ive just got back from touring spain, i went on brittany ferries , and on the return journey my wife bought a bike mag . looking through it i found a brittany ferry ad saying " we know how you love your bike so we will take good care of it on board " and it goes on & on , then there,s a photo of a bike tied down all neatly with not another bike in sight ....well ...i found a BIG difference . your bike is crammed together with not an inch to spare. you cannot even get to empty your pannier once there locked in ...my bike was that close to the next one the poor bloke complained that my pannier was leaning on his bike . the deckhand came over and shoved a cushion between them and shot off ...not very good service for over £500 ?
brittany ferries
- Thread starter cakeboy
- Start date
Tyke
New Member
I agree that isn't good enough, after you have paid all that money you reasonably expect better, however if the bikes are all secure and close to each other, with protective cushions deployed, it maybe that they are less likely to fall over on a rough crossing
We returned from the North West 200 races in 2011, the ferry captain radioed ahead to Larne Ferry terminal stating that he was not prepared to take any bikes on the return crossing of the Irish Sea because so many had fallen over on the previous crossing....we had to find overnight accommodation and sail the next morning.
I have also been presented with filthy ratchet straps to secure my bike on previous ferry crossings. luckily I always have my own,...some ferry companies will not allow you to secure your own bike due to 'safety' considerations in these cases I always remain with my bike whilst its being secured by a deckhand to ensure that consideration is given to the seat/bodywork on the bike (over which they strap down) I also ensure that my front brake lever is strapped to apply the brake and that the bike is on its side stand. ::008::
We returned from the North West 200 races in 2011, the ferry captain radioed ahead to Larne Ferry terminal stating that he was not prepared to take any bikes on the return crossing of the Irish Sea because so many had fallen over on the previous crossing....we had to find overnight accommodation and sail the next morning.
I have also been presented with filthy ratchet straps to secure my bike on previous ferry crossings. luckily I always have my own,...some ferry companies will not allow you to secure your own bike due to 'safety' considerations in these cases I always remain with my bike whilst its being secured by a deckhand to ensure that consideration is given to the seat/bodywork on the bike (over which they strap down) I also ensure that my front brake lever is strapped to apply the brake and that the bike is on its side stand. ::008::
Squibb
Well-Known Member
Usual BF bullsh.. but, in fairness, I've not seen too many disasters with them & we must have done at least 20 crossings. My main beef is their cabin prices, now they hold a monopoly position on the Spanish routes. Whilst it is a nuisance, we usually demount the pannier if things get too tight. We did one crossing, when BF had 250 Harleys going off to a meet in Estepona - now that was tight...... & pretty noisy! There were some outlandish custom creations & quite rightly, those guys were really particular about the tie down procedure.
An old pal of mine always swears by the front brake trick. Is this still OK with modern ABS modules? I usually try & find a chock instead &, if it's likely to be rough I tie off the sidestand to the front axle, so it can't fold even if the bike shifts forward. H-D stands effectively lock in place, once weighted & some bikes used to have a locking facility built in, but it's not something one sees these days. Ducatis ran with an instant flip side stand for several years - a handy fillip for their spares industry & a nightmare on Ferries.
One final thought, when using BF to/from Spain, is their vehicle deck cleaning. They get fish lorries, dripping foul smelling icy water, as well as fuel, diesel & oil dripping onto the decks, inevitable with a 24 hour crossing. This leads to them swabbing down the decks with degreasers & detergents, which sometimes lies around in pools around the base of ramps. Great caution is needed & watch for the slippery truck tie down mushrooms too - we have seen several crashes due to injudicious use of the front brake & wheel spin on oil - broken arms/legs & a damaged bike is not the best start to any vacation. With the UK border now requring removal of helmets for identification purposes (they are recording your image/passport data both out/back) I have seen many riders joining/leaving the ferry without helmet or gloves on - sh.. happens, so don't join them. A broken/grazed arm is one thing, but the implications of headbutting the steel deck/loading ramps/concrete dock doesn't bear thinking about.
Ride Safe .................... KEN
An old pal of mine always swears by the front brake trick. Is this still OK with modern ABS modules? I usually try & find a chock instead &, if it's likely to be rough I tie off the sidestand to the front axle, so it can't fold even if the bike shifts forward. H-D stands effectively lock in place, once weighted & some bikes used to have a locking facility built in, but it's not something one sees these days. Ducatis ran with an instant flip side stand for several years - a handy fillip for their spares industry & a nightmare on Ferries.
One final thought, when using BF to/from Spain, is their vehicle deck cleaning. They get fish lorries, dripping foul smelling icy water, as well as fuel, diesel & oil dripping onto the decks, inevitable with a 24 hour crossing. This leads to them swabbing down the decks with degreasers & detergents, which sometimes lies around in pools around the base of ramps. Great caution is needed & watch for the slippery truck tie down mushrooms too - we have seen several crashes due to injudicious use of the front brake & wheel spin on oil - broken arms/legs & a damaged bike is not the best start to any vacation. With the UK border now requring removal of helmets for identification purposes (they are recording your image/passport data both out/back) I have seen many riders joining/leaving the ferry without helmet or gloves on - sh.. happens, so don't join them. A broken/grazed arm is one thing, but the implications of headbutting the steel deck/loading ramps/concrete dock doesn't bear thinking about.
Ride Safe .................... KEN
mongo moto
New Member
I totally agree with all the above comments. Iv'e crossed to Spain and France many times with Brittany Ferries and their attitude towards bikers is that we are second class passengers tho we pay 1st class prices. Iv'e just returned from France and had an argument with one of the guys strapping the bike down. He was really cranking it down on the ratchet. I pointed out that the fork seals could pop. But he told me he knew wot he was doing and to go away. I got very aggresive and another guy released to tension on the strap. I made a complaint to the reception on board they just didn't give a flyin f##k!!