He spent his whole life on or by the Thames, and became a waterman's apprentice in 1882, which was the year he won the Putney Badge.
In June 1906, he became the Royal Bargemaster to King Edward VII.
Bill seems to have been a very popular person on the Thames and was early on connected to Cambridge University Boat Club, to train and coach the crews.
Bill East coached Trinity Hall’s famous rower and sculler, the American Benjamin Hunting Howell to victories in the Wingfield Sculls in 1898 and 1899; the same years Howell also won the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley-on-Thames.
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