Ah! I found the funky ferry!
Here's the official description:
A total of four ferries ply the river between the various Rhine bridges in Basel. These are part of the public transport system. They cross the Rhine without engines, moved by the force of the current alone. A ferry trip is always a special experience, not just for tourists, but for locals as well.
and a picture:
But it is one of those things you have to see to fully appreciate it's funkiness. It you notice in the picture, there is a wire off the bow of the boat and this is connected to a wire that goes across the river. And as they say, the current is the thing that just sort of pushes the boat back and forth. As the boat was arriving, it looked like it was empty. But then the Captain emerged from the little cabin and the Captain was a sight. He was probably 6'4", barefoot, wearing purple pantaloons and an orange raincoat, with a shaved head and a massive amount of hair growing out of his ears. He sort of guides the boat to the dock, assists everyone to get on, shoves off, collects the fare from each of us (1.40 euros for adults) and then disappears into the cabin. I peeked in and noticed there was a tiller so I guess he steers it somewhat. The ride took about 7 minutes and on the other side, he helped us all off the boat, helped the new people on and then off he went. And that's it...back and forth, back and forth...
But, now I can say to everyone, I have been on the Rhine!
L