Solar-powered boat on the River Dart.

Aim

A solar-powered ferry on the River Dart, offering quiet, zero-emission journeys that reconnect people with nature, the river and each other.

⚡ The idea

We want to bring a solar-powered boat to the beautiful River Dart in Devon, connecting locals and visitors to nature, the river and the places along it.

From Totnes the tidal estuary is full of ancient oak woodland, kingfishers, herons, vineyards and wonderful pubs, all woven together by the water.

Most boats on the Dart run on diesel engines, generating noise, fumes and pollution in one of the country's most loved natural spaces.

Dart Solar Ferry is a different kind of boat. Small, solar-electric and silent, with a large solar canopy overhead and room for twelve passengers. Built for slow travel on a tidal river.

(Thanks Kara Solar for allowing me to use your photos!)

👋 Who I am

Hey, I am Dryden.

That is me doing my powerboat licence in Stoke Gabriel a few years back. I have loved this river for a long time.

I have spent the last decade working in climate tech and infrastructure, building things that matter at scale. But somewhere along the way I felt the pull to build something more grounded. Something outdoors, hands-on and genuinely connected to people and place.

Dart Solar is that thing.

I also started the Neighbourhood Work Club at The Mansion in Totnes, a simple weekly gathering for people to work, connect and feel less isolated. It has been running for two years now, entirely on goodwill and momentum. That project taught me something: small, local ideas with real roots can quietly become something essential.

Dart Solar feels like the same idea, on the water.

Inspired by Kara Solar in the Amazon, proving solar river travel works, beautifully.

🌱 The problem

The River Dart matters deeply to the people who know it. According to a 2023 survey of 1,121 river users by Friends of the Dart:

• 70% visit the river weekly or more
• 83% swim or paddle in it
• 91% say time on the river improves their mental wellbeing
• 66% have seen or smelled pollution on the river
• 61% say water quality limits their enjoyment
• 68% have been ill after river use, or know someone who has

The river is loved. It is also under pressure. And the boats on it are part of that story.

There is one commercial ferry on the River Dart. It runs from Totnes to Dartmouth, carries up to 400 passengers, and on a quiet day you might find yourself sharing it with 17 others on a boat built for hundreds. It is a great trip. But it is noisy, there is a constant engine hum the whole way, and if you sit at the back you will occasionally catch the smell of diesel.

That is the best option available.

Getting on the water any other way means owning a paddle board or kayak, knowing the tides, understanding the river, and having somewhere to launch from. For most visitors and plenty of locals, that is simply not going to happen.

And once you are on the water, there is nowhere to go. Stoke Gabriel is inaccessible without a car. Tuckenhay is a 45-minute drive from Totnes down narrow lanes. There are no nature tours. Nobody pointing out the kingfishers, the herons, the otters, or explaining why the valley looks the way it does.

The River Dart is one of the most extraordinary stretches of water in England. Right now, most people experience it through a car window. And the boats already on it are making things worse, not better.

🛶 The solution

Dart Solar Ferry is a solar-electric passenger launch: 21ft, 12 seats, 10kW electric motor, silent running.

Built on a classic harbour launch hull, perfect for the river's depth and bends, and converted locally in Totnes from diesel to fully electric, with a solar canopy of 10 panels overhead.

Six routes, from a 45-minute Sharpham rewilding trip to the full-day journey to Dartmouth:

Not just transport. Journeys people choose.

💸 Why we're crowdfunding and what £25,000 does

We are converting a 21ft harbour launch from diesel to fully electric, with a solar canopy built locally in and around Totnes. Every pound raised goes directly into getting the boat on the water.

The funding works in two stages. Hit £6,000 and we buy the boat and bring it home to Devon. It's currently on the Broads in Suffolk. That is when the build begins and the content starts. Hit the full £25,000 and the complete solar conversion happens: electric motor, batteries, canopy, certification, the lot.

Hit £6,000 and the boat comes home to Totnes. Hit £25,000 and it goes in the water as a fully solar-electric ferry.

🗓️ Milestones

🌊 Early momentum

We've had some wonderful success already...

• 📰 Coverage in the Totnes Times
• 📰 Interest from The Guardian and the BBC
• 🍷 Interest from Sandridge Barton Vineyard
• 🌿 Interest from Sharpham Estate
• ⚓ Support from Dart Harbour and Navigation Authority
• 🏡 A gifted workspace in Totnes for the build
• 🎥 Crowdfunding launch event at Totnes Cinema

The river is ready. The partners are ready. We just need to build the boat.

🚀 How to help

Back the project. Choose a reward above and come on board.

Share it. Send this to anyone who loves the Dart, Devon, slow travel, or a genuinely good idea.

Follow the build. Every step will be documented. You will see this thing come to life.

You are not just backing a boat. You are backing a quieter, slower, more beautiful way of being on one of England's great rivers.

The Dart has been waiting long enough.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 13th July 2026 at 7:53am