By ferry from Dunkirk to Dover
A story about lashing motorcycles on ferries ...
I ride my motorcycle on the ferry from Dunkirk to Dover. I have just finished the last, unspectacular kilometers on the mainland. The overcrowded city motorway in Antwerp had cost nerves. The compulsory break in the ferry connection will hopefully bring back the necessary calm and serenity.
A sailor instructs me on the vehicle deck in Dunkirk to lash my R 1200 GS fully packed on the main stand with a belt over the seat. He disdains my lashing straps with a disdainful expression.
I wanted to follow the instructions of the DFDS ferry company for lashing motorcycles on the ships. A small video animation posted on the Internet by DFDS clearly shows how to lash down ferries:
Namely not on the main stand but on the side stand. The machine can then be guyed forwards and backwards. If this is not possible, it is recommended to use the padded seat belts from the ferry company with the machine on the side stand. In addition, you should still engage first gear and pull the brake lever with a small strap.
I had prepared for that. Spiritually and materially. That sounded reasonable too. But now a sailor from exactly this ferry company comes along, who is also authorized to give instructions, and doesn't want to know anything about any of this. I submit skeptically, without knowing what to expect later. After all, there can always be something new ...
The main stand is sometimes not the best idea ...
In Dover I stand impatiently at my motorcycle, which is lashed to the seat and on the main stand, of course, when the ferry docks.
I remove the belt and want to push the machine off the main stand. The front door of the ferry is already open. I can smell the salty mainland air of Dover Harbor ... The cars roll up next to me.
I want to push the GS off the main stand. Nothing goes. My motorcycle moves forward jerkily on the smooth floor of the ferry, but with the main stand folded out. The obviously not very knowledgeable seaman from the port in Dunkirk is of course not to be seen. The idea that he is standing behind a pillar and laughing limply is not at all funny at the moment.
After several unsuccessful attempts, which must also have looked pretty slapstick-like for the car drivers around, I decide to block the main stand with a large rubber wedge lying around. The GS falls from the main stand. I sweat.
I feel like I'm the last to leave the ferry, realizing that the sailor's lashing practice was probably not his best idea.
On the way back I used a ferry from this ferry company again. As a matter of course, the motorbikes - I was no longer alone on the ship - were lashed down as instructed:
- Stand on the side stand
- Use your own straps forwards and backwards or use a seat belt
- Engage first gear
- Fix the front brake lever with a small strap pulled
- Do the wobble test
Incidentally, there is also the hint to contact the on-board staff in case of doubt. Please not to my sailors from Dunkirk!
To look up, here is the link to the film of the DFDS ferry company. He stands on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/9JZbNvvgUig
In addition, there are other really helpful tips on the “DFDS BLOG lashing motorcycle on the ferry” page.