Cook Strait Ferries Megathread

[KoRe]

Yeah i just called them now. They said they don't provide them.

[3L4NS1R]

bluebridge kicks interislanders ass by the way. Yeah the tie downs were pretty manky and only rope, but the thought was there...

[Elysium]

bluebridge kicks interislanders ass by the way. Yeah the tie downs were pretty manky and only rope, but the thought was there...

Got four tie-downs to play with so I hope to have my bike nice and secured. I heard the Bluebridge was better for us bikies which is why I choose them.

I leave on the 31st so only three more days!

[doc]

Fark don't you think we are gettin a bit anal here.

Tie it down the best you can at the time. I've given up taking my own stuff. Never had a problem. The car drivers sorry Cage don't have to bring their own
No matter what you had on the "Wahine" it don't matter aye

[BMWST?]

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.

nice work!

[alanzs]

Went twice on the Aruhura (?) in the last week and they had a shit load of just fine tie downs. I had two of my own and used a couple of theirs. No worries. Crossing both times was like a cruise on a lake.

[pritch]

so blue bridge or interislander which do you prefer?

That question won't really give you a sensible answer. Some questions are like that

Might I suggest that it comes down to the individual ship. My ferry of choice is the Arahura it has several purpose designed bike parks just inside the door.
Each has four strategically placed Ds in the deck. Perfect. But this has all been posted before.

The Kaitake is crap. No tiedown points, surly crew, and bikes are last off.
You spend the next hour passing all the trucks they let off before you.
If I had a truck this would be my choice but I don't - so it ain't.

I have used Blue Bridge once. I won't use that ship again. No tie down points, and they wouldn't let you at the bikes until the ship was docking so all the bikes were stopped around the wharves re-packing and getting dressed etc while the cars drove past.

As to the other Blue Bridge ship I haven't tried it and won't unless I get really good info that it's way betterer than the one I went on.

There was another Interislander ferry I went on some years ago that had specific bike parks against the bulkhead and that was good too but I don't know which ship that was.

Basically I will plan crossings around the Arahura until I get advice to the contrary from people whose opinions I trust.

[sunhuntin]

Went twice on the Aruhura (?) in the last week and they had a shit load of just fine tie downs. I had two of my own and used a couple of theirs. No worries. Crossing both times was like a cruise on a lake.

ive done the crossing twice each way. both times, i took 2 of my own, and used 2 of theirs, plus a chock. i leave the stand down, but i dont compress on to it. by the time im done, the bike is vertical, and the stand dangling in mid air. i leave it down on the odd chance of a strap breaking and hope like hell it will save that side of the bike. also good, cos i didnt realise how high i had her last time, and when i loosened the strap, she dropped. forgot about that, lol. thankfully i did the opposite side first, otherwise it would have been a domino effect!

with mine, i loop 2 over the handle bars, and 2 in the pack rack frame. i leave my luggage with the bike, but either take my jacket etc, or find a way to secure them [helmet lock etc. it holds more than a helmet] i wouldnt leave anything unsecured unless i could afford to lose it.

[Gremlin]

...and 2 in the pack rack frame.

I would avoid tying the bike down using the pack rack frame as it won't be designed to hold that kind of weight.

If the front is held securely (which is easy to do) the rear strap is really just to stop it bouncing around, so looping it through the rear wheel should do the trick.

Other options could be over the seat if you wanted, but thats using the subframe, or rear foot pegs, again, the sub frame.

[McDuck]

I would avoid tying the bike down using the pack rack frame as it won't be designed to hold that kind of weight.

If the front is held securely (which is easy to do) the rear strap is really just to stop it bouncing around, so looping it through the rear wheel should do the trick.

Other options could be over the seat if you wanted, but thats using the subframe, or rear foot pegs, again, the sub frame.

I figure that if the sub frame is designed to have 100kg+ of pillion on it it will handle 40kg of tie down force from a ratchet

[elevenhundred]

The last time I took a bike on the ferry (1996) we took our own, otherwise we would have had to make do with plain old rope.
It's handy when you have you're own ratchets, I had to use mine later in the trip to secure mine on the truck that picked it up after I binned it

[Hanne]

We crossed over twice in the last two weeks, using first Blue Bridge then Interislander.

Blu Bridge was awesome, we turned up at 9.30 wanting to buy tickets for the 10am, they said no problem but hurry on, we rode on and the boat left 15 min early! There were rope tie downs but we used our own. Staff were lovely, let us off as soo nas we were docked and suited up (bikes were right by exit).

Returning was a different story... admittedly we probably should have booked but their interislander site was down when I tried ><. Apparently there were 'no spaces available for vehicles' but if we bought a later ticket and paid $40 standby fee we might get on the 6pm boat. Of course there were 10 free bike spots and the lady at check in looekd very confused, saying SHE was the one who was supposed ot do the 'standby' becasue she knew we could fit... it was SUPER disorganised anyway. And then the boat left late.

So Bluebridge gets my vote. Oh, and Bluebridge had more couches and a free movie.

/rant over

[sunhuntin]

I would avoid tying the bike down using the pack rack frame as it won't be designed to hold that kind of weight.

If the front is held securely (which is easy to do) the rear strap is really just to stop it bouncing around, so looping it through the rear wheel should do the trick.

Other options could be over the seat if you wanted, but thats using the subframe, or rear foot pegs, again, the sub frame.

i maybe didnt describe it very well. ive attached a photo. the bracket has changed so i could put a top box on, but its made of the same stuff and in the same place.
its the most secure place to tie the back down by, and the 4 crossings ive done hasnt done it any damage.

[NordieBoy]

No problems on the BlueBridge - Santa Regina.

Used my own tiedowns instead of the ropes and didn't bother with one of the wheel chocks that the Police Special and Triumph used.

[Swampdonkey]

Go on the Kaitaki,Pay a little extra and head up to the guest lounge....chiller full of piss, all the food you can eat ...internet,sky. Last to leave the ship every time...