Chain Ferry calculations
- Posted on 2nd September, 08
- in General thoughts, Sustainability
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Coming back to the Isle of Wight the other day after a trip on the ‘mainland’to sail with the Ellen MacArthur Trust, I was getting off the car ferry and a thought process begun in my mind…
We have a small chain ferry which runs from East Cowes to West Cowes. The journey takes about 2 minutes (depending on the height of the tide!) but saves a 10 mile trip.
Queuing for the chain ferry, I was wondering whether it was better to drive round or wait. I chose to wait as I felt that it would waste less fuel and with loading and unloading the time difference is negligible compared to driving round.
Whilst waiting though, I did a little calculation…
The journey if I drove it in my Renault would have been driven at an averageof about 45mpg. As a 10 mile trip that would have used about 1.01 litres offuel (I always think of a whole 1L carton of orange juice!)
That diesel would have cost me about £1.37 to buy. The cost of the chainferry is £1.50. For my car that works out cheaper to drive round (thoughonly just). If your car did around 35 mpg (which I would guess is a fairly average mpg), then that drive would cost you £1.62 and be more expensive!
I never imagined the two would be so comparable!
If you are a local however, you can go one step further and buy a book of 20tickets which work out at 88 pence per ticket. Therefore I was making asaving of fuel, AND of money (49p!) by taking the chain ferry!
Fantastic stuff….
.
Are you feeling the pinch Ellen?