I bloody love boating. Whether it’s a yacht, dingy or punt there’s no greater sense of freedom (or greater chance of bumping into a sailor) than on a floating vehicle. So it was with relish that I accepted the latest Spoonfed assignment to drag an unsuspecting friend along and test out a Thames boat tour.

Kitted out in my best nautical gear, I was ready to set sail on the fastest speed boat on the Thames. Having made a less than graceful entrance by plodding loudly along the dock , sweaty and tried from running our own mini London Marathon to get there on time, the kind staff of the Thames RIB Experience calmly stowed our belongings and fitted us with life jackets.

Settling down in the 12 seater boat as the engine sputtered into life, I watched our vessel jettison from the pier and towards the first attraction. The Thames RIB Experience takes in all the major sites of the Europe’s second largest river; the Houses of Parliament, London Eye, OXO Tower, Globe Theatre all get a mention and there are a few interesting facts that even a seasoned Londoner such as myself will be surprised to hear.

After half an hour of  sight-seeing, our gregarious guide announces the high-speed section of the tour, which attracts an audible gasp from the assembled group. From what I can tell the high-speed portion of the tour has the dual advantage of satisfying the speed junkies on board and skipping past the boring bits between the Tower Bridge and the O2 – I’m looking at you Wapping! Tilting at 45 degree angles, the boat powers through Greenwich and Canary Wharf, stopping briefly to take in some of the breath-taking surroundings, before accelerating back towards central London.

Back on dry land I get a chance to look around the surrounding piers and see that there are a lot of other power boat tours dotted along the embankments. The real draw of this particular tour seems to be the love of the dashing secret agent James Bond. Each tour includes lots of facts on espionage, the Secret Service and plays the Bond theme tune as the boat speeds along the Thames. The guide made much of the infamous scene in World Is Not Enough where Pierce Brosnon crashes through the MI6 building in a similar looking speedboat and, although that is not one of my favourite Bond films, I found my myself struggling to contain an urge to grab the wheel and try my own dare devil stunts.

All in all, the Thames RIB Experience is a great way to get your bearings around London and see a whole host of major attractions. If you’re a James Bond fan, it’s probably an even better thrill ride, but even for those who don’t know their Martinis from their Aston Martins – it’s still a jolly good hoot.