as a chauffeured launch. 

Olympic Class Launches - Originally designed and built for VIP river transport at the London 2012 Olympics, they offer comfortable, high-end river transport for luxury-loving visitors and corporate guests. Seating 12 people in self-drive mode, they can be hired by the hour or the day.

Alfastreet 23 launches -  'Eighteen Seventy' and a world premiere 23 Evo. These Alfastreet 23's have everything you need for an unforgettable luxury day on the water from Henley, including a fridge to cool your drinks and a music system to play your favourite tunes whilst cruising the water in sophisticated elegance.

Chauffeur-driven Launches – A unique opportunity to experience a cruise on a 12 seater elegant Edwardian style launch or an Antaris Class launch. Just sit back, relax, sip champagne and let the experienced skipper take care of you.  Available for hire by the hour or the day.

Do you like the idea of self-drive cruising on the River Thames but your life’s so busy you can’t find time to look after your own boat?

Henley Boat Club

'Membership Boating' is the easy way to take to the river whenever you want to, safe in the knowledge that your boat is maintained and looked after by a family business. Henley Boat Club is a new boating idea conceived by Hobbs of Henley’s Managing Director Jonathan Hobbs in response to market forces. 'With people's increasingly demanding working lives we've noticed it has become more and more difficult for them to find the time to enjoy private ownership of a boat and get the real value of their investment.' 'Membership of The Henley Boat Club gives you freedom to enjoy a choice of Hobbs Boats with none of the cost or hassle of ownership'. Take a look at our Henley Boat Club brochure.

Public Cruises

Why not discover the river Thames on a Hobbs of Henley Public Cruise - take a trip on one of the daily sailings (April-September).  Relax and discover the river between Henley Reach and March Lock or Hambledon Lock on a purpose built passenger boat which offers ample seating and all-weather viewing platforms, with access for less able guests.

Boating Holidays

You can explore the entire length of the River Thames from its source in the Cotswolds to London, you may need a week or two to make the trip. Choose the seven-day Midsomer Itinerary and cruise on the Midsomer Linnsen. Take a look at the luxury Linnsen Motor Cruisers for your relaxing boating holiday.