 Poster: A snowHead
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I tried to book last night and they definitely had sailings on Friday 13th, they have disappeared this morning.
Called them and the boat comes back into service from dry dock at 0800 on Saturday 14th February.
Not the best business decision they have ever made with it being half-term week, I would think most driving would want to leave on the Friday.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Maybe they should rush the essential maintenance work and get them back into service untested ?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Guvnor, what a stupid response.
Perhaps they should have started the maintenece work a day early, thus having their boat available for what must be one of their busiest weeks.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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when do they go into the dock? And presumably it's Feb 09 when they come out?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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pam w, 3 weeks annual maintenece, unavoidable. I was merely suggesting that their timing could have been better commercially.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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bladeskier, What's stupid about it? A stupid comment would be to suggest that enforced maintenance is not the best business decision....
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I suppose in the overall scheme of things 24 busy hours followed by 6 very quiet days is not too big a deal.
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Maybe the Dry dock owners are not able to adhere to the travelling requirements of bladeskier?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Speedferries are a shoestring operation - they don't have spare vessels to cover for maintenance so select three weeks in mid-winter for dry-docking. For half term I can't imagine they would get many bookings for the Friday 13th, as it is a school day, and in winter thier latest Dover departure is 4 in the afternoon (the reason we never use them in winter) - kids are hardly out of school then!
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RobinS, Most parents I know are picking the kids up from school on the 13th and heading for the hills! I even had trouble finding a room in France near the A26 for that night.
In fairness to speedferries Eurotunnels marketing dept. only decided 5/6 weeks or so ago that the 13th was peak for pricing
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Boredsurfing, Not using Speedferries they're not!!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Presume that you mean 2009?
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You know it makes sense.
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They have been talking about getting another boat for some time now. No sign of if yet.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Small time operator on the Dover short sea route... If they do something that suits you then you'll take a chance for the price and just hope they can keep their craft running. The news of a second craft is very old hat...
P&O have two ships out for long term issues and the punter will not notice.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I don't use them in the Winter any more, they aren't known as Spewferries for nothing. I've had a couple of very rough trips.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I am with the OP here...Not the best business decision when you think waht a few hours could bring them in revenue...but maybe they had other constraints or the dry dock was not available before. #
They might be a "small time operator", but funny how ferry crossing prices have been halved at the very least since they started operations...Good on them!
I have used them many times and thought them very good. Basic yes but for 55 min on a boat I don't need 3 restaurants/cinema/shops etc...
Just get me across the water quick and at a good price...
As for rough trips: I don't see how this is their fault...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Kruisler, Not their fault at all just that their smaller craft suffer more. There are more comfortable options (although more expensive) in the Winter. Still happy to use them inthe Summer.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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their smaller craft suffer more
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I think it's the type of craft rather than just size. The fast service from Portsmouth, which P & O used to run, only operated in summer. It's a much longer crossing, and maybe everyone was sick? Do Speedferries have to cancel their service in weather which a conventional ship could manage OK?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Smaller ship means it get knocked about in anything over a force 6. You wouldn't notice that on a decent sized ferry and all the ferries going across DOV-CAL are a decent size.but on that craft you are walking sideways..if you can walk at all. It probably isn't the craft that can't do it, more that the can't dock easily, cars and pass' get thrown all over the place, plus the mechanics are flakey. If you only have one craft that becomes an issue when out of service.
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Do Speedferries have to cancel their service in weather which a conventional ship could manage OK?
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Most definitely....the ships are out in all weathers, it is only the harbours that restrict operations, which is why Calais, will kick people out of their port and onto a ship knowing that the backlog at Dover will condemn those passengers to many hours on board waiting to dock. And Dover might not want to risk berth damage so will not allow them in. We are talking force 10 type conditions and above here which will mean some passengers have a horrid time if they get sea-sick...but the ships will be pretty stable, just stranded at sea, as it were.
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On a trip back from the Alps a couple of years ago on Speedferries it was very rough, it was close to their sailing limits (2 metre waves rings a bell, may be completely wrong). Got worried when we boarded and a sick bag was placed ready on every seat. Most unpleasant trip you just have to sit tight, had similar conditions one other time with them and another a few years ago when Hoverspeed used similar craft out of Dover. My daughter was very young at the time and her "Why has grandad gone green" question was a classic.
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Lying down is definitely the best. The worst I remember on the Channel was in a hovercraft, absolutely full of cigarette smoke, and not possible to open any windows or get outside for some fresh air. No wonder they didn't last.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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pam w, My worst fairly recent channel crossing was on the hovercraft too. As a child I remember a really rough Portsmouth to Cherbourg crossing and one from Ullapool to Stornoway across the Minch, both memorable as I was allowed to eat all of the family picnic.
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FAQ
...and there were a lot of bed linen spread on the floor suddenly! 
