Zelia was built in 1938 by Rampart Boat Building Works in Southampton, a shipyard renowned before the war for producing well-crafted traditional gentlemen's motor yachts. Many of these vessels remain seaworthy over fifty years later. Designed primarily for Channel crossings and cruising the extensive European inland waterways, Zelia was constructed with pitch pine planking over oak frames. The interior and wheelhouse feature fine mahogany finishes.

Measuring 45 feet in length with a beam of 10 feet 6 inches, Zelia is a comfortable vessel characterized by a raked transom and a semi-clipper stern. Originally, she was powered by two six-cylinder Morris petrol engines, which enabled a speed of 9.5 knots. She is currently equipped with two diesel engines.

In 1939, instead of being delivered to her original owner, Mr. McLoughlin, Zelia was requisitioned by the Royal Navy for service during World War II and was renamed Rania. She joined the Royal Navy’s diverse fleet of hastily acquired civilian vessels known as the "mosquito navy." These boats fulfilled various roles including patrol duties, communications, and transport of naval personnel along the rivers and estuaries of southern England.

Under naval command, Rania participated in the Evacuation of Dunkirk, although specific details of her involvement are not recorded.

Following the war, Rania passed through four civilian owners over a span of forty years. In 1989, Ian Davidson acquired the vessel and undertook a two-year restoration, renaming her Arkian (Ian’s ark). Subsequently, Arkian was transferred to the Dunkirk Little Ships Restoration Trust, which later passed her to Simon Jones, owner of the yacht Aureol. Simon relocated the vessel to northern England for a comprehensive restoration, with plans to return her to Dunkirk in 2015 under her original name, Zelia.