Waterway knowledge
Nearly 30 years of practical experience planning and delivering work on canals and navigable rivers.
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Why WHH
Waterway experience.
Project thinking.
WHH is not simply a source of boats. We help clients turn the waterway into a practical part of the construction, logistics or maintenance plan.
Tailored engineering since 1997
The project first.
The vessels follow.
You do not need to arrive with a vessel specification.
Tell us what must be built, moved, reached or maintained. We will consider the access, waterway, programme, lifting, storage and public interfaces together—then configure the required vessels and equipment around that operation.
Our story
Built on experience.
Growing since 1997.
Wood, Hall & Heward was established in 1997 by Tim Wood, Charles Hall and Gerald Heward. Each brought more than 30 years of experience across the marine, inland waterways and construction industries.
The company was created to fill a clear gap: a knowledgeable, professionally run operator able to provide workboats, freight services and infrastructure support on London's waterways and across the UK.
Since then, WHH has grown through investment in specialist craft, practical engineering and project-specific equipment. The fleet now numbers more than 70 vessels, but the principle remains the same: understand the operation first, then configure the vessels, plant and people around it.
Why clients involve us
Capability beyond
the hire item.
Our value lies in connecting the waterway operation to the wider project, not treating it as a separate supplier package.
An adaptable toolkit
More than 70 craft and a wide range of lifting, access and project-specific equipment.
Early practical input
Support from feasibility and tender stage, when access and logistics choices can still improve the project.
One accountable partner
Vessels, equipment, crews, mobilisation and day-to-day marine coordination brought together.
Integrated delivery
Plant, people and
methodology.
Our vessels are maintained and adapted within the business, and our crews understand how equipment behaves on a live waterway. That connection between engineering, operations and delivery makes it easier to respond when the site does not match the drawing.
Where a standard vessel is not the answer, we can combine pontoons, cranes, restraint systems and bespoke fabricated elements into a project-specific arrangement.
Involve us early
Keep the useful options open.
A short conversation during feasibility, tender or preconstruction can establish what the waterway can contribute and what space, access or permissions should be protected.
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