When the Met purchased their first Targa 31 back in 1998 to begin updating a traditional fleet of more old fashioned craft, there were raised eyebrows amongst some of the more traditionalist operators. However, the Targa’s greatly improved speed and crew comfort has won over the doubters and the Targa 31 has become the definitive Thames Division craft, dominating the fleet with its combination of high speed, walk around format and exceptional flexibility to meet the most demanding of roles.

One of the latest Targa 31s replaces an earlier craft which has more than doubled its projected service life, demonstrating the durability of a design which is operated by the Met in a specification very close to ‘off the shelf’ boats configured for private owners. The popularity of the craft within Thames Division is in no small measure due to its ability take a high workload of long running hours with a minimum of downtime.

Anyone living in or visiting London in recent years is likely to seen a Targa 31 operating on the Thames. Visitors to Seawork will have the same opportunity to not only see the boat from a distance but to go onboard an example alongside the Seawork pontoon and see for themselves why the marque is now a proven choice or commercial applications.