Poster: A snowHead
|
Just heard that Hoverspeed are not taking bookings beyond 7th Nov. JT forecast a few weeks ago that the sea-cat service was likely to stop, looks as if has. Hoverspeed have an announcement on their website. Looks as if the tunnel has finished them off, how long for the ferries?
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Not sure but I thought from earleir discussions here this was just a normal winter shutdown of service because these wave piercing catamarans can't handle the winter swells and waves coming up or down the Channel at right angles to their course. Not necessarily the end of an era.
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
kuwait_ian, I don't think that's the case these sea-cats are built in Tasmania and sailed to the UK or whereever and they hold the blue riband for the fastest atlantic crossing; my view, Sea Containers have pulled the plug.
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
We've sailed on the seacat service in the winter, returning from a ski trip in February. I've never seen so many seasick people at the same time! Never again - it's the Chunnel for us from now on.
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
rob@rar.org.uk, I remeber being towed into Dover Western Docks in a hovercraft that battled for hours in a storm before losing power not far the Sandwich side of Dover, theoretically in the lee of the storm. Ditto in an old ferry that set off from Boulogne in a force 9 with an aft starboard thruster out of commission. No towing involved, but an all night crossing, battling up and down the coast near Deal, impossible to get into the port of Dover. I'd settle for the Tunnel if ever I had to cross the Channel regularly again!
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
A long time ago (nigh on 30 years) I can remember a horrific crossing from Calais to Dover on an old style ferry, the wind never dropped below force 10 and was gusting to force 12, the doors to the deck were roped shut because the waves were breaking well over the deck level, and the front passenger lounge area was shut because they were afraid a wave would break the observation windows. I think 80% of the people on board including the crew were seasick and one or two of the toilets were overflowing as a result, we then had to wait outside dover harbour for about an hour as they manouvered a ship off of the bearth we were supposed to go in on.
It's the tunnel for me every time now
|
|
|
|
|
|
I remember when I was a mere strip of a girl, a ferry crossing with an open boat, Force 15 gale, 40 ft waves, and it took 2 weeks to reach Calais. Good character building stuff.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
October half term 2000 we sailed back Europoort - Hull very choppy but slept most of the way. The same day 5 ferries had to moor off Dover till the winds dropped , for 20hrs
|
|
|
|
|
|
Its very competetive on that route these days...all sorts of things happening but Hoverspeed announced redundacies a few weeks ago.
However there are new ships being built and being commisioned so the tunnel will not have it all its own way. As I recall the tunnel just shades the tourist fugures and loses out on FR8 with monthly adjustments here and there. I haven't got the exact figures but its there or thereabouts..
The tunnel has also annouced redundancies but that is more about debt re-structuring than service, I think.
|
|
|
|
|
|