Specialist Workboat Hire for Inland Waterways
Not every job can be done from the bank. When your project needs lifting, hauling, or transporting on water, you need the right boat, and the right team behind it.
The Rothen Group offers a reliable fleet of inland waterway workboats for hire, including crane boats, grab boats, and wide-beam vessels. Designed for canals, rivers, and tight-access sites, they’re self-propelled, highly manoeuvrable, and available with or without an operator.
With lifting capacities up to 8 tonnes, reach up to 21m, and a choice of attachments from clamshell buckets to piling hammers, our crane boats are built for piling, dredging, Nicospan installation, and lock gate works. Whether you're shifting spoil or staging materials, we’ll get the right vessel on site, ready to work.
“The Rothen Group’s knowledge has ensured that potential issues were highlighted early, meaning projects run smoothly and on programme. They have a large fleet of plant and operators too, which reassures that the work will be completed safely and with due care.”
Martin Dean
JN Bentley
“The Rothen Group have worked with us and supplied marine, piling and fencing plant for many years. The team have excellent working knowledge of the UK canal system.”
Jim Walton
CPC Civils
“The works were completed to a high standard of quality both ahead of programme and in a safe manner. All parties were really pleased with how smooth the construction phase went.”
Andrew Smith
Mott MacDonald Bentley
“Your crew worked seamlessly to deliver both the headwall and gabion basket lifts safely and efficiently. Their approach to safety, teamwork, and communication made a real difference and helped keep everything on track.”
Adam De'Ath
Canal & River Trust
"The professionalism, communication and quality of the works delivered by The Rothen Group has been exceptional! From the project initiation phase to delivering the hard work on the ground they have been an outstanding contractor to work with."
Charles Hughes
Canal & River Trust
Our Accreditations
We have a range of workboats available to support your project including:
40ft Crane Boat: Compact and manoeuvrable, our 40ft crane boat is ideal for lighter lifts and tight navigation. Perfect for short runs, confined spaces, or projects with limited access.
50ft Crane Boat: A versatile all-rounder, the 50ft crane boat balances reach, stability, and load capacity. Making it ideal for crane boat hire on canals and rivers or for restricted-access construction.
70ft Crane Boat: Our heavy-duty 70ft crane boat offers serious lifting power with extended reach. Best for large-scale works and long runs where access and lifting capacity are critical.
70ft Crane Boat – Lock Gate Lifting: Purpose-built for precision lock gate lifts, this vessel combines reach, stability, and lifting strength, ensuring safe handling of heavy gates in narrow or sensitive locations.
Unpowered Wide Beam Crane Boat: Designed for towing or static use, this unpowered wide-beam crane boat is ideal as a stable platform for lifting, storage, or material staging on site.
Powered Wide Beam Crane Boat: All the benefits of a wide beam platform, with the flexibility of self-propulsion. Ideal for mobile lifting tasks, equipment transport, or supporting works across multiple sites.
Unpowered Wide Beam Grab Boat: A versatile option for canal dredging, vegetation removal on inland waterways, and debris clearance in low-access environments. Unpowered for tow-in positioning, but rock-solid when it’s time to work.
70ft Hiab Crane & Grab Boat: Combining reach, grab, and lift capacity, our Hiab-equipped 70ft boat is ideal for bulk material handling, spoil removal, and heavy-duty maintenance.
Contact us to find out which of our crane boats are right for your waterway project.
What crane boats do you have available?
FAQ