Behind the Scenes: Meet the Crew

Ever wondered who keeps the good times afloat at GoBoat UK? Behind every leisurely cruise on the Thames or Canals, there is a dedicated and passionate team making it happen. In this blog, we are lifting the hatch and giving you a glimpse behind the scenes. From their friendly faces who welcomes you at the kiosks, the crew who keeps the boats in shipshape to our team who keep you up to date with the latest GoBoat news. Meet some of the people who make your GoBoat experience one to remember.

Julian - Co-founder of GoBoat UK

Name: Julian Wootton

Role: Director of Operations & Co-Founder, GoBoat UK

Time at GoBoat: Since launch in 2017

There’s something special about seeing customers enjoying the river – whether it’s families out for an adventure or friends celebrating something big (or small). That never gets old. And I love working with our crew. There’s a strong team spirit and a real sense of pride in what we do.

There’s a lot that goes into making the GoBoat experience feel effortless – and that’s what keeps things interesting. I focus mainly on people and assets. That means getting the right crew onboard, building a fun and professional culture, and constantly refining how we recruit, train, incentivise, and communicate. On the assets side, it’s everything from boat maintenance and logistics to upgrades and innovation. We’re always looking for clever ways to improve – whether through tech, processes, or creative sales ideas.We’ve had quite a few celebrity visitors over the years - Milly Bobby Brown, Kate Hudson, Ewan McGregor, Gal Gadot, Michael Cera, Rami Malek, and John Boyega, to name a few. But two stories always stand out: Will Ferrell once spent two hours on a GoBoat in Paddington wearing a motorcycle helmet to avoid the press. And Harry Styles turned up in disguise to take a boat out with James Corden! For the record – all the celebs we’ve met have been lovely and are always welcome back.

GoBoat Kingston - Grant's favourite site

Name: Grant Sweeney

Role: Director & Co-Founder, GoBoat UK

Time at GoBoat: Since launch in 2017

There’s something incredibly rewarding about seeing people connect on the water. Whether it’s families creating memories, a couple on a first date, or a group of mates celebrating something big (or not-so-big), it never gets old. What makes it even more special is the team. There’s a real pride in what we do, and I love the energy, humour, and resilience our crew bring every day.

My role spans marketing, finance, and business development - so I’m often jumping between the big picture and the day-to-day. On the marketing side, it’s about finding creative ways to tell our story and keep GoBoat front of mind with both locals and visitors. Finance is all about making sure we stay efficient and sustainable, especially as we grow. And with business development, I’m constantly exploring new ideas, partnerships, and opportunities to take things to the next level - whether that’s launching a new location, refining the customer journey, or trialling something totally outside the box. I love solving problems and pushing the business forward.

We’ve had our fair share of memorable moments - celebs, proposals, and even the occasional on-board dance party. But one of my all-time favourites has to be meeting Paul Weller at our Paddington site. He lives nearby, visits every year, and was a total legend when we spoke. As a lifelong fan, chatting to him by the boats felt pretty surreal. A true Mod icon on a modern boat - that’s entertainment.

Vic - Marketing Manager

Hey, I'm Victoria! As Marketing Manager at GoBoat London since 2017, my journey began when GoBoat was a client at my previous agency. I was immediately drawn to the unique concept of navigating London's waterways, and what started as PR visits on the water has blossomed into a proper boat obsession! Despite knowing little about boats initially, I've become quite the skipper, confidently navigating our diverse waterways across all four locations.

What makes GoBoat truly special is our brilliant team. We're agile, creative, and trusted by our co-founders to experiment and push boundaries with our marketing. Everyone goes the extra mile, bringing kindness, talent and humour to everything we do. Though our management team works remotely without a central office, we stay connected through WhatsApp and video calls, with regular visits to our locations to support our fantastic crew members.

The joy of this role comes from witnessing the incredible moments our customers create. From wedding proposals and baby showers to stag parties and even pets enjoying boat trips! Seeing the delight on people's faces and the amazing content they share makes every day rewarding.

I'm incredibly proud of our growth from one location with four boats to four locations with 60 boats. Our mission to get everyone out on the water and show that boating is for all continues to drive us. There's something genuinely therapeutic about being on the water, learning a new skill, and disconnecting from the hustle of London life. We want everyone to become as boat obsessed as we are!

Vilma - Social Media Manager

Hi I'm Vilma, the Social Media Manager here at GoBoat UK. My journey began in 2021 originally as a Crew Member before navigating to the marketing team first as an assistant and then sailing onwards to my current title.

What makes this job special? For me it’s definitely helping people to connect with nature. Coming from Finland where I always lived near water and forest, I’ve been delightedly surprised by London's urban wildlife. Taking a GoBoat out for content creation is relaxing and I always return feeling de-stressed and energised. There's something truly therapeutic about being on water and disconnecting from London's hustle. Being able to share this unique way of exploring London really makes this job special.

Behind the scenes we have an amazing team of passionate people. Everyone works together between teams, locations and responsibilities to make GoBoat London's best outdoor activity. Special thanks to our talented Crew and Location Managers for always jumping in front of the camera and saying "yes" to the content ideas!

One of my favorite memories happened while I was helping on the pontoon in Canary Wharf a few years back. A group of eight young men rented a boat but returned after only half an hour. When I reminded them they still had two hours left, they simply said, "It's fine, thank you, we're leaving."

What I discovered next was magical – during their brief time on the water, they had transformed the boat into the most incredible romantic setup I've ever seen! There were various mezes, dips, drinks, probably three different cakes, and the entire boat was decorated with flowers.

Shortly after, a woman arrived at the dock. It turned out this was a first date, and the man's friends had been helping set up this amazing surprise!

You should have seen the look on her face when she saw the boat. When they returned later, they were all cuddled up together – I'm pretty sure there were many more dates to follow.

Canary Wharf - Jack's favourite site

I'm Jack and I manage GoBoat's Paddington and Canary Wharf locations. This is my fifth season working as part of the GoBoat team, starting as crew and moving into managing our sites when we opened our Canary Wharf site in 2022. I have always loved watersports and being close to the water, and when I moved to London I discovered this was still possible even within such a busy city.

I am a big believer that the chance to experience being on a boat is something that everyone should be able to do, and that being on the water is something for the many and not the few, and so I love that we are able to offer everyone the chance to spend a day exploring the city by water - often something they have never done before. I think hearing how much they enjoyed it and that it has sparked a new interest in boating or our city's waterways is really awesome.

A lot of my time is spent recruiting, training and developing our staff teams. Our diverse team of staff with different backgrounds and skillsets is what makes our customers' experiences special, and importantly, safe, and this takes quite a bit of training to get our staff ensuring this is always the case. This could be developing the boating skills of our staff through powerboat training, conducting emergency drills, ensuring our briefings include everything they need to, or working with our stakeholders to ensure safety on the water.

My favourite moments are when we work with other businesses to run memorable and large-scale events. We often work with production companies to film parts of their TV shows and have even run an outdoor sail-in cinema in Paddington where customers could sing along to musicals from a GoBoat (delivery of snacks by boat was really cool!).

Mia - Assistant Location Manager at Canary Wharf and Paddington

Hi, I'm Mia! I'm the Assistant Location Manager at GoBoat Paddington and Canary Wharf! I've been working at GoBoat for 4 years now and have loved every second of it! Everyone, customer and crew alike, is always here for a good time and to have fun on a boat, so every day is a good day!

I thrive in high energy environments so being able to meet so many interesting people, as well as show off our amazing boats makes this the perfect job for me!

I also manage larger business bookings so always have a blast seeing people from more corporate backgrounds experience the wonders of the water!

We strive to make the waterways as accessible to everyone as possible, and I think that's really special

GoBoat is the embodiment of 'fun!' and our crew really help express that. I am so grateful to be able to work in such an energetic environment with such high spirited and lovely people. No day is ever the same, with each day being a new adventure!

Alex - Location Lead at Kingston and Thames Ditton

Hi, I’m Alex, the Location Lead for the Kingston site. I started as a crew member three years ago and have worked at all the GoBoat sites in London, gaining a real appreciation for everything that makes each location unique. I’ve definitely caught the GoBoat bug because this winter, I took it even further, heading down to GoBoat Sydney for a couple of months. Working there meant plenty of sunshine, Aussie accents, and a whole new perspective on the job I love. But no matter where I go, the sense of community and camaraderie at our Kingston branch always makes it feel like home.

While working with happy customers is always rewarding, what I love most about this job is how hands-on and outdoors it is. There’s nothing quite like being on the river at sunset, watching the golden light reflect off the water—it’s a reminder of how special this job really is. There aren’t many jobs as fun and fulfilling as this, which is why I keep coming back to GoBoat year after year.

Daisie - Marketing Assistant and Assistant Location Manager at Kingston and Thames Ditton

Hey, I’m Daisie! I work at GoBoat’s Kingston site and Thames Ditton site as an Assistant Location Manager, but I originally started as a crew member three years ago. From day one, I’ve loved being part of the team—the people here are amazing, and there’s nothing better than working outdoors, meeting new faces, and soaking up the sunshine.

With 10 years of boating experience and a background in sea cadets, being on the water has always been a big part of my life. One of the best things about working at GoBoat is the fun we have, whether it’s sharing laughs on busy days or cooling off with mini water fights during quiet moments in the summer. The end-of-year socials are always a highlight, but honestly, it’s the everyday moments with the crew that make the job special.

Amadeus - TX Crew at Kingston and Thames Ditton

Hi, I’m Amadeus, part of the TX crew at Kingston and Thames Ditton. I started as a regular crew member in 2024, teaching myself how and why a GoBoat works, which allowed me to move up as a technician. I have truly appreciated every second of the job, no matter the rain or shine and no matter how busy. I live for the face-to-face customer interactions, creating a personal connection with every group I speak to, and I find it extremely fulfilling. I have also lived in or around Kingston all my life, and this job has allowed me to create an even deeper relationship with the local community. There is something really special about being around the river, and no job will ever compare to one like GoBoat.

And that’s the crew!

At GoBoat UK, it’s the people behind the scenes who keep the good times flowing — from early morning boat checks to sunset cruises, they are there to make sure you create unforgettable memories and have the best time on your GoBoat adventure. Whether they’re welcoming you at the kiosk, sharing a boating tip, or creating content to inspire your next adventure, this team is passionate about delivering those small, joyful moments that make each trip special.

So next time you hop aboard a GoBoat, you’ll know a little more about the faces (and stories) behind the scenes. No matter the journey, from celebrations, dates, friendly hangouts - they're here for it all, and they can’t wait to welcome you on board.

See you on the water soon!