In 1833 Cooke went on a sketching tour in the River Medway with James Stark, a family friend and a member of the Norwich School, who gave him instruction in oil painting. In 1835 Cooke exhibited his first oil paintings at the Royal Academy, one of them being a similar view of a hay barge, but with Greenwich in the background. In his notebook Cooke refers to this watercolour as 'Hayboat, Chatham - and men of war - with Rainbow and stormy effect - 5th July'. It is signed and dated with this date.