A Channel passenger service promising a “future-friendly, adventurous and more human-centred alternative” to car ferries has secured a growing legion of fans – but still needs more cash to scale up.
Sailings between Boulogne-sur-Mer and Dover on the 17-metre catamaran launched in April with an overwhelmingly positive response.
Called SailLink, the enterprise has been six years in the making and offers a more sustainable sea crossing, plus the chance to get actively involved on deck if desired.
Founder Andrew Simons said: “On the passenger side, so far the response has been wonderful, which confirms that it’s a people’s project. It’s really special to get to know passengers in this way and share in their experience.”
Crossings are dependent on the tides and are typically four to five hours long. They cost £75 (€89) one-way for adults (£40/€47 for children and £60/€71 for 17-25-year-olds).
Capacity is limited to 12 passengers, with a large covered cockpit area and space for bicycles.
There is also an option to book out the whole boat for £850 (€1,000), or – new to the schedule – hop aboard for a two-hour coastal tour from Boulogne for £48 (€57).
“The coastal trips are intended to increase French acceptance and presence, and because since last year there has been a gap in the market for this service,” said Mr Simons.
“At some point we would also like to explore the opportunities for cargo. We are allowed to carry maximum 1 tonne, which is not much, but it could be nice for some regional product exchanges.”
Ad
Long-term viability
Despite the strong start, more funding is essential to make the service viable long-term.
"We’ve been so grateful for glowing reviews and word-of-mouth buzz, but lately, we’ve hit a bit of a plateau. Without fresh visibility, it’s hard to keep this eco-adventure afloat,” read a marketing message sent in June to customers who have already used the service.
“Right now, SailLink needs a push to keep growing.”
Mr Simons explained: “We’ve had the whole capital raise and investment and got to the stage where we can start, but now we have to survive until passenger numbers build up, and until we can inspire a big sponsoring partner who can generate sufficient revenue to make it possible.
“Still we do not receive any public funding, even though we seem to tick all the boxes the public claims they want ticked.”
A financial “breakthrough”, he said, would potentially allow the service to scale up, either with a bigger boat or by adding new routes.
Until then, Mr Simons said his team will continue proving the concept over the summer.
"We’re continually doing improvements to the boat. At this stage there is still a lot of quite low-hanging fruit.
“We are also training ourselves and understanding better how to make the crossings under different conditions. And we are still establishing the core crew and the agreements and arrangements suitable to the business and all involved.”
The firm recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for the modernisation of solar panels and the design/installation of a green propulsion system for days without wind.
For more information see saillink.co.uk. Bookings are currently open until the start of September.
What is it like to sail across the English Channel in a catamaran?
Delighted passenger Seth Dixon aged seven on a SailLink crossing in AprilSarah Henshaw
I booked from Boulogne to Dover purely for the fresh take on a tired route and found myself genuinely looking forward to the cross-Channel slog for the first time in forever.
Those looking to cut out all that dead time queuing for passports and boarding will be rewarded – walk straight on and have the officials come to you.
This helps offset the longer sail times (compared to the 90-minute car ferry shuttle) – as does the town-to-town nature of the service. Both marinas were fairly centrally located so, rather than skirting town for a faraway, instantly forgettable ferry terminal, you really feel like you’re being picked up from and delivered to a proper destination.
Underway, the crew provided fascinating commentary on the traffic (from cargo-carrying behemoths to migrant patrol boats), and encouraged our exploration up front (clipped on for safety) to soak up some brief sunshine.
With the sails up our progress felt zippy and, unlike a single-hulled vessel, nice and flat.
Just make sure you pack something warm – even in summer the sea breeze can be chilling after several hours. I was fortunate that Andrew’s own family had recently been aboard and left enough all-weather sailing gear to kit us out, but it’s not a given.
Huge care was taken to look after my son, aged seven – from letting him steer to basic lessons in navigation. He hasn't stopped talking about it. The same consideration was extended to adults – cups of tea, easy conversation, and gentle offers of seasickness tablets for those, like me, who are infrequent sailors and made the mistake of boarding after a big bowl of ice cream in one of the Boulogne brasseries...
From coast to coast, the crew indulged us all the excitement of a huge adventure with home comforts and a human touch. It was every bit as wonderful as hoped.
