Happy 10th Birthday to the ARK!

Our wonderful workhorse The Ark celebrates its tenth birthday and what a decade it's been! The charity had been hard at work for 15 years prior to that but non sailors had only one small motorboat to enjoy. Volunteers Bruce Symes and David Edey had worked tirelessly to raise funds by selling second hand sailing gear and their efforts paid off. In 2014 there was enough in the pot to buy a bespoke vessel for up to 12 people that could accommodate wheelchairs, land close to beaches, slipways and pontoons and most importantly, be stable, safe and secure for our sailors.

Andrew Cushen, Bob Miller and Richard Fellender leapt into action and online plans and designs were sourced with Robust Boats in Pembrokeshire taking up the challenge. The aluminium was laser cut in Holland and shipped to Wales where the sections were welded. On time and on budget, Robust Boats rose to the challenge and after successful sea trials, the Farries Flyer was put to work. She is named after Mark and Angela Farries who had run Dart Sailability almost single handed for the previous 12 years.

The Ark as she is generally known, plays a vital role in getting our sailors out on the water and makes a real splash at the Dartmouth Regatta each year and is the star of the show at the annual Sausage Sizzle. She is regularly used for wildlife cruises and is truly appreciated by many members, wheelchair users and groups who prefer not to sail.

Bob says: "The ARK proved to be everything we had hoped and planned for. Not only does she enable us to offer trips to wheelchair riders and others who prefer not to sail, but she has attracted many more members and groups."

Last year we were incredibly fortunate to be able to replace the engines thanks to the enormous generosity of the Alan Goodenough Trust and Laywell Matthey Trust ensuring that the ARK can continue her amazing work for many years to come.

Sparkly new engines thanks to two generous charitable donations