SailLink Schedules 2026

SailLink crosses the Channel under sail. Its boat is Echoes, a 17-metre catamaran carrying twelve passengers between Dover and Boulogne-sur-Mer — marina to marina — Dover's Granville Dock to the Quai de l'Europe in Boulogne — four to five hours, wind and tide rather than engines. In its first season around 70% of crossings were made entirely under sail.

Foot passengers and bikes only

There is no car deck and never will be: this is a service for walkers, cyclists and small low-carbon freight. Bicycles ride inside the saloon, sheltered from the spray, for £10 — £20 for two, £15 for a cargo bike. The route deliberately plugs into the long-distance cycle network: NCN1 north from Dover, La Vélomaritime (EV4) along the French coast, the Via Francigena south, and the Paris–London ride.

Fares

A one-way adult ticket is £85, £65 for 17–25s, £45 for 11–16s and £30 for children aged 5–10. Return trips take 10% off, and group rates appear at booking. Prices are in pounds regardless of which side you sail from.

What boarding actually involves

This is the part worth reading twice. There is no terminal building — you meet at the gate of the pontoon and arrive 45 minutes early for passport checks. Boarding means a short climb of four steps, unassisted, and every passenger must fit a certified lifejacket (maximum 150 cm chest including the jacket). Flat, soft-soled shoes. Passports are essential; EU travellers to the UK now need an ETA, and the French border police collect biometrics under the EU Entry/Exit System. On some late-evening arrivals the police cannot attend at Boulogne, so Schengen entry is not possible on that sailing — the booking calendar flags those dates.

Season and what is next

SailLink runs seasonally, roughly mid-April to mid-September, with six to eight crossings a week when the weather allows; sailings can move or be cancelled outright for wind. A second route is being piloted in September 2026 — Shoreham to Fécamp, with the offshore sailor Michel Desjoyeaux at the helm.