Have just heard that the UK is in for a large storm this weekend with winds of up to 90mph. we are sailing from Dover to Calais on Saturday, can anyone tell if we will be affected by the storm?
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Saturday should be choppy but ok, but Sunday and especially Monday will be a different story.
The problem the ferries have is getting into the loading bays and the wind is coming up the channel so will be hitting the side of the ferries which makes life difficult for them.
Last September our ferry left Dunkirk on time, but due to strong winds could not dock in Dover, so spent over an hour in the channel until allowed to dock.
Towing to Dunkirk in 50-55mph winds a different story, lots of buffeting, rocking but no swaying, just kept the speed to 40mph.
Be grateful you're not on the infamous 'Vomet Comet'.........brought to you courtesy of Condor ferries.
They use a similar catamaran style as the dover ferries but on a much longer western crossing via the channel islands. It was the sickest ferry experience weve ever had. I pittied the bloke whose job it was to wander around with a bucket and mop for the entire journey. It was like one of those zombie films where everyone gets instantly infected!
Never ever again.
------------- John
May/June.....France
Aug.......somewhere else in France
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What I find odd about 'vomit comets' is that during rough weather they continue to sell food, a better idea would be to hand out just dry toast & water. I recall a trip on the HSS from Hook back to Harwich, with rough weather forcast. Before the boat left, families were tucking into the usual burgers & pizzas & then the crew walked around solemnly handing out sickbags.
The old Newcastle to Bergen ferry was called the Venus ... that crossing regularly had 'big seas', hence it's lovely nickname ... the Vomiting Venus.
When I was working on the Newhaven Dieppe ferry way back in the sixties ... there were some very rough crossings ... self and a couple of others devised a game with plastic washing up bowl styled containers ... we'd strategically place ourselves in the main bar/lounge ... the game being to slide a bowl at speed, across the carpet, to land at a traveller's feet seconds before the 'up-chuck' met the carpet ... the winner was he who achieved the closest result ... some passengers asked to join in!
It will be a bit lumpy on Saturday and if the storm tracks as they expect, then I don't think anything will go out on Monday!
Agree about the Condor Guernsy/ Jersey route, horrible ships with an awful 'motion'.
I first discovered I was not blessed with sea legs, aged 12 on the Newcastle Bergen route.....shame it's no more though.
The worst of the lot in the UK has to be the Scillonian. She has a flat bottom and draft of only 2.89m. A beautiful ship, but boy does she pitch and roll, even on a slight swell
Ps, Kelper you are a very wicked man
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I'd second splendidisolation's comment about the Scillonian. It's not just that it has a shallow draught but also as soon as it's beyond Lands End the sea currents from the English and Bristol channels sort of combine to make the most horrendous roller-coaster effect. I've set of from Penzance on beautiful calm seas only to suffer nearly 3 hours of severe 'lumpiness' before arriving on St. Marys looking like some sort of green skinned zombie. It is worth it though - honest!
Yes, the worst bit is always that hour after lands end where the currents meet, tis worth it and I tell my son it's character building
Think her last sailing of the year was supposed to be next Mon/Tues, but guessing they'll cancel. Certainly don't fancy it tomorrow!!!
Edited to say, looks like Scillonian is sailing through till end of November this year, presume because the Helicopters stopped? Sure it normally stops end of October.
I remember, a few years ago, going on a New Year Eves Cruise to St Malo (I think it may have been from Portsmouth) and was supposed to have a 4 or 5 course meal on board going out to celebrate New Yeasr Eve.
It got out to sea and started getting rough. Everyone started out in the dining room for the meal and it was full but the boat was starting to heave a bit.
The first course was served and then a few people left to dining room. We had to wait quite a while before the second (fish) course was served. Once that was over we sat and waited again for quite a while as more and more people disappeared.
I turned around to the, once full, table behind and there was only one bloke left on his own ....... he looked over raised his arm and had a sniff at his armpits and said "Must be the BO eh".
After 2 hours from the start of the meal the thrid (main) course had still not been served they decided it was now too rough for the waiters to continue so the rest of the meal was cancelled and we had to find somewhere to sit that was still clean and free of ill people.
The best comment I heard was, next day after looking around St Malo, we came back to the boat and over heard 3 young ladies taking and one said "You know, this must be the first year for quite a while that I have been sober on New Years Eve ... and I was still throwing up all night"
The way back was quite a it calmer and I bet the boats cleaners had a lot of work to do that day.
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Topic: Weather forecast for Ferry
