About Us

The Passenger Boat Industry

The Passenger Boat Association is a trade organisation, dedicated to furthering the interests of Britain’s passenger boat industry. Active since the early 1970s, the Association works to promote the prosperity of companies engaged in the industry and the safety of passenger boats operating on all domestic waterways across the UK.

Our Membership Profile

The Association is made up of Full Members, Associate Members and Affiliated Members from all sectors of the passenger boat industry.

Member companies operate boats of every age and style on rivers, canals, lakes and coastal waters throughout the UK, from Scotland to the West Country, the Isles of Scilly and the Midlands to the Fens.

Full Membership embraces operators both great and small, who between them provide boats for all occasions:

• Scheduled transport services and pleasure trips.
• Private hire for group outings, weddings, parties and events.
• Business charter for meetings, conferences and corporate activities.

Affiliated Membership includes existing passenger boat communities who wish to retain their own identity but benefit from and contribute to the national role of the PBA.

Associate Members offer a wide range of specialist support to the passenger boat industry.  They cover such products and services as insururance, training, safetry equipment and employment law to name but a few.

Benefits of PBA Membership

"The PBA has proved invaluable in adapting the raft of new legislative measures that have affected our industry in recent years. This, coupled with the excellent training courses provided, convinces me that PBA membership is a must for all passenger boat operators." Jonathan Hobbs, Director, Hobbs of Henley, Henley on Thames

The Passenger Boat Association was created by the industry to represent passenger boat companies all over the UK. It acts on behalf of its Members, to provide them with the following benefits:

Public Confidence: membership of the PBA demonstrates that a company is fully committed to safety and good service.

An Influential Voice: at a time of increasing European, national and local legislation, the PBA engages in consultation and lobbying, speaking with authority on behalf of its Members. It provides a powerful, unified voice on national and regional committees to ensure that new legislation, or codes of practice, are sensible, workable and fair.

"From my first Members' Meeting, I have been delighted by the way in which the PBA looks after the needs of all of its Members from the large, London-based companies to small canal boat businesses. I specially appreciate the active links which it provides with the MCA, which controls so much of how we operate. I would definitely recommend PBA membership to all passenger boat businesses, small or large." Sharon Pickard , Proprietor, Leeds City Cruisers, Yorkshire

Networking Opportunities: regular meetings, held in different parts of the UK, bring Members together to discuss topics of common interest. They also enable Members to meet representatives of key agencies such as the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Environment Agency and British Waterways. Social events are another popular feature of the PBA calendar.

Streamlined Information: Member services include e-mail bulletins, which set out clear, “need to know details” of current topics relating to the industry.

Marketing Activities: Members, and Associate Members, each have an entry on the Association’s promotional website, www.passengerboats.co.uk. Entries link to Members’ own sites and to high-profile tourism websites. In addition, joint marketing initiatives target day visitors, groups and corporate clients.

Subsidised Training: Engagement with Government skills organisations is currently being undertaken with a view to creating National Occupational Standards which in turn should lead to a better industry career path and development.

Cost Savings: Member discounts include savings on website design and maintenance, MCA documentation preparation and insurance.

How To Join:

Joining us is easy!  Simply select and complete one of the Membership Application Forms at the bottom of this page and, with reference to the Membership Subscription information, send off your application as directed on each form.

Your PBA Contact

For more information, or to discuss your potential Membership in more detail, please contact: