mushroomman:
Sorry Dave, I stand corrected . Your dead right, the Schiafino did go to Eastern Docks.
I do remember that if the boat was full, as it only took twelve drivers, they would give you twenty pounds and take you in their mini bus to get the Sealink boat which went to Western Docks in Dover , from where you could get a taxi to Eastern Docks, arriving there before the Schiafino offloaded.
There was never a shortage of volunteers to do this, as twenty pound was nearly a days pay.
I remember using the western docks to dunkirk in 1970/71 the boats i remember were the âtwickenhamâ the âshepertonâ the âvortegenâ i think came into to service in 71.Im not sure if the âsaint germainâ was also on this run.The drivers sleeping quarters was a round room with couchettes,bunk beds,the crossing were well rough in the winter!
The Schiafino went on with Sally Line out of Ramsgate in the late 80s, same rules applied, reverse on, then jump in a cab to dover, get one of the Belgian crewed boats to Oostende, blag a free cabin off the purser & 400 B&H with the ÂŁ20, a few beers, sorry soft drinks in Oostende harbour while you waited for the boat to come in & away you went, I did a couple of crossings on the boat itself & it needed new shock absorbers because it was very bumpy I believe it went on for Dartline for a while after the demise of Sally Line
Evening all and thanks it would have been 85 and normally a rail wagon only boat and i had to reverse on. I think at the time it was touch and go if i could ship at all. But i think it was Sealink
toothpick johnny:
Evening all and thanks it would have been 85 and normally a rail wagon only boat and i had to reverse on. I think at the time it was touch and go if i could ship at all. But i think it was Sealink
Yes mate, that sounds about the same as I remember it too.
IIRC, there were two boats on that run, one was Seasink, and the other was SNCF.
Sealink had 2 that ran from the western docks, the Seafright Seaway & the Seafreight Highway, these mustâve replaced the old ones your talking about, I remember getting a sunstrip when i booked on at Dover.
they used to have the boats with the train tracks in running Folkestone Boulogne, IIRC the Horsa & the Hengist were on that route, dunno if they had them though
Reading this post brings back memories of the worst crossing I ever had the misfortune to have to take :-
Got refused shipping at Zeebrugge and Calais one night and shipped out of Ostend to Ramsgate as it was the only way across, had been loaded in Germany with all sorts of nasty products (that shouldânt have been on the same trailer and the DG notes were all wrong!!!), caught the Sherfino with a guy running up from Greece, who needed a medal, has he said he had a full load of contaminated petrol in 45 gallon drums on his trailer !!! The 2 of us alongside 6 unaccompanied army trucks with ammo on !!! and whatever was in the trailers on board !!! - talk about floating bomb.
We sat in Ostend for about 4 hours as it was to rough to sail (Force 11) finally sailed at about 3.30 in the morning at force 8 - it reached force 10 mid channel, after litres of the infamous red plonk (OK if you could get past the 1st 2 bottles) and some very greasy french/belgium grub, 3 â â â â â films later, we had a chucking compotition, I won, never been so ill !!! - That wine tastes worse when it comes back up !!!
Finally docked in Ramsgate (with great relief to be alive) 9 hours after sailing, apparently they had lost 2 trailers over the side into the drink mid sailing from the top deck
Unfortunatly, carrying hazourdous on a regular basis, used the Shefino far to many times !!! - always tried to get the taxi to Dunkirk to catch the Sallyline to Ramsgate - hopefully to see your truck arrive in one peice !! aahrrr - great memories !!!
hi all
if i remember one of the boats that went out of the western
docks was the noord de calais sncf i think would have
been the late 1980,s use to take rail and road traffic.the
old mind is getting a bit rusty.
I remember being sat in Oktay parking in Istanbul with another driver, he was waiting for his agent to arrange a ferry across the Bosphoros because he was carrying new empty oxygen cylinders. The ferry didnât want to take him, the agent was arguing and I think eventually the truck was going over with just a fire engine on board, and the company had to pay for the whole ferry and the fire service.
Wheel Nut:
I remember being sat in Oktay parking in Istanbul with another driver, he was waiting for his agent to arrange a ferry across the Bosphoros because he was carrying new empty oxygen cylinders. The ferry didnât want to take him, the agent was arguing and I think eventually the truck was going over with just a fire engine on board, and the company had to pay for the whole ferry and the fire service.
True story or mythâ â ?
That must be a myth - I donât think empty oxygen cylinders are flammable !!!
Wheel Nut:
I remember being sat in Oktay parking in Istanbul with another driver, he was waiting for his agent to arrange a ferry across the Bosphoros because he was carrying new empty oxygen cylinders. The ferry didnât want to take him, the agent was arguing and I think eventually the truck was going over with just a fire engine on board, and the company had to pay for the whole ferry and the fire service.
True story or mythâ â ?
That must be a myth - I donât think empty oxygen cylinders are flammable !!!
Regards
Ant
That must be a myth - I donât think empty oxygen cylinders are flammable !!!
That was the problem apparently, trying to convince Abi of it was more difficult
Wheel Nut:
I remember being sat in Oktay parking in Istanbul with another driver, he was waiting for his agent to arrange a ferry across the Bosphoros because he was carrying new empty oxygen cylinders. The ferry didnât want to take him, the agent was arguing and I think eventually the truck was going over with just a fire engine on board, and the company had to pay for the whole ferry and the fire service.
True story or mythâ â ?
That must be a myth - I donât think empty oxygen cylinders are flammable !!!
Regards
Ant
That must be a myth - I donât think empty oxygen cylinders are flammable !!!
That was the problem apparently, trying to convince Abi of it was more difficult
Was this true then, they really shipped one truck and a fire engine â â
anyone remember the old tub from Western Dock that you had to drive on a ramp and then be lifted up to the top deck if i remember rightly the
crew in those days were polish ( advance guard)
CRACK ON TO MACON:
anyone remember the old tub from Western Dock that you had to drive on a ramp and then be lifted up to the top deck if i remember rightly the
crew in those days were polish ( advance guard)
Only to well and the crew was Polish or some kind of flat head, also remember the other old tub and parking next to the Orient Express on it ( had skins on at the time and the smell )
CRACK ON TO MACON:
anyone remember the old tub from Western Dock that you had to drive on a ramp and then be lifted up to the top deck if i remember rightly the
crew in those days were polish ( advance guard)
Crack on - think you are talking about the MV Argo - I think it was mentioned in 80âs truckin post, it was put on while P&O were waiting for the new super ferries to be built, nobody wanted to use it, as it was a bit of a wreck, but they then introduced free food and beer, and everybody wanted to go on it - how fickle we are !!!
CRACK ON TO MACON:
anyone remember the old tub from Western Dock that you had to drive on a ramp and then be lifted up to the top deck if i remember rightly the
crew in those days were polish ( advance guard)
Crack on - think you are talking about the MV Argo - I think it was mentioned in 80âs truckin post, it was put on while P&O were waiting for the new super ferries to be built, nobody wanted to use it, as it was a bit of a wreck, but they then introduced free food and beer, and everybody wanted to go on it - how fickle we are !!!
Regards
Ant
I think the only bloke I heard who liked the Argo was Dave Chamberlain, but Willie Roadstars post about free beer explains that
. Your dead right, the Schiafino did go to Eastern Docks.
in Oostende harbour while you waited for the boat to come in & away you went, I did a couple of crossings on the boat itself & it needed new shock absorbers because it was very bumpy 
