Cook Strait Ferries Megathread

[MaxB]

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?

To the best of my knowledge no one on a bike has ever paid the luggage charge. Someone on here will probably have a story saying otherwise but..

I usually keep the pack on the bike with a lockable cover and the tank bag goes with me. Never had a problem.

If I had to guess I'd say the rule is aimed at backpackers etc. who seem to carry the whole world on their backs. Then they stretch out on the seats and leave the packs in the gangways for us to trip over.

[McDuck]

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?

Yes, Yes, i leave nether stand down and just tie it down well. Others tie it onto the side stand.

Use the search a little to

[MaxB]

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?

There is heaps of advice on KB already but FWIW

No
Centre stand
and no

I use 2 strops. There is plenty of spare length in the average tie down.

The first goes over the bars looped round each clip on and the other goes over the back seat looped round the grab rail. The centrestand is used on this particular bike 'cos it is short and both wheels touch down. I load up the rear and the front goes light but is held in place. On my previous bikes the sidestand worked well, just compress both ends and leave it in gear.

The trick is to nudge the bike in all directions when you have finished, it should not move or roll off the stand.

[Gremlin]

After the 2nd sailing, returning to the North Island, there were tie downs on the ferry again, but several had mechanisms that wouldn't hold, something we ended up having to test, before using (I used my own... not going to trust my baby to some crappy tie down).

When I tie mine, I have two on the front, one either side, loops through the top triple clamp or the handlebar clamps (bike is naked). Bike is in gear, rolled forward against the gear, and then chocked in the front for extra protection, with the side stand up (don't have a centre stand). Front forks are then compressed. At this point the bike should be locked in place quite well, but for a bit of extra protection, the third tie down is looped through the back wheel, and tied down.

[hayd3n]

so blue bridge or interislander which do you prefer?

[awayatc]

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

Not compared to you......

Your inability to comprehend what you read is tiring.

[Elysium]

To the best of my knowledge no one on a bike has ever paid the luggage charge. Someone on here will probably have a story saying otherwise but..

I usually keep the pack on the bike with a lockable cover and the tank bag goes with me. Never had a problem.

If I had to guess I'd say the rule is aimed at backpackers etc. who seem to carry the whole world on their backs. Then they stretch out on the seats and leave the packs in the gangways for us to trip over.

Cool. I have a soft Ventura lagguage(padlocks on zippers and rack) and tank bag which I can carry so shouldn't be a problem.

On the issue of tie-downs, does anyone have pics of their bikes tied down they might want to share? Might help those here confused on the placement of the tie-downs.

[PrincessBandit]

How you tie down depends on the circumstances. Going south on the Kaitaki the bikes were up against a concrete strip running the length of the ship so we used side stands (bandit and burgman) and tie down front only. Coming back on the Arahura all bikes were in the centre of the ship (with nothing to be pushed up against) so I left mine in gear - burgman has a handbrake so rik always uses that anyway - and we tied down front and rear.
We bought those one piece slip-over ones, two per bike, and on the southern crossing wondered why we'd bought two each. Return to the North Island confirmed we'd done the right thing! I even managed to sort out my tying down myself for the return trip, although still had to get someone with more muscles to complete the pulling down.......

[Gremlin]

so blue bridge or interislander which do you prefer?

apparently some swear by bluebridge, because its NZ owned etc. Apparently the prices are better too. I have used Interislander twice, and have booking codes, so it makes it cheaper, with better conditions attached to the booking. Can't say I have had any issues (other than a technical issue delaying sailing for 2 hours last time)

On the issue of tie-downs, does anyone have pics of their bikes tied down they might want to share? Might help those here confused on the placement of the tie-downs.

I can put up some pics, but not at home at the moment, I'll do that when I get home

[Winston001]

When I tie mine, I have two on the front, one either side, loops through the top triple clamp or the handlebar clamps (bike is naked). Bike is in gear, rolled forward against the gear, and then chocked in the front for extra protection, with the side stand up (don't have a centre stand). Front forks are then compressed. At this point the bike should be locked in place quite well, but for a bit of extra protection, the third tie down is looped through the back wheel, and tied down.

Ditto. If you wind the tiedown around the back wheel (in gear) it grips and holds very well. That way the bike isn't relying on the compression of the rear shock, which is what you are doing by tying over the seat.

I do not put the sidestand down and never have - mostly used tie-downs on trailors. My view is that the sidestand is not built to hold the stress of the whole bike being compressed on it. You are better to compress the front shocks as much as possible and that provides a very firm anchor. Plus one at the rear around the tyre.

[Gremlin]

...My view is that the sidestand is not built to hold the stress of the whole bike being compressed on it.

This is actually a good point. Depending on bike design, you could do serious amounts of damage if the side stand is overloaded (because of the way the sidestand mounts to the bike). The MV Agusta is one such bike...

Here's some pics of our bikes tied down on the ferry. Note that the ferries vary, and on another, they use chains across the front and rear of the bikes, that the tie downs have to clip to (little less secure, as the chain has slack as well).

I also believe in trying to get a wider spread of the tie downs for better stability, without being crazy, so thats why the tie downs cross over in the middle, as the hornet takes the ktm's mount, while the ktm takes the hornets mount. I also tie the end of the front straps off right under the catch, to prevent any slipping.

[Elysium]

Looks like you need two people for that sort of job. Being on solo I may have to use the side stand on my Hornet as I an't imagine tying to balance the big bike while attempting to put the tie-downs on.

[McDuck]

Looks like you need two people for that sort of job. Being on solo I may have to use the side stand on my Hornet as I an't imagine tying to balance the big bike while attempting to put the tie-downs on.

It can be done, rest on side stad, tie other side so it is barely resting on side stand, lift the side stand up, tie that side down gently then tighten each side a little at a time untill they are tight enough.

[gijoe1313]

Looks like you need two people for that sort of job. Being on solo I may have to use the side stand on my Hornet as I an't imagine tying to balance the big bike while attempting to put the tie-downs on.

It can be done, rest on side stad, tie other side so it is barely resting on side stand, lift the side stand up, tie that side down gently then tighten each side a little at a time untill they are tight enough.

You can also ask one of the deckhands to give you a hand also, just be cheery and use the magic words you learnt as a bubby!

[Winston001]

It can be done, rest on side stad, tie other side so it is barely resting on side stand, lift the side stand up, tie that side down gently then tighten each side a little at a time untill they are tight enough.

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