From A Northumberland and Durham Word Book by Cecil Geeson, 1969, page 88:

FOYBOATMAN. The man who watches on or off the Tyne for ships in order to get employment in mooring them in harbour. The word is used in Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire and East Anglia. "To foy" is to render assistance to a ship, to act as pilot, or to bring the ship in or out of port. "As in certain winds it was not possible to sail out of the harbour (the Tyne) ships were foyed out into the offing," Haswell, Maister, 1895. "George took to the business of foying, and soon was in possession of a few foy boats", ibid. "The ship is all laden, and ready for sea, The foy boat is coming, away let us be", Bishoprick Garland, 1784, ed.

*

There is a pub called the Foy Boat in Ramsgate.