UK's most expensive ferry crossing per mile?

[Huntsman]

Per discussion on another thread.

The Hamble to Warsash Ferry is £1 and about 0.1 of a mile, so £10 per mile.

Red Funnel Southampton to Cowes is about 9 miles and foot passenger is about £12, so £1.33 per mile.

King Harry ferry is 300m for a fiver! 16p a metre or £257 per mile! (car or foot passenger?)

[Simpo Two]

Bridges aren't always cheap either. Last time I went to Wales the Severn bridge as £7 and all there was on the other side was... Wales. Free to get out though.

[Huntsman]

Simpo Two said:

Bridges aren't always cheap either. Last time I went to Wales the Severn bridge as £7 and all there was on the other side was... Wales. Free to get out though.

Bridges? Wrong thread old boy.

Glenelg Ferry is I think about 300mtrs and a car is £15, so thats, er, umm, about £50 per mile for a car.

[Rude-boy]

Reedham Ferry, Ferry

£4 one way. I can spit that far with a good pre hawk!

http://www.reedhamferry.co.uk/chain-ferry.html

[anonymous-user]

Rude-boy said:

Reedham Ferry, Ferry

£4 one way. I can spit that far with a good pre hawk!

http://www.reedhamferry.co.uk/chain-ferry.html

Sandbanks chain ferry is £3.50 and about a 150m crossing (so similar) about £40 per mile if my calcs are right.

[maffski]

Bryan Ferry is 40 quid+, and you don't go anywhere.

[trashbat]

The West/East Cowes crossing is about 400ft (0.08mi) and costs £2.20 in a car, thus £27.50 a mile.

[rs1952]

It's an interesting way of looking at it, but of course the costs involved for the fuel are only a miniscule proportion of the total costs to the companies of providing the service.

As an example, Red Funnel at Southampton have at least three ferries in service (and they don't come cheap per unit) plus staff to operate them; terminal facilities and the staff to operate them; the local councils wanting business rates etc. The fuel costs for operating the ferry per mile are peanuts compared to the other costs of running the business.

And no I've not got shares in Red Funnel, I've just used them 10-15 times in the last two years

[markmullen]

The Corran Ferry near Fort William is 0.2Nm according to Navionics, the fee for a car is £7.90 so £39.50 per nautical mile.

[hidetheelephants]

The Western Ferry from Gourock to Dunoon was supposed to have this title, some academic wrote a few letters and a newspaper article about it. I think his name was Prof Neil Kay.

[Stevanos]

Bosham to Itchenor ferry also known as Itchybosom which at low tide is £2.00 for a crossing of about 100 metres!

[mattdaniels]

Is this the annual "point people to an explanation of supply and demand" thread, or am I too early?

[jjones]

Stratford Upon Avon Ferry is 50p for 40 meters which is £20.11 per mile

[anonymous-user]

mattdaniels said:

Is this the annual "point people to an explanation of supply and demand" thread, or am I too early?

Not sure are the ferry prices above fixed unlike the only ferry to the isle of man (steam packet) which is a monopoly which raises prices approx two weeks prior, during and after the TT races? ?

[rs1952]

speedyguy said:

mattdaniels said:

Is this the annual "point people to an explanation of supply and demand" thread, or am I too early?

Not sure are the ferry prices above fixed unlike the only ferry to the isle of man (steam packet) which is a monopoly which raises prices approx two weeks prior, during and after the TT races? ?

Some will be fixed (an example that springs to mind is Sandbanks to Shell Bay, the "short cut" between Poole/ Bournemouth and Swanage) but others will be subject to supply and demand fluctuations. The cost of a trip by Red Funnel between Southampton and Cowes varies depending on what day you want to go and at what time (especially during the summer) and of course the same applies to the Cross-Channel and Irish Sea ferries.

As regards the IOM, it is fairly clear to anybody that demand will increase when the TT races are on so the ferry companies will adjust their prices accordingly. Of course, if they get too greedy a point would come where it would be cheaper to fly to Ronaldsway and hire something to get around when you get there.

On a not too distantly related issue, there are certain pubs in Bath that have "special" prices that they apply when there is a big rugby fixture on.

[Jam Spavlin]

Heysham to Douglas return car crossing with one adult during TT week £351 so....

66.4 miles x 2 = 132.8

351 ÷ 132.8 = £2.64 per mile.

they probably make the majority of their total income in those 6 weeks so it is possibly justified.

[rs1952]

Jam Spavlin said:

Heysham to Douglas return car crossing with one adult during TT week £351 so....

66.4 miles x 2 = 132.8

351 ÷ 132.8 = £2.64 per mile.

they probably make the majority of their total income in those 6 weeks so it is possibly justified.

I did 3 trips to the IOM (admittedly not in the TT peak) in July, September and October this year, by air from Gloucester with an outfit called Citywing, who also fly from Newcastle and Glasgow and a few other places, which all cost in the region of £180 (give or take a tenner).

It may well be that flying and then hiring a runabout (on two or four wheels) when over there might easily be a cheaper option.

[Kneetrembler]

I am a Caulkhead and hope the day never comes that we ever have a bridge constructed to connect the South Island with the North Island which is what some DFL's would like and also a few overners !

[mrmaggit]

Kneetrembler said:

I am a Caulkhead and hope the day never comes that we ever have a bridge constructed to connect the South Island with the North Island which is what some DFL's would like and also a few overners !

If you would clarify the abbreviations and slang, your post would make sense to 95% of the people on here. Thanks.

[FiF]

Don't you hate people that think they're smart like that.

Caulkhead = Native of the Isle of Wight
overners = people not native to Isle of Wight.
DFL = Down From London