Poole to Gijon

[92kk k100lt 193214]

That same service also goes from Rosslare to St Nazaire to Gijon. You get a single berth in a 4 berth cabin so you share with others. But 25 hours on a ship......its long but in fairness it saves a lot of driving. Driving is a long trip with Biarritz being about half way but the road is slower as you get into Spain and the toll stops seem endless if you are using the motorway.

I have a love of offshore sailing and the Bay of Biscay is well known for dodgy weather although for some reason I have only ever experienced it in calm.

You need to make sure the bike is well strapped down but be careful, some ferry operators ratchet them down so hard the sidestands break. I see a few instances of sidestands breaking a few days off the ferry. What you really need is to make sure the bike cannot roll forward at all. I use a ratchet strap from the centre bar on the mainstand through the front wheel, bike stays on mainstand.

[Brenhden]

You need to make sure the bike is well strapped down but be careful, some ferry operators ratchet them down so hard the sidestands break. I see a few instances of sidestands breaking a few days off the ferry. What you really need is to make sure the bike cannot roll forward at all. I use a ratchet strap from the centre bar on the mainstand through the front wheel, bike stays on mainstand.

Hi K100,

Please excuse my ignorance but can you explain this in more detail. Without pictures I dont get it.

Cheers

Bren

[Tramp]

what he`s saying is they put so much pressure on strap it compresses the suspension and the side stand cant bend but the welds brake..only in real bad weather..

I only have side stand and always in first gear bars to left then let them strap it down ..have a check they are happy to adjust..the 1st gear stops bike moving forward ..my ccm side stand is 55cm long :woohoo: ...

you are insured on their freight policy anyway...when you undo the strap on arrival at port ..just check bike over and tell them and keep pics if anything wrong ...dont rush to get off boat it aint going anywhere fast :laugh: ..

[Simon_100]

You don't want to be there today, that's for sure! It's too early for the latest on youtube but the waves have been 9 metres yestrerday and wiyth one fatality - a fifteen year old boy swept away on his bike riding along the prom at Foz, quite near Gijon Regs Simon

[92kk k100lt 193214]

Tramp,

Its exactly as you say it.

K100: when you put the K on the mainstand the crossbar between the two legs is the place to go. You can use a ratchet strap looped around this and through the rim of snowflake front wheel or 3 spoke wheel if yours are upgraded. Don't use the one with the valve in it. If you tighten up the ratchet the mainstand cant retract and the bike wont roll forward off the stand. This is also useful if you are leaving the bike parked somewhere very windy if you don't want it blown off the stand! A cheap Lidl set will do fine!

I only once had damage on a ferry and it was the car, damaged by their own maintenance equipment not being secured and coming loose during the crossing so it rolled against the cars. It was sorted without hassle.

[V2orV4]

I double checked re the rooms, it explains on web site, but I also phoned. Only 4 berth cabins on the boat, you get one to yourself, no sharing with strangers! I've booked with LD lines and it's £160 all in!

[rodrigoscs]

Damn, checked this morning for the last week of May, 27th, till the first week of June, 6th, and the price was still at £160. Went back to book now and it went up to £220!! hmy:

[chico]

ive just checked one way for 7th May, Poole to Gijon....£80......4 berth cabin, says nothing about sharing, if that's true, how do they do it so cheap..... :dry:

although, its non refundable once booked...but that's not a big issue

[BigBlue]

Went and booked it while the offer was still on. Here comes the Sun.... B)

Well managed to get the £80 one way trip anyway. Missed out on all the bargain priced return sailings, think the returns have all gone up today.

So that's me and a mate heading off for 3 months on 8th April, to Spain, Portugal, Morocco, then.... not figured it out yet will just see how things pan out.

Anyone else booked on 8th April... always good to share a few beers?

Sent from my HTC One

[nt376]

I phoned yesterday after reading the comment about having to share with strangers hmy: and they confirmed that I didn't have to share my four berth cabin. Phew ! ..didn't fancy sharing with three hairy truckers !!