DARTMOUTH could become an eco-ferry port — home to a wind-powered ferry linking the town to the French port of St Malo.

The project is the brainchild of Transition Town Totnes, the eco-organisation behind the Totnes Pound and planting the town's nut tree groves.

The group has already begun talks with the harbour authorities in both St Malo and Dartmouth as well as the French business community.

They have worked out that it would cost about £850,000 to convert a ship into a passenger carrying ferry taking up to 250 people at a time across the Channel.

"It is at a very early stage at the moment," said Don Lang, co-ordinator for Transition Town Totnes's business and livelihoods group.

"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."

"St Malo is a beautiful medieval walled town just five minutes walk from the harbour, and is well-connected by rail to the rest of France. Dartmouth could be the easiest passenger ferry connection for all of Devon and the South West. At the moment, we have to go all the way to Poole if we want to visit St Malo."

Transition Town Totnes is dedicated to looking at ways of dealing with a future world in which cheap oil and power is a thing of the past.

The new Dartmouth ferry would be a 60-metre ship with state-of-the-art superyacht sailing equipment.

Mr Lang said it would probably have two masts. It would carry up to 250 passengers with a fare of about £50 each way, plus freight.

"The sails reduce the need for a fuel-hungry engine, reducing carbon emissions and vulnerability to the future oil price," said Mr Lang. "We are even looking at an electric drive system designed by Nasa which recharges the batteries when sailing."

The service is planned to operate three times a week for nine months a year.

He said the group was looking at putting together a management team and inviting experienced directors in the finance and marine world to look at taking the scheme forward.

He said the St Malo Chamber of Commerce had already indicated that it had potential investors for the scheme.

He said that such a ferry would be able to cover the 150 miles between Dartmouth and St Malo at a speed of about 12 knots, taking some ten hours.

"At the moment, we are trying to generate a response, get people enthusiastic and bring in entrepreneurs and investors," added Mr Lang.

"What we are doing is designing a business which will work now and work even better when oil prices get even higher."

He said anyone who had skills that may help the project or be interested in investing, or just liked the idea and wanted to offer support could e-mail stmaloferry@gmail.com