French Travel News-2010/2011 | Sail-powered ferry could link Devon to France

A town in South Devon could be transformed into an eco-friendly port, with a wind-powered ferry linking passengers with the French town of St Malo.

The eco-ferry idea was concocted by Transition Town Totnes, an organisation which aims to put schemes in place to help create a sustainable future for the local area.

According to South West Business, the group has already held talks with port authorities in both Dartmouth and St Malo, as well as with members of the French business community.

The project's leaders discovered that it would cost around £850,000 to convert a sail-powered ship into a passenger-carrying ferry, capable of transporting up to 250 people at a time.

Under the plans, the new Dartmouth ferry would be 60 metres long, have two masts and feature cutting-edge superyacht technology. The fare would be about £50 per passenger, and the service would operate three times a week for nine months a year.

It is unlikely that the ship would carry vehicles, but St Malo has excellent rail links and is well placed for onward travel to campsites, resorts and holiday gites in France.

'South Devon used to be connected to Brittany and Normandy by lots of these sailing ferry and trade routes, and we think there's a real business opportunity here to re-establish this connection,' This is Devon quoted Transition Town Totnes's Don Lang as saying.

'The sails reduce the need for a fuel-hungry engine, reducing carbon emissions and vulnerability to the future oil price,' Mr Lang added.

Author: Joseph Jeffries

Posted on: 14/09/2010