TVR's & Ferry Travel

[qed]

Hi guys,
A couple of my mates are travelling to Le Mans this year and are driving a Cerbera and a Tuscan. They are contemplating using SpeedFerries from Dover to Bologne however they were concerned about the ground clearance driving on and off the ferry.
Have any of you guys had any experience with this company or have you taken a TVR on a ferry before.
Hope you can help. Will the cars make it on and off the ramp?
Thanks
QED

[maddog-uk]

Personally I am committed to using the tunnel now and even then I tell them its a tvr and they shove me on the high vehicle carriage.

Having see the way P & O treated our clio and the huge ramps it had to get down I was put off ferries for life for our tvr!

[anonymous-user]

I'm using Speedferries in June and the same question occured to me (in fact I posted it here). Unfortunately speedferries are (in my experience) impossible to speak to and dont answer emails so I'm reduced to hoping for the best.

When the documentary was on TV there was a Tuscan on the boat.

Has anyone actually experienced speedferries in a Tiv?

[Steve_T]

My experience has always been very positive. The ferry operators have always been extremely careful with my Tiv'.

Steve.

[TSS]

I’ll be taking a Sagaris on Speedferries. I spoke to them about ground clearance when I booked it and they assured me they can cater for low cars. I had no problems getting hold of them by phone, and the person I spoke even to took the trouble to speak to somebody involved with loading and get examples of other low cars they had recently carried (Ferraris, etc). Anyway, I’m going down on Thursday so I reckon they’ll have had a couple of days experience of dealing with low sportscars by then.

[Terminator]

I've taken my TVRs across the channel on Ferries, Catamarans, Hovercraft and Trains over the past 23 years and have had no problems. Just take it gently and you'll be fine.

[anonymous-user]

TSS said:

I’ll be taking a Sagaris on Speedferries. I spoke to them about ground clearance when I booked it and they assured me they can cater for low cars. I had no problems getting hold of them by phone, and the person I spoke even to took the trouble to speak to somebody involved with loading and get examples of other low cars they had recently carried (Ferraris, etc). Anyway, I’m going down on Thursday so I reckon they’ll have had a couple of days experience of dealing with low sportscars by then.

Can you report back Tom?

Thanks

Paul

[snorky]

when we went to Le Mans last year with Hoverspeed on the cat ( same as Speedferries use) they were great...they even let us spin round so we were the first off ....

[M@H]

qed said:

Hi guys, A couple of my mates are travelling to Le Mans this year and are driving a Cerbera and a Tuscan. They are contemplating using SpeedFerries from Dover to Bologne however they were concerned about the ground clearance driving on and off the ferry.

Have you booked yet.. ? I tried for that crossing 3 weeks ago and ended up with Dover-Calais route as they were all full for the Thursday at least.

>> Edited by M@H on Tuesday 12th April 12:46

[qed]

Thanks for the quick replies guys. We managed to get hold of Speedferries on the phone after 10 minutes and they also assured us that all would be OK and there were several other TVR's booked on.

M@H said:

Have you booked yet.. ? I tried for that crossing 3 weeks ago and ended up with Dover-Calais route as they were all full for the Thursday at least.

I (and my humble Puma) have booked for the Friday morning however the 2 TVR'ers have not yet booked, I'll tell them that they should really do it asap.

Thanks again.

QED

[Battlecat]

For what its worth i used Speedferries to travel across the Belgium at Christmas. Had no problems in the Griff and like the other ferry companies they usually have someone standing at the ramp watching.

However what is different to the usual ferries is that the car decks are effectively made up of ramps in alternate directions, as opposed to large flat decks. Rather difficult to describe but its rather like a series of ramps similar to that in a multi-story car park, but 2 lanes wide. Nothing to worry about though.

[richb]

Terminator said:

I've taken my TVRs across the channel on Ferries, Catamarans, Hovercraft and Trains over the past 23 years and have had no problems. Just take it gently and you'll be fine.

Ditto... (well 11 years )

[Brux]

Put my Tuscan on SpeedFerries last September on a run to the Nurburgring - absolutely no problem in either direction.

As stated above though the internal double helix arrangement of ramps is very odd and needs a good 'ol swing to get around each corner - something to do with it being a converted troop/tank transporter ship I was given to understand - though that may just have been the crewe laughing at my attempts to get the car round without having to 3 pointer it!

[TSS]

unrepentant said:

TSS said: I’ll be taking a Sagaris on Speedferries. I spoke to them about ground clearance when I booked it and they assured me they can cater for low cars. I had no problems getting hold of them by phone, and the person I spoke even to took the trouble to speak to somebody involved with loading and get examples of other low cars they had recently carried (Ferraris, etc). Anyway, I’m going down on Thursday so I reckon they’ll have had a couple of days experience of dealing with low sportscars by then. Can you report back Tom? Thanks Paul

I will do - but I meant the Thursday before Le Mans so I won't be reporting back for a couple of months.

[jtong]

I've been onto ferries - car and lorry deck - and the tunnel with no problems in my Chimaera. On one of the crossings, the Ferrari in front of me was being helped onto the ramps using wooden planks.

I found it sometimes helps to take the ramps at an angle and not straight on....

[Rower]

Who has used the Shuttle ? I have been several times in the tin top and have thought that the humps on the approach road are so viscious I would loose the whole exhaust systym on my S3.

[anonymous-user]

TSS said:

unrepentant said: TSS said: I’ll be taking a Sagaris on Speedferries. I spoke to them about ground clearance when I booked it and they assured me they can cater for low cars. I had no problems getting hold of them by phone, and the person I spoke even to took the trouble to speak to somebody involved with loading and get examples of other low cars they had recently carried (Ferraris, etc). Anyway, I’m going down on Thursday so I reckon they’ll have had a couple of days experience of dealing with low sportscars by then. Can you report back Tom? Thanks Paul I will do - but I meant the Thursday before Le Mans so I won't be reporting back for a couple of months.

[Spielboy]

I went on Speed ferries with the Griff last August - as has been said there was someone watching the entrance ramps and was asked to go over it diagonally so as to make sue I didn't ground the car.

The internal arrangement of the ferry is such that there are ramps to negotiate inside and I did manage to graze the underside of the Griff on one of these. I would say however this was because of the space I was being directed to park in causing me to have to take the ramp straight rather than at an angle.

[Zenkar]

Used P&O last week with my Griff. Very positive, no problem at all (Calais - Dover and return).
I suggest you book for the priority line (for a small extra fee) and you will have the best place on board the ferry.

[chimburt]

Rower,
have been on the shuttle a couple of times in my Chim - no problems, and i went on the regular deck on the train