Cook Strait Ferries Megathread

[Jantar]

I've just booked for the Southern Cross, and was advised that I would have to take my own tie downs.

[racerhead]

I'll be taking the ferry on Monday. I'll let everyone know if there was an issue with tie downs...

Ive just booked for thursday and there was no mention of needing my own tie downs so if you could let me know that would be great

[robertydog]

To be quite honest what they do have on the ferrys is crap. You are better to take your own and at least you know in yr own mind that your bike is secure.

[gammaguy]

+1 to all the above.
Haven't used the ferry since 1995ish, but then the tie downs were wet, smelled of eau de stocktruck (as mentioned), etc etc. This meant that after I'd untied them to leave the ferry, I had to put my wet-and-stinky hands back into my dry gloves.
Something to be aware of - even with your own tiedowns.
Another thing to note: before you set off from home, sort out how youare going to tie down your bike: attachment points, how many tiedowns you require, etc. If it's a sprotsbike, ties onto the 'bars will probably rub on the fairings somewhere. Take a couple of loops of rope or webbing or whatever (unless you have some "Canyon Dancers") to loop over the bars and attach the tiedowns to.

hows this for ultimate anal...i take a pair of latex gloves on board so i dont have to get my pristine hands covered in sheep shit and grease.at least,i think its sheep shit...

then i dont have to put filthy hands in my gloves when i ride off

[KoroJ]

hows this for ultimate anal...i take a pair of latex gloves on board so i dont have to get my pristine hands covered in sheep shit and grease.at least,i think its sheep shit...

then i dont have to put filthy hands in my gloves when i ride off

You poor pet!! A stint on a shearing gang might be in order to get over that.




I recently booked for 'the' wee pootle in March and was advised to BYO tiedowns, which I do these days anyway.

I guess if you booked online though, they probably wouldn't tell you that.

[awayatc]

Came across the ditch on Aratere last week, and there were a heap of proper bike tie downs...but a lot of the mechanisms were broken.
Some people could find enough to tie their bikes down with, but I have got my own......
Pays to realise that on a calm crossing your bike won't need tying down....but on a rough ride she definitely needs being properly and securely made fast!!!! You don't know how rough the crossing will be untill you are (nearly) onboard.
So $40 odd dollars for proper bike tiedownd is cheap insurance!

Plus I put my tiedowns to good use fixing a puncture on the flat near Wanganui....managed to tie bike unto a post to get rear wheel off the ground.....

[awayatc]

Buggers will take anything unless it is tied down.....

The world is a mirror....you get treated the way you treat others I suppose...
I just leave helmet, jacket etc quite happily on bike.....
Over umpteen years at sea never had anything flogged yet..
NEVER....

[Flip]

The world is a mirror....you get treated the way you treat others I suppose...
I just leave helmet, jacket etc quite happily on bike.....
Over umpteen years at sea never had anything flogged yet..
NEVER....

Take your own tiedowns, and get a good set not the $10 cheepies. You should be able to tie down a bike without getting your hands dirty if the tie downs are not covered with crap.

I had a pair of gloves nicked off the front of my bike one year. Some low life fellow biker needed them more than me. Got a new set in Blenheim no probs.

[Winston001]

hows this for ultimate anal...i take a pair of latex gloves on board so i dont have to get my pristine hands covered in sheep shit and grease.at least,i think its sheep shit...

then i dont have to put filthy hands in my gloves when i ride off

Yeah a mate of mine does that too, and also carries anti-microbial handwash. He's a good guy and a train-spotter of the first order - analyses bikes and accessories down to the finest detail. Just the sort of chap we more laid-back types need to do our research.

[Elysium]

While on the subject of ferries, I'm looking at the bluebridge booking pages and asks about luggage being over 30kg etc.. "unless they are in or on your vehicle" does a pack rack, tank bag count as being on my vehicle? Hell does anyone pay this?

[racerhead]

Hmmm ok going by the general views here I think Ill get some of my own tie downs.
Sheep shit tie downs dont seem too apealing to me

[skidMark]

ive always worried about my bike falling over mid journey, i went across in i think 8-9 metre swells, limit of boat, first sailing after 3 days of none.

It was just me and it was choppy, whole boat shaking etc.

hate to think how much the bikes must get thrown around trying to break loose etc.

[skidMark]

Came across the ditch on Aratere last week, and there were a heap of proper bike tie downs...but a lot of the mechanisms were broken.
Some people could find enough to tie their bikes down with, but I have got my own......
Pays to realise that on a calm crossing your bike won't need tying down....but on a rough ride she definitely needs being properly and securely made fast!!!! You don't know how rough the crossing will be untill you are (nearly) onboard.
So $40 odd dollars for proper bike tiedownd is cheap insurance!

Plus I put my tiedowns to good use fixing a puncture on the flat near Wanganui....managed to tie bike unto a post to get rear wheel off the ground.....

No tie downs on a smooth crossing, are you mental?

[hayd3n]

which is better to travel on blue bridge or interislander????

[smoky]

Do you tie the front down with two tie downs then one for the rear
So you need three?
Do you leave you bike on the centre stand or side stand - or do you pull them up tight so you don't need the stand?