SHE is part of our distinguished naval history, having served alongside great ships including aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal.

Fast Motor Boat 43957 was used to ferry the captain and his officers between ship and shore for 12 years in the 1950s and 1960s before falling into disrepair.

Now she is back in the water thanks to a £45,000 restoration project, partly funded by the Echo.

Enthusiasts at the Hampshire-based British Military Powerboat Trust have overseen the work thanks to grants from the Heritage Lottery fund and £4,000 from the Gannett Foundation, the charity arm of the Daily Echo’s American parent company.

Stripped down to her hull and completely renovated from her engine to her plum red paint, the 65-year-old powerboat has been restored to her former glory.

She has also been named Ark Royal, after the best known ship on which she served in her 23-year naval career. Now she is available for trips along Southampton Water and the Solent so people can enjoy her in full working condition.

FMB 43957, one of the few surviving boats of her type, came to the trust from the National Motor Boat Museum in Essex.

Most of the restoration was completed by Bucklers Hard Boat Builders in the New Forest.

Richard Hellyer of the trust, said: “The bottom line of the whole restoration was to ensure the memories of the people who have sailed on the boat are kept for future generations.”

James Fordham of Bucklers Hard Boat Builders said: “She looks fantastic now. The biggest challenge was putting a modern engine into a 65-year-old boat.”

n Any groups or organisations interested in going out on FMB 43957 Ark Royal should contact Terry Ford on 023 8089 1628.