Tony Riley
Sadly our good friend Tony Riley died on 3 January 2025 at the age of 83, after a long battle with cancer. Tony was a master mariner by career, specialising in navigation. He continued his love of water into civvy street and ended up spearheading the pressure on Thames navigation authorities on behalf of pleasure boaters. Tony played a major role in persuading the PLA to allow boats to pass under Hammersmith Bridge when it was closed to traffic, both road and river, stranding boats both sides.
Tony founded the Thames Motorboaters Association (TMBA) to give a voice to those who weren’t members of clubs. This was eventually recognised as a legitimate organisation and gave Tony entry to formal consultation groups with the Environment Agency (EA) where he became a formidable but respected participant. He also served as Chairman of the Association of Thames Yacht Clubs (ATYC) during the
Covid period.
Tony and Maggie joined BOC in 2015 when they bought their Broom Ocean 34 Sedan ‘Legacy’. They were active members helping Andrew and Celia Cotter with Hurley rallies and shorebased meetings. Tony’s work on behalf of Thames boaters including BOC members was recognised with the award of a BOC Chairman’s Letter of Commendation in July 2021. The Thames Traditional Boat Festival also presented him with an award in recognition of his work.
Tony was also a keyboard maestro, a keen talented photographer and a model boat enthusiast. Not to be beaten by his illness, he launched his renovated model tugboat at The Windsor Yacht Club (TWYC) in July 2024 and compiled a Utube musical medley for Christmas 2024. He will be sorely missed.