There are seven vehicle chain ferry routes in the UK, clanking their way across lakes, rivers and estuaries. No one has ever attempted to use all seven routes in a 24 hour period.
Of course they haven't! Firstly, it would be a very odd thing to do. Secondly, it's far from trivial (or entirely trivial, depending on how you look at it). The route is 750 miles long, and crosses to the Isle of Wight and back. Seasonal variation in timetables make it definitively unachievable outside Summer. And yet it is most probably impossible for most of Summer too; the route is a magnet for traffic as it passes through England's holiday hotspots in the Lake District, Norfolk, and the South West, and long queues form at the ferries. Throw in reduced timetables at weekends, traffic around big summer events and charging the EV, and the dream of a 24 hour chain ferry odyssey begins to look nearly impossible.
.....nearly impossible, but not quite. The Chain Ferry Challengers have pored over the maps, timetables, and EV charging curves. For just a handful of days a year in the early Summer the planets align; with meticulous optimisation, flawless execution, and a lot of luck, it might just be possible. On 10th June 2026, this elite group of navigators, undaunted by the epic pointlessness of their pursuit, will mount a carefully chosen EV and make history by attempting the Chain Ferry Challenge.
The Chain Ferry Challenge celebrates the life of Dan Demissie. Dan was a great friend to the Chain Ferry Challengers and the producer of two remarkable films, but died, much too young, in 2019. The Challenge is inspired by a funny conversation once held with Dan, when we imagined a future as swashbuckling chain ferry entrepreneurs.
We will be raising money for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), a suicide prevention charity. Please support CALM by entering the competition here to win an exclusive chain ferry themed prize by predicting the time it will take us to complete the Chain Ferry Challenge!
