Taking Ducati On Dfds Ferry

1 not slippy as such, but if wet take care.
2 side stand in 1st gear with Velcro strap on f brake lever.
3 have ratchet on same side as side stand.
4 take your time, you have plenty of it.

 

Ramps can be wet but I have never found them slippery. If not confident ride with both legs off pegs.

Side stand only. Most ferries provide a padded ratchet strap that goes over the seat. You could use a folded towel to boost protection. Did a ferry crossing once where they had foam pads and rope. This one time the crew lashed the bikes down.

The bike will be secure, with a single strap my ST4S survived a roller coaster, storm crossing from Plymouth to Santander.

This is published by DFDS

• Ride onto the vehicle deck.

• Park where directed.

• Use the provided straps to compress the suspension slightly and secure the bike to deck anchor points.

• Ask crew to inspect the setup if you're unsure.

 

Watch them when they strap the bike down, as some of their staff can be a little over enthusiastic. I took my brand new KTM 1290 on the ferry a few years ago, they ratcheted it down so hard, it burst the fork seals. Bloody idiots.

 

DFDS - They do not tend to lash bikes down. They will inspect your handiwork. Deniability!!!!

 

On the Bilbao ferry they bent the Multi seat almost in half they were so enthusiastic, I had to call them back before it became permanent.

 

Did a sailing last year Frog/Blighty and we were guided to a row of front wheel chocks welded to the deck. Never had this before. A row of us were then strapped down over our seats.
My Panzer was heavily loaded(3 month euro tour) and struggled on my own to pull bike back out of chock. The 2 KTM’s & Suzuki were no probs. Cheap cable lock keeps helmet on bike. Those stairs up/down to decks are narrow and easy to crack helmet on wall, other peeps.

 

Ive just come back from a trip to Belgium and France went out Dover Dunkirk. Bike on side stand and they strapped it down. I had to release it.
Came back Dieppe to Newhaven. Was a bit of a job because I had to manoeuvre a BMW K1600GT sideways into a chock and they then strapped it down. I had to release it in Newhaven needed a hand to get the bugger out of the chock.
Nothing was slippery and it had been raining most of the Holiday

 

Mine was Dieppe Newhaven too.

 

Taking the Chunnel removes all the strapping down. Only issue we had was the first bike was allocated an earlier train to the rest of us. Anyways, we all got the earlier train.

 

I’ll be using new haven to Dieppe a week on Saturday. Be interesting to see if the boat has these chocks

 

Used the chunnel & pre booked. Got to barrier & was issued this by the machine!!!
I was on the Panzer mind.

 

The French Chunnel desk staff at the terminal couldn’t be less bothered. They gave me a ticket for a different train & time. My mate who I followed through and had booked our tickets had no issues. Took a fair bit of arm waiving to get booked back on original train&time.

 

It does if you're one of the first bikes on

 

I've not seen those front wheel chocks before on a ferry, they are great. The deck is metal and can be both wet and potentially slippery with diesel. I have always felt safer with the bike on centre stand and a little bungy around the front brake lever. My ST4S appeared to lean a little too much when on the side side, hence the centre stand.

 

If I take a bike on the ferry with a fly-up side stand (suicide - e.g. early 916 or GS etc) I'll attach a luggage strap between the foot of the stand and the front n/s fork leg. Even a locked front brake on a steel deck might not be enough to stop the bike moving slightly forward on a choppy crossing.- Might just save a ruined holiday.
Also, not too tight with the strap. Had a mate who twisted his bike's sub-frame.
Have a great hol.

 

I've used the DFDS ferry between Newcastle ans Ijmuiden several times. They provide tie-down straps for you to strap the bike down yourself, as many as you need. I used two for the Multi, attached to the frame or passenger footrest hangers at either side and another two attached to the handlebars at each side, avoiding touching any bodywork. For the Supersport with only a side stand I used two on the same side as the stand and another on the opposite side. Never a strap over the seat.
Oh, and always put the bike into 1st gear.

A friend, on the crossing from Oban to Stornoway had his 999 damaged. The crew insisted that they tie it down, they put a strap over the seat with a cushion under it. When the ship docked at Stornoway it bumped the jetty and the strap slipped, allowing the bike to fall over damaging the fairing. Initially Calmac denied responsibility. He had to push them quite hard but eventually got compensated.

 

Yeah did the old Newcastle-Stavanger ferry (miss that like mad) a few times when it ran back in the day. Both with a 916 and then my SPS both with flip up stands.
That was run by DFDS at the time and yeah they supply as many ratchet straps as you need - I always used two, left and right from the frame tubes to a good angle either side and really ratchet down hard compressing the suspension well. And yes to first gear and a wrap or two of the trailing end of a strap around the front brake lever. Had one or two pretty heavy duty crossings and the bike never moved and inch.
Regarding slippery ramps / decks - yeah they can be, saw one chap on an old 80's gsx rat-bike go sideways ahead of me up one of the ramps and I was a little bit scared but the Duc just plowed in and I never even noticed it.

 

There's been posting on SM that route will reopen, however it seems to be click bait as it surfaces every once in a while.
Would be great if it turned out to be true.

 

There's also talk of the Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry starting again. We'll see.