Pets on "fast craft" ferries

[napoleon]

It looks like we may need to use the BF Fastcraft ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre in a few months time. Does anyone have experience with these ferries and how do you think a DOG would get on during the crossing? We are used to the cruise ships both with the dog in the car and in a cabin but have never travelled on a Fastcraft.

We would welcome any views on these vessels even if you do not have an opinion on the effect on a dog in the car.

Thanks, Alistair

[Théière]

Alistair, assuming it's a similar Fast Cat design to that used out of Newhaven a few years back. The ships not only have the rise and fall of a normal ship but a slight shimmy from side to side. This effect seemed to cause more sickness in both passengers and some crew and when it got rough it got very rough!  Apparently they have an operational  wave height of 3m  in one crossing the waves were 2.7m and nothing stayed on the shelves anywhere in the boat, holding on to the hand rail I was completely off the floor at several points. Very exhilarating! Possibly not what you would like so I wish you a smooth crossing, on smooth crossings they are fine but still the slight shimmy.

I told my BIL never put your wife on one!  She is a terrible sailor at the very best of times, in fact even with me balancing a coin on it's edge was not enough to prevent her from going slightly crazy on a standard ferry. He didn't listen of course and the "event" of a rough crossing for those that saw it would have been truly memorable, a hysterical woman running up and down the ship screaming for the captain to turn the ship around.

Bon voyage!

[idun]

I have the feeling that our vet gave us a very mild sedative for our dog when we used one. I certainly know that we used one and she stayed in the car. And yes, it was rough, but we have been in rougher to be honest in years past, but no dog with us.

[Loiseau]

I only took one once, and to be fair it was the P&O Portsmouth to Cherbourg crossing many years ago.

It was flat calm all the way across, and yet many people were throwing up. Our seats were right by the loos, so we were particularly aware of this!

No cabins of course, so no chance to catch up on sleep between getting up at 3am to travel to Portsmouth and starting a five-hour drive from Cherbourg. We changed our return crossing to the ship.

Friends took the BF one a few years back, and the wife was thoroughly ill, so they too vowed not to use it again.

I imagine dogs would have to stay in vehicles, where they too could be sick.

Angela

[Jazzer]

We made a couple of trips on the Condor Ferries Pooole-St Malo route,with our dog on the back seat, and with absolutely no problems.

[dave21478]

I better avoid these then. I get seasick if I splash around too much in the bath.

[Rabbie]

I have heard them described as "vomit comets". Enough said

[Théière]

I tried to avoid that comment Rabbie, Down at the Newhaven port they reckoned the staff used to leave after a short while as it did them in after a while even if they started off good sailors

[Catalpa]

In my experience, the car decks are much noiser than conventional ferries and a nervous dog will have a more stressful crossing. Having said that, ours was absolutely fine within 10 minutes of disembarcation. On balance, I think the shorter crossing benefits outweigh noise which a dog will adapt to anyway.

[Rabbie]

Given the number of drivers who either ignore the requests to turn off their car alarms during the voyage or do not know how to do it even the car decks on the conventional ferries can be very noisy and would certainly stress nervous dogs. Why can't people think of the animals that are travelling. In most cars it's just a question of using your key to lock the car to avoid setting the alarm

[Théière]

Rabbie that doesn't seem possible on mine. It's the first car I can't lock all doors/boot etc and let it defrost knowing someone can't just open the door. Very frustrating in cold weather.

[SC]

There's usually something in the handbook about this. As Rabbie said locking the doors physically with the key rather than the remote doesn't set the alarm. Sometimes the keyhole in the door is not obvious but there usually is one for flat battery situations; on my VW it's under the door handle trim (easily removed using the key).

I do notice other drivers staring at me when I do this and I've never seen anyone else doing it, but it's in the handbook and I know how car horns hurt a dog's ears, so I do it.

Steve

[Théière]

Unfortunately not on a Renault scenic Mk11.  The rear doors can be locked by rotating a screw on the door preventing them from being opened from the outside but the boot and boot window remain open.  You can disable the volumetric alarm for say a pet left inside but not the whole alarm system. It the first car I have had where you can't and first I thought it was just me but the manual confirms it so I don't know if that applies to other vehicles too?

[napoleon]

Thank you everyone for your colourful stories. Overall it would seem sensible for us to travel by more conventional transport. If it was just me, I would give it a go but the dog comes first perhaps a little behind my wife who would also have trouble with any more than a slight swell.

So it is back to the timetables and as a last resort we could go through the tunnel, my favourite crossing, but it adds 50% to the journey. Cruise ferries then I suppose will be the final choice and we will fit in with their timings.

Regards, Alistair