Bristol's harbour commerce once depended on the tide. Until 1809, merchant vessels sat grounded in mud twice daily, their hulls listing against stone quays while dockhands waited for the Avon to lift them. The Floating Harbour — a tidal lock system designed by William Jessop — changed that permanently, impounding 82 acres of water at constant depth and turning Bristol into Britain's busiest port outside London. The same stone wharves that received sugar, tobacco, and rum now host glass-fronted apartments and waterside bistros, but the engineering remains intact. The original Cumberland Basin locks still regulate water levels, and the harbour's perimeter follows the 1809 line exactly. Bristol boat trips with lunch operate year-round from Wapping Wharf, the harbour's southern edge, where Gas Ferry Road meets the dockside. Bristol Packet Company runs scheduled services aboard narrowboats and motor launches, many departing for Beeses Tea Gardens — a riverside pub four miles upstream, accessible only by boat or footpath. The journey threads beneath the Brunel-designed Clifton Suspension Bridge, past wooded banks and the Leigh Woods nature reserve, then moors at Beeses' private jetty. Lunch is served either aboard or in the tea garden's conservatory, depending on the vessel and season. Menus lean toward British pub standards — pies, sandwiches, seasonal salads — with vegetarian and gluten-free options available at booking. The harbour itself is a working museum. Brunel's SS Great Britain sits in dry dock at Great Western Dockyard, her iron hull restored to 1843 condition. M Shed, the city's social history museum, occupies a former transit shed on Prince's Wharf and houses cranes, dock machinery, and oral histories recorded by harbour workers. The @ Bristol science centre and Arnolfini contemporary art gallery both front the water. On weekends, the harbourside hosts craft markets, food stalls, and occasional tall-ship visits. The harbour festival each July draws 250,000 visitors and closes the central basins to motorised traffic. Departure times depend on tide and lock schedules. The Cumberland Basin lock operates on a cycle determined by Avon water levels, so upstream cruises sometimes adjust by 30 minutes. Bristol Packet advises arriving 15 minutes before the stated departure to allow for boarding and safety briefings. Vessels moor at Wapping Wharf's floating pontoons, accessed via a short gangway with three steps. Seating is a mix of indoor saloons and open deck areas; most boats carry 50 to 70 passengers. Booking is essential during school holidays and summer weekends, when services sell out days in advance. Cancellations made more than 24 hours ahead receive full refunds.