Load Security on the Ferry

[Bearded Dew Drop]

Hi all,
Going on the Plymouth to Santander ferry in a couple of weeks, me on the GTR and the wife on her Triumph Bonni. Route involves into the Pyrenees and up through Western France to St Malo and back over to Portsmouth. This is going to be a camping trip so the bikes are going to be pretty well loaded up. Not overly concerned by mine as I'm going to be concentrating on keeping all my kit in the panniers, I'm a little concerned about the wifes bike. She has "soft" panniers and will be carrying a dry bag with the tent and sleeping bags in. I am wondering whether I need to strip the Bonni down of it's luggage and drag it all the the cabin or will it be safe left tied on the bike? Any thoughts my more experienced tourers?

[beegee]

Hope you have a nice trip in good weather conditions too !
I would take no risks bout the luggage...  Some camping places are good others you can have bad luck...
Take care !

[PRD]

Have a great trip,

[stoketim]

have a great trip, I'm sure it will be safe left on the bike on the loading deck

[PaulB]

I'm with Tim, I'm sure it will be fine on the vehicle deck.

A lightweight plastic-coated cable and decent padlock threaded through the luggage strapping and the bike (it's what I use to leave my jacket and lid lashed to the bike when visiting hot places and don't want to carry them around all day) would be a good deterrent, if nothing else.

Have a good tour!

Cheers

Paul B.

[GTRpilot]

It'll be fine on the ferry, never had mine or heard of any bike tampered with after tie down and leaving it, I believe the deck has CCTV coverage for safety reason's anyway, and once at sea it's secured shut. Personally I have never had a problem in Europe leaving the bike, even just throwing our jacket's (Empty pocket's), over the seat when stopping for a coffee, and have seen many a bike with helmet's etc left on the bike. It's a different culture over there.
That said, depending on where you are going and not wishing to cast aspersion's on any person, with the influx of migrant's, if you are near any of those areas I would exercise more caution.
A very PC answer 

[mikeyw64]

Im on Portsmouth Santander ferry on the 12th Sept (with a mate on his BMW) then heading down to Lagos to join my GF who is flying down with our mates wife

Hi all,
Going on the Plymouth to Santander ferry in a couple of weeks, me on the GTR and the wife on her Triumph Bonni. Route involves into the Pyrenees and up through Western France to St Malo and back over to Portsmouth. This is going to be a camping trip so the bikes are going to be pretty well loaded up. Not overly concerned by mine as I'm going to be concentrating on keeping all my kit in the panniers, I'm a little concerned about the wifes bike. She has "soft" panniers and will be carrying a dry bag with the tent and sleeping bags in. I am wondering whether I need to strip the Bonni down of it's luggage and drag it all the the cabin or will it be safe left tied on the bike? Any thoughts my more experienced tourers?

[davetherave]

Personally I've never had or heard of any friends/aquaintences having any issues but didn't someone on this very forum claim that his GTR's front wheel had been swapped ?  It was a couple of years ago.

[Timr75]

http://www.traveloutdoors.co.uk/pacsafe-85-anti-theft-backpack-bag-protector/

Is an option but does say there maybe something worth knicking in here ...

[Robbieben]

I've travelled on ferries many,many times and never had luggage touched, helmet and gloves left on fuel tank, etc. Vehicle decks are usually locked once you put to sea. Only the crew have access.

Enjoy your trip.

[snowy]

I've travelled on ferries many,many times and never had luggage touched, helmet and gloves left on fuel tank, etc. Vehicle decks are usually locked once you put to sea. Only the crew have access.

Enjoy your trip.

crossing night / day stuff in the tank bag, goes with us, rest stays in top box / panniers and helmets on a plastic covered wire rope on a combination lock. Never had any hassles, and as they say as soon as the boats away access to car decks prohibited.
UNLESS the bikes are parked next to the waste area of the boat that smells like a fishmongers waste bin, then the helmets go with us! 

[Handy_Andy]

Agree that there's highly unlikely to be any thievery from the bike deck and I just thread a thin cable lock through jacket, trews and helmet, as much as anything to stop them getting brushed off as people squeeze by. Sadly that can't be said of every where. This summer I stopped a scrote with bolt cutters trying to remove two nice helmets from a bike parked next to mine whilst in Split in Croatia.

[Rusty]

I agree with HA ... on a Ferry you should be absolutely fine .. just a cable lock to stop your helmet falling off onto the deck .. so much easier to carry less up to your cabin. !

[O.C.]

I never had any issue with throw overs on a ferry the picture bottom left is my ZX9R many moons ago at a ferry port (probably Stranraer)  77

double click the image