Fossil free fellows: Sailink ferry crossing the Channel
It was the summer of 2020 and we just started the second fossil free circumnavigation. We were in the harbour of Rye, not far from Dover, where we met the Andrew Simons. Andrew was exploring the possibilities to start a fossilfree ferry with a sailing catamaran. It was in 2022 Sailink was started en in 2024 the first passengers were boarded on the ferry from Boulogne-sur-Mer and Dover.
And it runs already. Andrew and companions think of doing more ferries, such as to and from the Channel islands.
The SailLink vessel Echoes, bringing passengers into Dover harbour from Boulogne-sur-Mer. Photo credit James Dunn, 2025.
Sailink is already making history. Did you know that exactly 200 years ago the the reverse thing happened, when going from sail to fossil coal and steam?
By 1800 the cross-channel sailing “packet ships” of Dover were renowned for their speed and quality of build. Back then there was tough competition, and pirates!
The image shows what could well be a sailing packet ship entering Dover harbour, with an early steam packet ship closely behind it. Credited to Edward William Cooke, 1811-1880.
The first steam ship, the Rob Roy, entered into service between Dover and Calais in 1820. On our route between Dover and Boulogne-sur-Mer it was the Monarch in 1822.
Mind the last line of the pamflet: the voyage has frequently done in one tide. So about 12 hours, while Sailink’s ship ‘Echo’ does it in less than half that time.
So it turns out that SailLink is reinstating the service exactly 200 years since wind and tide was displaced by coal and all that ensued. Two centuries later, Sailink is reversing from fossil fuels to wind, for a sustainable future. 2025 was the first full season of reinstated sailing services between the UK and France. “We apologise to our customers for this extended break in services, caused by an unfortunate technical experiment.”
