Located in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Historic Boat Collection and Exhibition. Boatbuilding and activity centre in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
Free entry after 1200 noon each day.
Operating as usual
🛟Did you know you can charter our boats all year round?🛟
MGB 81, HSL 102, F8 and ST 1502 are all available for exclusive charter by you and a group of friends at a time of your choosing.*
To book one of our boats or for more information and prices please email [email protected]📧 or call 02392 893 328☎️
*Reduced availability in winter months but we will always make sure one of our boats is available
A Fast Motor Boat in action. These 25ft vessels served aboard many warships in the Royal Navy. There is one in Boathouse 4, up on the wall. If you've ever asked our visitor hosts where the toilets are, this is the red boat they direct you to look behind :)
Wonderful piece of feedback we received about one of our 2pm tours🤩
Everyday at 2pm, we offer a free workshop and pontoon tour led by one of our knowledgeable volunteers. This gives you access to areas that are not open to the general public, as well as the chance to get up and close to our boats, both on the workshop floor and out on the pontoons⛵️
The duration of the tour can vary but can be adapted to anything you are particularly interested in, from the restoration projects and woodwork skills to the history of our boats⏱️
For large groups we would recommend booking in advance by emailing [email protected], however you can book on the day by seeing one of our Visitor Hosts on the front desk in Boathouse 4.
(Please note: 2pm tours depend on guide availability so booking in advance or at the start of your visit is recommended so a guide can be guaranteed to be available on the day)
⛵️Would you like to join our wonderful team of volunteers?⛵️
Do you love Portsmouth, Wooden boats and our Naval Heritage?
Could you tell visitors the story of Boathouse 4?
Our volunteers get involved in;
⚓️The conservation and restoration of small boats from the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust’s collection that come to us for repair or restoration. Projects include the restoration of the Armed Steam Cutter 26 built in 1910 and Foxtrot 8 a 1959 landing craft used in the Falklands Conflict and Building a Coastal Motor Boat 4 - Motor Torpedo Boat from scratch all of which are projects funded by the Chancellor using LIBOR funds
⚓️Leading a daily tour of our workshop floor telling visitors about the work underway.
⚓️Research projects on the boats in our care, including creating interpretation for our visitors.
⚓️Telling our visitors about the significance and history of small boats in the Royal Navy and building boats in Boathouses 4,5,6 and 7.
⚓️Demonstrate aspects of woodworking/boatbuilding or ropemaking to visitors – Training can be provided.
⚓️Welcoming and interacting with our visitors.
⚓️Help with our ‘hands-on’ activities and workshops for all ages.
⚓️Crew our fleet of Second World War Era boats.
For an application form or more information please email: [email protected]📧 or call 02392 893 331☎️
What a great start to 2023 with this piece of feedback from a visitor who started the New Year by coming and seeing us! 🎉
We have a lot of exciting things planned for this year so watch this space 👀
That's a wrap on a very successful 2022!🎄
We would like to wish all our visitors and followers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year🎅🏼
With thanks to Simon Westwood for capturing action shots of our beautiful boats
This week we delivered a personalised ships badge that was made for 6F mess onboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth⚓️
We are able to personalise badges, like the example below, to a certain extent with over 500 different ship’s badges available. We are still taking orders for ships badges, which are £25 each and can be collected from Boathouse 4 or delivered for an additional cost📮
If you would like to order a ships badge, or would like to find out more information, please email [email protected]📧 or call 02392 893 331☎️
Tomorrow is the last Harbour Lights Tour of the year and we have two spaces left‼️
The trip will be from 4:30pm-5:00pm on our Second World War era Seaplane Tender 1502. Tickets are £15 per person and this includes a mince pie and some warm mulled wine (Non-alcoholic and gluten/dairy free options are available)🍷🥧
To secure the last two spaces on the last trip of 2022 please email [email protected] 📧 or call 02392 893 331☎️
🤶🏻Our Christmas activities kick off today, with lots of things to do this week in the lead up to Christmas!🤶🏻
Activities include:
☃️Christmas badge making (50p per badge)
☃️Make a Christmas tree decoration (£1.50 per decoration)
☃️Christmas tree hunt and activity sheet (with a prize to be won at the end!)
☃️Entry to the interactive exhibition upstairs
Remember Boathouse 4 is free to enter - just ask for an Historic Quarter Pass on the gate!
We love hearing about your visits to Boathouse 4 during your trip to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard!
Depending on the number of tour guides we have available on the day, we run a daily volunteer led 2pm tour which gives you the chance to have a guided walk around the workshop floor and pontoon.
🎄Please note: Boathouse 4 will be shut on the 24th, 25th and 26th of December however will resume normal opening hours (10am-16:30pm everyday) from the 27th of December and throughout the winter season🎄
What do you use to extract the mast of your gunboat? We like to use our Steam Ship…..
⚓️We are now selling gift vouchers⚓️
You can purchase gift vouchers for MGB 81, HSL 102, ST 1502 and F8 for set trip times or if you are not sure which boat they might like a trip on, you can also purchase a £10 or £25 gift voucher which can go towards any of the four boats.
❗️Worth noting, prices will go up next year (fuel costs!) so buy your gift vouchers now to get them at the current prices!❗️
To purchase your gift vouchers, or for more information, please email [email protected]📧 or call 02392 893 328☎️
The deadline for vouchers to arrive in the post before is Christmas is 3:00pm on Friday the 16th of December📮
Note: Gift vouchers are valid for 12 months
Some more lovely feedback from a customer, who ordered a HMS Implacable and HMS Unicorn badge!
We have a wide selections of ships badges with over 50 new badges being added to the list of ones we can make. All our badges are £25 each and are handcrafted by volunteers. Badges can be collected from Boathouse 4 when they have been made or they can also be delivered for an additional cost.
If you are interested in ordering a ships badge, or would like some more information, please email [email protected] or call 02392 893 331
We are participating in Motiv8's Stars of Hope 2022, where we have a star being displayed in the Boathouse for you to find along the trail🌟
Use the map (which can be accessed via the link below) to locate the stars doted around Portsmouth, starting at Portsmouth Central Library in Guildhall. Each star then has a related question and once completed you can submit your map to win a prize!🏆
Each star has been sponsored by a local business like us, and each sponsorship will enable Motiv8 to provide opportunities for young people aged 9-25, throughout 2023
https://motiv8.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Motiv8-Star-Trail-web.pdf?utm_source=PopupNovDec2022&utm_id=MapTrailStars
☃️We are over halfway through our Harbour Lights Tours, with only 10 trips left for this year!☃️
We still have spaces available however the 19th and 21st are fully booked, so pre-book your spaces now to avoid disappointment❗️
Our trips run every weekday from 4:30pm-5:00pm with our last trip being on the 22nd of December. Tickets are £15 per person and this includes a mince pie and some warm mulled wine (Non-alcoholic and dairy/gluten free options available)🍷🥧
❄️We are also running our buy 3 get the 4th free discount on tickets!❄️
To secure your spaces on a Harbour Lights Tour, or to find out more information, please email [email protected] 📧 or call 02392893331☎️
Today is the 80th anniversary of Operation Frankton, and our FREE Operation Frankton Presentations will be happening throughout the day🛶
There are still spaces on our presentations that will be happening at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00! You can pre-book your tickets via the link below or you can walk-up and book with a visitor host
👉🏻Book your FREE Presentation tickets by following the link- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/80th-anniversary-of-operation-frankton-presentation-tickets-466303294707?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb
Operation Frankton - this epic story will be told in a presentation in Boathouse 4 where one of the original Cockleshell canoes is based.
Photos from Landau UK's post
Timeline photos
🌅The beautiful sunset that can be seen on our Harbour Lights Tours!🌅
Tickets are selling fast with the 6th, 8th, 19th and 21st fully booked however there are still spaces available‼️
Trips on our Second World War era Seaplane Tender 1502, are running every weekday from 4:30pm till 5:00pm till the 22nd of December. Tickets are £15 per person, which includes a mince pie and warm mullled wine (Non-alcoholic and gluten/dairy-free options are available)🍷🥧
🎄We are also running our 4 tickets for the price of 3 discount!🎄
If you would like to book your spaces on a Harbour Lights Tour, or for more information, please email [email protected]👈🏻
Less than a week until the 80th anniversary of Operation Frankton which will be happening on the10th December 2022, and our FREE Operation Frankton Presentations will will be happening on the same day 🛶
🎥 Why not watch The Cockleshell Hero film in preparation over at No.6 Cinema (directly opposite Boathouse 4) on the 8th December. https://www.no6cinema.co.uk/films/the-cockleshell-heroes
👉🏻Book your FREE Presentation tickets by following the link- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/80th-anniversary-of-operation-frankton-presentation-tickets-466303294707?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb
Operation Frankton - this epic story will be told in a presentation in Boathouse 4 where one of the original Cockleshell canoes is based.
Today is International Volunteer's Day and we couldn't think of a better time to say a massive thank you to all our lovely volunteers for their hard work and dedication!⚓️
Not only do we have our amazing team of volunteers who work on the different boat projects in Boathouse 4, but we also have a small dedicated volunteer team who look after the Porter's Garden which can be found inside Portsmouth Historic Dockyard 🌸
Happy International Volunteer's Day to our lovely volunteers, and all volunteers across the globe. Your passion and dedication is appreciated every single day!🥳
❄️Our first week of Harbour Lights Tours have been a success with some very happy customers!❄️
Trips will run every weekday up until the 22nd of December from 4:30pm-5:00pm. Tickets are £15 each which includes a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie🥧🍷
Tickets are selling out fast so we would recommend pre-booking by emailing [email protected] or you can buy tickets on the day with a Visitor Host in Boathouse 4🎄
🎅🏼Our Harbour Lights Tours start tomorrow on our Second World War era Seaplane Tender 1502🎅🏼
Already, over half of the spaces for the festival season have sold❗️
We recommend pre-booking your spaces to avoid disappointment however you can walk up and book on the day with a Visitor Host in Boathouse 4.
Trips will be running every weekday at 4:30pm till 5:00pm from tomorrow until the 22nd of December. Tickets are £15 each and includes a mince pie and mulled wine (Non-alcoholic and gluten/dairy free options are available)🥧🍷
❄️We are also offering our buy 3 get the 4th free discount on tickets!❄️
If you would like to book your spaces on a Harbour Lights Tour, or for more information, please email [email protected] 👈🏻
Photos from Landau UK's post
🎄Less than a week until the start of our Harbour Lights Tours on our Second World War era Seaplane Tender 1502!🎄
Trips will be running at 4:30pm every weekday from the 1st of December until the 22nd. Tickets are £15 each and includes a mince pie and a mulled wine (Non-alcoholic and gluten/dairy free options are available) 🥧🍷
☃️We are also running our buy 3 get the 4th free discount on tickets!☃️
We recommend pre-booking your spaces in advance to avoid disappointment or tickets can be bought on the day with a Visitor Host in Boathouse 4.
To book your spaces on a Harbour Lights Tour or for more information, please email [email protected]👈🏻
Congratulations to Mark Sutherland on winning the National Historic Ships photograph competition with his beautiful picture of a very familiar boat... 👀
If you would like a trip on MGB 81, she is available to charter and can be booked by emailing [email protected]👈🏻
It is official, Foxtrot 8 is the National Historic Ships flagship of 2022 and the keen eyed will have spotted us proudly flying our flag all summer!🚩
And, she is off! Our replica build CMB has left the building. (Back in a few weeks though).
Today in Boathouse 4, we turned over our Coastal Motor Boat. She's moving to Marchwood, near Southampton, for fibre glass sheathing. Back here before Christmas, for final fit out.
Watch this space for details of sea trials in the early spring....
With the 80th anniversary of Operation Frankton coming up on the 10th December 2022, and our FREE Operation Frankton Presentations on the same day why not watch The Cockleshell Hero film in preparation at No.6 Cinema (directly opposite Boathouse 4) on the 8th December. https://www.no6cinema.co.uk/films/the-cockleshell-heroes
Presentation tickets - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/80th-anniversary-of-operation-frankton-presentation-tickets-466303294707?fbclid=IwAR3ZLVz9On4wXVAA4ZsW_m0oeWSfByJBT3mRa8nnJ3kuuQVtAABBnFc6ogE
Operation Frankton - this epic story will be told in a presentation in Boathouse 4 where one of the original Cockleshell canoes is based.
A sneak peak of what to look forward to on our Harbour Lights Tour including some mulled wine and a mince pie (Non-alcoholic and gluten/dairy free options available)🥧🍷
There are still trips available throughout December but spaces are booking fast. We recommend pre-booking your spaces as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. You can also book on the day in Boathouse 4 with a Visitor Host.❄️
To book your space on one of our beautiful Harbour Lights Tours or for more information please email [email protected]👈🏻
With the 80th anniversary of Operation Frankton coming up on the 10th December 2022, Boathouse 4 are holding presentations to tell this epic story. Free tickets are available from Eventbrite.
Operation Frankton - this epic story will be told in a presentation in Boathouse 4 where one of the original Cockleshell canoes is based.
Some footage taken from collecting VIC 56 up from Trafalgar Wharf yesterday. An early start and flat calm water making it a very pleasant journey (even in the pouring rain) 🌧️
Boathouse 4, HM Naval Base
Portsmouth
PO13LJ
| Monday | 10am - 4:30pm |
| Tuesday | 10am - 4:30pm |
| Wednesday | 10am - 4:30pm |
| Thursday | 10am - 4:30pm |
| Friday | 10am - 4:30pm |
| Saturday | 10am - 4:30pm |
| Sunday | 10am - 4:30pm |
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Boathouse 4 posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Send a message to Boathouse 4:
Hoisting in the engine and boiler yesterday...speeded up for brevity...and comedy!
Great view of the carrier operations today from Foxtrot 8. Forget immersive simulations, this is the real deal in the fresh air! Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Turning the CMB. Here in Boathouse 4 we're building a replica of a WWI Coastal Motor Boat (CMB). A torpedo boat in fact, though they were called CMBs so as not to give the game away to the enemy.... We've been building her upside down so far, but a week ago we turned her over. Watch how we did it. With thanks to our volunteer colleague Brian E for this footage. There is no sound, so don't crank your speakers expecting any!
The replica build of the First World War CMB reached the next stage this evening. Bit nail biting, but as always the fantastic team of volunteers and staff we have in Boathouse 4 have made it happen.
We had so much fun last weekend, welcoming you all to step aboard our operational boats!👋🏻 We are looking forward to the next open weekend on the 14th and 15th of May 📆 This upcoming open weekend we also have MGB 81 back from Berthon available to come aboard alongside and VIC 56 in steam alongside❗️ 🎥 Follow our TikTok page for more videos- boathouse_4
Memories from last year’s D-Day commemoration exciting us for the forthcoming season😁 ☀️F8 trips start up again this weekend☀️ We are already fully booked on Saturday but available everyday until the autumn. We look forward to seeing you all for a trip around the harbour. 🎥 Filmed by our lovely volunteer Steve Dawson
F8 made a star appearance on ITV Meridian News yesterday🌟 You may even have spotted some familiar faces👀 Remember, F8 trips start the 10th of April so book your spaces by emailing [email protected]👈🏻
Let’s take a sneak peek👀
Check out this amazing footage shot by The Event Room when they were here filming for National Historic Ships UK !
Ever wondered how we manoeuvre our boats on the shop floor?
Let’s take a peek 👀
Matey’s on TikTok!
Come and take a look, it’s pretty cool!🤩
Got questions about Boathouse 4? We’re always happy to answer 🧐
Our great friend Peter Scott captured this pretty cool video of F8! Spitfires of the Seas
Day 2 of sea trials begin.
HL(D) 49 Has been safely lifted out of the water, she can now be seen on the slipway just outside boathouse 4. Next stage – full survey.
A little film of CMB4 being lifted in to place. Just needs the Benny Hill theme tune! :-) Thanks to the Imperial War Museum London
Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust
College RoadNational Museum of the Royal Navy
Hm Naval BasePortsmouth Museum Tea Room with Garden
Museum Road
National Museum of the Royal Navy
Hm Naval Base