Taking a bike on a ferry

[petetheteach]

Can anyone tell me the best way to ensure that the bike doesn't get damaged when using a cross channel ferry.

I have no idea if it is true or not but I have been told that if you just let the ferry people lash your bike down it is liable to get damaged.

Any tips would be more than welcome.

[Chip]

I've taken mine on several (e.g., ferry through the San Juan Islands) with no issues at all. Just put the bike on the sidestand.

 

Seas were calm so don't know about other situations.

[Big_Gray]

I suppose the answer depends on the ferry and depends on the channel. I took mine from Prince Rupert to Skagway on a fairly large ferry. The crew provided tie downs and brief advice but the passengers secured their own motorcycles. There were about 10 motorcycles aboard for two days and no problems. I have also been on a small ferry on the Outer Banks. No tie downs...no problems...water was relatively calm.

 

If you run into rough seas, all bets are off.

[Boffin]

I have not had a ferry hand even attempt to secure my bike for a long, long time.

 

Dover-Calais on P&O they give you a ratchet strap. You put the bike on it side stand in gear and put your gloves, or a similar pad on the seat. Hook the ratchet strap to the deck cleat and pass the strap over the seat to a cleat on the other side. Tighten down the strap to secure the bike.

The same system is used on P&O from Portsmouth and on LD lines.

It is a quite a few years since I travelled on Brittany Ferries by bike, but they used to put a pad between your bike and the side of the car deck and give you a rope to tie it to the side of the ship.

 

edit - I have taken bikes across the English Channel dozens of times, ditto the Irish Sea and between the Scottish Isles and have never suffered damage.

 

Andy

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

On the Lake Express ferry on Lake Michigan, they will supply you with tie-downs, but you have to tie your own bike down; they don't want to accept liability for damage to your bike (or the car next to it) if the tying is poorly done.

 

FWIW, if you're taking a ferry ride, then you're probably on vacation, which means you'd rather have a fully functional bike than a busted one with an insurance payout. You have a vested interest in tying it down yourself, or at the very least making sure it has been tied down to your satisfaction.

 

On the Lake Express, I've been on choppy water that probably would have tipped an unsecured bike. Granted, this is an 80-mile crossing during which the wind and waves can get pretty heavy, and it's a high-speed ferry, so the rolling can get pretty intense. OTOH, the Merrimac ferry in Wisconsin travels slowly across a 1/2-mile-wide river; there's rarely anything more than a modest ripple on the water, and the crossing takes less time than it would require you to tie/untie the bike.

 

You don't list your location, but your IP address puts you in the UK, so I assume you're talking about crossing the English channel. That's a 25-mile ocean crossing; I would imagine there's the potential for pretty rough seas there. I would check with the ferry operator in advance to see whether they offer tie downs; if not, bring your own. Either way, you will probably want to tie the bike down yourself if you can.

[petetheteach]

Sorry I wasn't more specific, We are going L&D Lines from Portsmouth to Le Havre. The OP was one of those occasions when you know where you are going but nobody else does. A bit like some people signal (or not)on roundabouts.

 

[tallman]

[Boffin]

LD are one of the better carriers for bike traffic. First on, first off. They provide ratchet tie-downs. You are positioned near the ramps. If you are slick strapping her down you can be first into the bar - which has French prices. (This is a night-crossing outbound and takes 8 hours - inbound it is a day crossing taking 5hr 30mins - they go slowly at night for comfort)

 

Portsmouth - Le Havre is my preferred crossing route and LD my preferred carrier.

 

Andy

[outpost22]

It sounds like they provide tie-downs. I would still bring my own to play it safe.

My bike went for a 16 hour ferry ride in Mexico. The "tie-downs" provided where shredded straps with no buckles and knotted- not good. Thankfully the 4 of us had enough straps to work.

Side stand down for sure. I also strapped the side stand/front wheel together so the side stand couldn't collapse to it's folded position.

[bikebits]

I've taken my bike on a ferry a number of times. A couple of years ago, we took a trip around the Trans-Labrador Highway, which necessitated five ferries. They varied from twenty minute river crossings to a thirteen hour overnight voyage.

 

I would definitely take my own tie-downs. I never use ratcheting straps, whether on a ferry or trailering a bike. They can exert too much pressure and bend things out of shape. A cam-buckle strap that pulls tight is all you'll need. You can get good tie-down straps that have a built-in soft strap (a nylon loop that goes around the handlebars) that look like these: http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/4/76/21871/ITEM/Powertye-1-1-2-Fat-Strap-with-Soft-Tye.aspx?WT.ac=SLIsearch

 

For the channel crossing, it should look like the following picture. Park the bike in first gear, on the side stand. The straps should be tight enough to partly compress the forks, while leaving a bit of travel.

 

The seven hour Gulf of St.Lawrence trip from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia:

[Little_Brit]

I've done lots of channel crossings over the years. I Travelled with Sea France last summer and they have a pretty good system.

 

To start with their crew do all the tying down. Their ferries have purpose-built tie down positions consisting of a pair of raised platforms about 6 inches high and about 8 inches apart. The platforms are about the length of a bike. You get directed to a position, ride in carefully and then two burly crew members very carefully (in my experience) used webbing ratchet straps to really pull the bike down on its springs in an upright position. Solid as a rock.

 

Of course the best "ferry" is Eurotunnel!

 

Ride on - park on side stand, in gear - stand around asking polite questions of fellow travellers for 20 minutes or so and then ride off. Brilliant, no swell, no smell and no travel sickness. Definitely my preferred option

[AviP]

I've taken the ferry from NS to NL twice and back. All 4 times, I never had a problem with tie down availability. There were a lot of bikes present.

 

I prefer to use 4 tie-downs with the bike on sidestand (2 forward-to-the-side and 2 backward-to-the-side), just as you would in a pickup truck. Tie-downs don't need to be ratcheted tight, just enough to pick up all the slack. Once set, try to move the bike (1) away from the stand (falling on the right), (2) forward, and (3) backward. The bike should not have any significant range of motion in any of those 3 directions.

 

I have seen riders use just one tiedown attached to a wheel. It makes no sense whatsoever but they always have a smug grin on their face.

 

I'd like to think 4 tiedowns can handle the video below except for all the cages playing bumper cars in the hold.

[lkraus]

For the channel crossing, it should look like the following picture. Park the bike in first gear, on the side stand. The straps should be tight enough to partly compress the forks, while leaving a bit of travel.

 

Unless you are tying down a recent BMW RT or LT. Tiedowns on the handlebars or upper forks can cause damage.

 

[Little_Brit]

I've been on a few ferries that felt like that!

[Little_Brit]

I've done lots of channel crossings over the years. I Travelled with Sea France last summer and they have a pretty good system.

 

 

Oh well you can cross them off your list - Sea France is no more as of today, another victim of the "down turn".

[Urban Surfer]

On the local B.C ferries there is no place to tie down a bike, it's unlikely you would ever need to. They provide several sizes of blocks. Most riders put the side stand down and block the bike on the other side.

I always make sure I'm on the deck beside the bike while docking, sometimes they hit the dock real hard.

 

[cali_beemer]

I took my RT to Victoria, BC this summer. It was my first ferry ride with a bike. I was nervous on the way to Victoria. Water was very rough and all the MC riders including myself were checking on them frequently. The ship had tie ropes from the wall and tire block wedges. Here's a picture on the ferry from Port Angles, WA....

 

[Little_Brit]

I always make sure I'm on the deck beside the bike while docking, sometimes they hit the dock real hard.

 

On our cross channel ferries you wouldn't. No public access to the car deck before the ship is fully docked.

 

We had a few nasty incidents with ferries - look up Herald of Free Enterprise. It changed sailing rules at the drop of a hat.

[RedMac]

We also took a couple of BMW's on the Lake Express ferry across Lake Michigan. I bought my own tie downs just in case, but they provided them. Use the side stand, NOT the center stand.

 

We were worried because we had ours tied down very well and the Harley riders next to use basically threw the straps over the seats and tied them down. The crossing was extremely rough and we were NOT allowed down into the ferry area during the crossing. i was prepared to see the Harley's tippped over against my bike but the deck hands noticed them moving alot and restrapped them.

 

Unless you know for sure that they provide tie downs, plan on bringing your own.

[Dave39]

We have a couple small ferries out here on the Sacramento Delta over sloughs where we just sit on the bikes during the 3 minute crossings. The only big ferry was the Bremerton/Seattle ride across Puget Sound. We just put bikes on center or side stands and went up for lunch during the crossing.

 

On Bremerton Ferry

[cali_beemer]

We have a couple small ferries out here on the Sacramento Delta over sloughs where we just sit on the bikes during the 3 minute crossings. The only big ferry was the Bremerton/Seattle ride across Puget Sound. We just put bikes on center or side stands and went up for lunch during the crossing.

 

On Bremerton Ferry

 

Thats nearly identical to the Kingston ferry I took in Seattle. The best part of that ferry was bypassing all the cars in line to pay and going stright to the front of the line for loading and first to unload

[hopz]

I do not recommend taking a bike on a ferry.

 

If you are going to take a bike- wait till it docks, otherwise the owner will only have to look on the ferry for you.

 

Word to the wise...

 

(enjoy the ride)

[lawnchairboy]