MEMBERS of a vibrant sports club are preparing to undertake a marathon 26-hour sponsored row tomorrow (Friday January 13) in a bid to raise funds for their vital boat store.

Dart Gig Club rowers hope local residents will back their waterborne efforts, which are in aid of the new shelter in Coronation Park.

To drum up support the club has launched a Crowdfunder, which will remain up and running until mid-February.

The new shelter is designed to protect the club’s beautiful traditional, wooden pilot gigs from the elements.

Some 70 club members are taking part in the mammoth relay-style sponsored row, which is due to take place from midday on Friday to 2pm on Saturday January 14 – one hour for every year the club has been in existence.

After delays due to the covid pandemic, work on the shelter finally got underway in October thanks to £56,000 already raised by the club.

But rising costs and the current economic climate has left it £20,000 short of the target.

Sport England has pledged to donate £8,000 providing the club receives 100 unique supporters on its Crowdfunding page and raises £12,000 itself.

Chairwoman Peta Chivers said: “The gig shelter is a real milestone for our club. After five years of fundraising we are now on the last leg.

“Members young and old are really getting behind the sponsored row. Every member is aiming to raise £100 in sponsorship, then we’d have the funds to finish paying for the shelter.

“We are extremely grateful to the individuals and local businesses who have already donated so generously on our Crowdfunder page.”

Members will be rowing hour-long stints in ‘Dilly E’ in memory of Dilly Emsley who died on January 2. Dilly’s husband Mike was a founding member of the club, and the much loved gig was named after his wife many years ago.

Rowing will take place mainly between the Higher and Lower Ferries.

Overnight rowing, from 10pm to 8am, will take place on indoor rowing machines.

The club can only race with traditional wooden gigs and looking after them takes up much volunteer time as they must be protected from the elements.

Currently, the cub’s thoroughbred gigs are stored in the open air where they are vulnerable to drying out and cracking.

Storing the boats undercover will not only protect them from extreme heat and cold, it will also free up the volunteers so they can spend more time helping members get out on the river.

A shelter would allow the gigs to be properly kept in a dry, secure and weather proof environment, along with multiple sets of oars and crucial safety equipment.

The planned shelter will be big enough to store three Cornish Pilot Gigs in a single storey structure which is sympathetic to the heritage and location of the site, and is being built by members – many of who are builders, electricians and plumbers in the town.

The new shelter has been designed to help minimise visual impact. It consists of a low, single-story building with a sedum roof and natural wood or feather board cladding to blend into the park surroundings.

Peta added: “We are really pleased with the progress. The low profile with the green roof will blend into the park surroundings very sympathetically.”

Dart Gig Club has more than 100 members ranging in age from 11 to 77 and hosts a popular annual regatta in April attended by clubs from across Cornwall, Devon and Dorset.

It also invites local clubs to the annual Dartmouth Regatta gig sprints, and every year holds an end-of-season Lyzie Pyne memorial race to Dittisham and back.

To sponsor the rowers or find out other ways to help raise funds for the club’s much-needed gig shelter visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/dart-gig-club-boat-shelter