Brittany Ferries ban lifejackets on "safety" grounds

Tintin

Tintin

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I'm travelling to Roscoff on Friday as a foot passenger to go and collect a boat.

I knew they had restrictions about knives for foot passengers (i.e. not allowed) and can understand that in the current climate of safety.

In my email I wrote that I assumed they would have no problem with a multi-tool and a lifejacket.

Guess what? The email came back saying that both were also forbidden.

So I phoned them this morning and ending up speaking to their Duty Operations Manager and Operations Manager at Plymouth. The former clearly told me that the ferry captain and crew had a duty to protect passengers and keep them safe, thus lifejackets were banned.

I pushed a bit more on what reulation they were citing and was told that lifejackets were not banned by them but by the MCA because the CO2 cylinder made them dangerous goods.

"Really?" I said. "Yes" they replied - Marine Guidance Notice 545. I suggested I could hand it in for safe keeping and collect it the other end. They told me they had no way of doing that.

So I looked 545 up. And of course it doesn't except in a round about way if you wanted to interpret it that way.

I phoned the MCA and spoke with several helpful and practical people, who all laughed at first, then confirmed that the MGN are "guidance" only, and an individual operator could have its own rules and interpret them differently. Thus BF could permit or deny carriage, but blaming it on an MCA rule was not correct.

They explained the background to 545 and confirmed it wasn't designed to stop lifejackets.

Of course there are alternates such as not taking it, leaving out the CO2 cylinder, chancing that the x-ray won't pick it up etc...

But they could so easily "win" out of this by saying no problem, but I doubt they will.

More later as I hopefully hear back from their more senior staff (not holding my breath though).
 
And at last common sense prevails.

The decision had to go all the way back to France head office as it was above the levels of UK staff.

The CO2 cylinder will need to be handed in at the terminal and collected the other end.

This is an "exceptional" permission.

For the future, and for others who wish to do the same, any such request should be made to the Port Operations Manager at Plymouth - I can let you have his email and direct line detail by PM. He made the point that it is never guaranteed especially at times of heightened security.
 
Surely their on-board crew have access to lifejackets to be worn for certain tasks which would imply that the ferries are always sailing with dangerous goods on board.

Sounds as if they don't want to give other passengers an attack of the vapours by seeing someone wandering about carrying a lifejacket!

Still, their boat, their rules.
 
Don't they know this is the journalists silly season. Do they really want a headline in the Daily Express "Brittany Ferries bans life jackets" illustrated with an image cut from the film Titanic.
 
I have always found the staff at Plymouth very helpful. They are well aware that numbers of sailors use the ferry to get from the UK to France.

I did hold up a night sailing by 15 minutes, red faces all round, as I had taken my kitchen knives with me a few years back. They were held by the crew and returned very promptly when I arrived in Roscoff. On the return journey I just handed them in at reception and collected them in Plymouth. I have no worries about handing things to the crew after all they all work on the sea.
 
jonjo5 said:
Don't they know this is the journalists silly season. Do they really want a headline in the Daily Express "Brittany Ferries bans life jackets" illustrated with an image cut from the film Titanic.
Click to expand...
A posting on the BBC Spotlight Facebook page will spark some interest. A good local story.
 
The funniest development is that while the Port Ops Manager has had the sense to go to his French boss and chat to the MCA, the UK Head of Communications is still insisting that "it is entirely prudent at this time of heightened security - and consistent with the guidance in MGM 545 - to disallow knives and propellant canisters."
 
Remember Comrade, that a State of Emergency exists here in France. everyone is being a little more careful.

Today I was asked to open my bags on going in to the supermarket. A tiny hassle, but re-assuring.
 
Comrade Red said:
The funniest development is that while the Port Ops Manager has had the sense to go to his French boss and chat to the MCA, the UK Head of Communications is still insisting that "it is entirely prudent at this time of heightened security - and consistent with the guidance in MGM 545 - to disallow knives and propellant canisters."
Click to expand...
When getting to Roscoff you will find security at a higher level than usual. All luggage went through a scanner and we were sniffed by a search dog.
 
Comrade Red said:
They have done at Plymouth and Roscoff for 5 years now to my knowledge.

For foot passengers only.

As a car driver you can take what you like on board.
Click to expand...

Ah, that really makes sense, doesn't it? Perhaps they should be paying a bot more attention to the contents of lorries crossing - it would seem to be quite possible for a small army of IS fighters complete with weapons to get aboard in a medium sized lorry hiding behind a few crates.
 
Comrade Red said:
As a car driver you can take what you like on board.
Click to expand...

Which just goes to show how absolutely ridiculous the thing is.

It's perfectly OK to have life jackets with CO2 cylinders (and spares) in your hold luggage on a plane, so why not on a ferry. What possible harm could a CO2 cylinder do.

And I tell you what, if I was on a ferry and had to abandon ship I would certainly be reaching for my lifejacket not the crappy buoyancy aids that are provided by the ferry operators.
 
marklucas said:
Which just goes to show how absolutely ridiculous the thing is.

It's perfectly OK to have life jackets with CO2 cylinders (and spares) in your hold luggage on a plane, so why not on a ferry. What possible harm could a CO2 cylinder do.

And I tell you what, if I was on a ferry and had to abandon ship I would certainly be reaching for my lifejacket not the crappy buoyancy aids that are provided by the ferry operators.
Click to expand...

A CO2 cylinder makes a good charge for a high power gas driven gun
 
To the OP, could you post the gas cylinder?
Or, buy one in France? It's good to have a spare.

Then you can wear your manual-inflation LJ on the crossing, making the other pax wonder if you know something they don't ;)

It's absurd that car drivers can get away with anything but foot pax are searched.
 
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