I remember the old âback-onâ ferries out of Dover Western Docks, the trains, the awful food and the draughty portakabin that passed as a driversâ waiting room.
Most of all, Iâll never forget the awful smell on those boats- they were absolutely disgusting.
Another awful service that I had the misfortune to sample was provided by SJ line on the Sassnitz - Trelleborg crossing.
I soon got the idea of timing my arrival at the port so as to âunfortunatelyâ miss the DDR registered SJ tub in favour of the other ship operating on that service, which was Swedish, what a contrast.
On what other ferry would a nice young lady come to you and offer to do all your laundry and have it dry by the time you got to the other side and all for free??
Fredrikshavn - Gothenborg also gets a vote of thanks from me for consistently having a very capable chef and enough free food to feed a growing lad.
The Plymouth - Santander freighter also deserves a special mention here, not just because the food was served in Dave-sized portions, but it was the only ferry I knew where I could get to Spain and back without having to even see France. Now that really IS worth mentioning.
dieseldave:
On what other ferry would a nice young lady come to you and offer to do all your laundry and have it dry by the time you got to the other side and all for free??
The Sealink boat âEarl Granvilleâ used to sail on the Portsmouth to Cherbourg route, there was a very camp little bloke who would do all your washing for a very small ammount and leave it outside your cabin. This was very handy on the times we were âturned aroundâ back to madrid, tip your onions at Paddock Wood & load Royal Mail, those were the days. (wouldâve been 1988, 89 + 90.)
Oh, and a full carvery with proper food. Those were definately the days.
Best ferries for the driver were the Schiaffinos which ran to Ostende from the last berth (concrete ramp) at Dover Eastern docks (where Speedferries came to till recently). Very tight for the wagons, but only room for 12 drivers on board and terrific accommodation and food (French of course ), served by a steward at the table.
I always rushed to be amongst the first 12 to get a berth on that rather than take the cash and go passenger on Sealink.
although iâm FAR too youthful to have travelled on them myself, i believe that the first UK roro ferries were converted LCTs or Landing Craft (Tank) vessels ex MoD, operated between Preston and Larne or Belfast and a bit later Tilbury and Antwerp by the Atlantic Steam Navigation Company
i would think that their service, started in the late 50s, ushered in driver accompanied services, although i understand that the first firms to go over the water like fridged freight did so in the mid 50s - so more info needed i think
the LCT vessels were replaced with the bardic ferry and ionic ferry, which sadly Iâam old enough to remember, very vaguely though
Sure i read somewhere about a firm from Sheffield(Sheffield refactories)? that used the Tilbury/Antwerp ferry and they were running Leyland Octopus motors?
Very early 60s.
If they went over the water prior to ro/ro surely the trucks must have been craned on?
or did they use the Hovercraft?
When did that start running anyway?
Suedehead:
Sure i read somewhere about a firm from Sheffield(Sheffield refactories)? that used the Tilbury/Antwerp ferry and they were running Leyland Octopus motors?
Very early 60s.
If they went over the water prior to ro/ro surely the trucks must have been craned on?
First ferry,s i used were out of dover west âthe sheppertonâ âthe twickenhamâ and âthe saint germainâ all were back on with railway trucks on the same deck.After these in around 71/2 came the âvortigenâ which was ro/ro.I also used the olau line sheerness vlissengen which was also back on âthe olau westâ.Like supercube mentioned i also used the rotterdam ipswitch ferry which only took so many accompanied lorreies.
Baby Spider:
i would be intrested to know about that too i can remember a few crossing with my dad and with allelys as a second man and one ship in perticular had railway lines i think it was called the nord pas des calaisâ â ?
Ex sealink boat owned by Seafrance now.
There was 4 boats i think
Nord pas calias
Fantasia
Challager
Invictor
The challager was the best but the nord pas was crap I remember my dad arguing with the purser coz I wasnt paying for the meal the chcken was green.
What about hey hey lads the NORMANDIE SHIPPER, PURBECK, COUTANCES, BARFLEUR. Truckline ferries (Brttany Ferries) Poole - Cherbourg There some of the best boats NOT
Barfleur good but not as good as the midnight merchant (Norfolkline).
Coutances always waiting for some Spainard and Porky to back up the Linkspan.
The Useless sorry Uylasees or the HSS 2 nice boats.
Superfast another good boat
European Causeway, Highlander and Ambassador ( Ambassador Now in the Baltic sea under Stena Line.
What about the Herald and free Enterprize and the Riverdance 2 cracking boats eh
hi old trucker
the cerdic and galic also the european gateway were on the
felixstow to europort sailing,the gateway sunk just outside felixstow
when it hit a sealink ferry going into harwich
lenny, IIRC it did not sink but lay on its side just off felixstowe, bit like the HOFE at Z/B, that would have been a couple of years before the HOFE.
another one was SOUTHERN FERRIES southampton-lisbon, i was in lisbon when there was a military coup, all borders were closed so the only way out was by boat, we were all parked in the docks and had to wait for the boat, i believe it was named THE EAGLE, it took a full load that weekend and i was in line for the next boat which would return on the wednesday, it was a day late coming back because they had loaded a trailer with a tracked machine on it, something like a huge digger, on the way over crossing the bay of biscay, the machine had broken loose, smashing everything on the car deck, when i got off at soton there was what had been a fridge trl, now just a set of tandem axles and the rest of the body in a heap beside it. mangled cars and caravans were everywhere.
there was chaos at soton because everybody without exception had to leave portugal by boat, the spanish and french hauliers were arguing that they should not have to pay because they didnât want to get on the ferry to england in the first place, the italians, german and dutch wernât so bad off, mileage wise, but the vehicles were still impounded until the freight was paid, then they still had to go to dover to get back home. as was mentioned earlier, i got home without touching france. result.
yeh you are right bob,if i remember it laid on a sand bank,bloody good
ship and crew.i was working for westons of wickford at the time groupage
to rotterdam tip and load at smulling de leuw,back the same night,sometimes
use to do three trips a week
