One man’s quest to spread the joys of sailing and raise thousands of pounds for charity saw him dock his boat in Gravesend yesterday.

Dave Selby, 57, stopped off in the town on his boat as part of a journey from his Essex home town of Marlin — which he has named his boat after — to the Southampton Boat Show.

This afternoon he sets off again, but before he went he popped into the Gravesend Messenger officer for a chat. “Gravesend seems really nice — I would like to come back when I have got more time," he said.

“On my way up the river I popped into the Gravesend Sailing Club and they were lovely, really nice people.”

He set off from Marlin at 4pm on Saturday July 9, the show gets underway on Friday September 16, and he will spend much of the time in between out on the water.

“I want to share all that sailing has given me,” he explained.

“There is a myth that sailing is expensive, but I bought my small boat in 2004 and it has given me holidays of a lifetime and opened up a world of adventure. Not bad for £2,000 and in the current market you can get afloat for a lot less.

As well as promoting his favourite hobby, Mr Selby is also hoping to raise thousands of pounds to help support sufferers of a rare viral condition.

Mr Selby is one of approximately 1,200 people in the UK with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, which affects his nervous system.

“There is a myth that sailing is expensive, but I bought my small boat in 2004 and it has given me holidays of a lifetime and opened up a world of adventure" Dave Selby

“It means the messages stop getting through to my legs about every four-and-a-half weeks,” he continued.

“Then I go into hospital for three days and antibodies from the blood of 800 donors give me legs for another month. It’s humbling.”

Hospital visits and the unpredictable nature of the British summer had made for a disjointed trip so far, but Mr Selby still hopes to arrive in time for the opening of the boat show.

Once he arrives he will be hosting a series of talks to help people get sailing on a modest budget, as well as hosting practical demonstrations.

You can follow Mr Selby’s progress from now until the show by following him on Twitter @ImpracticalBoat and donate to his charity drive at justgiving.com/Dave-Selby-Marlins-Mission.