Southampton: D-Day Heritage RIB Tour with Live Commentary｜United Kingdom

Board a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) at Ocean Village and cruise the waters where the D-Day invasion fleet gathered. Hear wartime stories, learn about secret agents, and discover the history of Spitfire pilots.

Depart from Ocean Village Marina and board a Ribeye 785 RIB for a 2-hour guided tour with live commentary at every waypoint. Once clear of the speed-restricted zone, open up to 20–25 knots, covering ground no walking tour or bus could reach.

Head down Southampton Water and pass the mouth of the River Hamble, wartime home of the Air Transport Auxiliary, where a remarkable corps of women pilots ferried Spitfires fresh from the factories, often unarmed and without radios.

Off Lepe, hold position where the giant concrete Phoenix caissons were built in plain sight on the beach, vast floating harbor sections towed across the Channel to create the Mulberry Harbors that supplied the invasion.

At the entrance to the Beaulieu River, hear the story of HMS Mastodon, the shore establishment hidden among the trees at Exbury, and of the Special Operations Executive's "finishing school" upriver at Beaulieu, where secret agents completed their training before being dropped into occupied Europe.

Throughout, your qualified commercial skipper delivers a researched, accurate commentary. With a maximum of ten guests aboard, every seat has a clear view and every question gets answered.