How to dock a Greek Ferry in a gale.
- Thread starter Davy_S
- Start date
Boathook
Well-Known Member
A bit different. Would Dover allow it !
Spyro
Well-Known Member
Absolutely incredible. Not the docking but the free for all with people and cars and lorries all getting on and off at the same time. No H&S considered. Lucky no one was washed under the wheels of a vehicle.
DJE
Well-Known Member
I reckon they were lucky to get away with that without any injuries or worse.
lefkasman
Well-Known Member
Such faith in the holding power of the bow anchors, amazing. but how about all that corrosive salt water on the cars bikes and trucks, can you imagine health and safety in the UK though would it ever be allowed.
ProDave
Well-Known Member
I had similar on the little Cromarty to Nigg ferry, docking on the slipway at Cromarty.
It took him 3 goes to get the ferry up to the slip. My instruction from the motor man, were: when I wave my arm "you go for it"
It took him 3 goes to get the ferry up to the slip. My instruction from the motor man, were: when I wave my arm "you go for it"
30boat
N/A
Absolutely crazy.The captain knows his business but the guy behind the camera definitely doesn't. That must be the worst bit of filming I've ever seen.I had to move the cursor forward several times to avoid getting seasick.
Tony Cross
Well-Known Member
It's not all that unusual and whilst it is chaotic and would never be allowed in the UK you have to remember that for many islands these ferries are their only contact with the outside world. Look at all the travelers whose plans would have been disrupted had the ferry not attempted a docking. The skippers on these boats are well practiced at this kind of thing.....
I've also seen some cruise ships docking here in Agios Nikolaos in conditions that scared the hell out of me. I even saw one cruise ship attempt to dock downwind and watched carefully how he was doing it in case I could learn something. There was another cruise ship already docked in the berth ahead of his (there's room for two cruise ships at a time here). He was desperately trying to push his bow towards the dock and into the wind both with his thrusters and engines as he was swept constantly downwind. He finally realised that he wasn't going to make it and aborted, sliding past the docked cruise ship with what looked like scant feet to spare!
I've also seen some cruise ships docking here in Agios Nikolaos in conditions that scared the hell out of me. I even saw one cruise ship attempt to dock downwind and watched carefully how he was doing it in case I could learn something. There was another cruise ship already docked in the berth ahead of his (there's room for two cruise ships at a time here). He was desperately trying to push his bow towards the dock and into the wind both with his thrusters and engines as he was swept constantly downwind. He finally realised that he wasn't going to make it and aborted, sliding past the docked cruise ship with what looked like scant feet to spare!
Matelot Joe
Well-Known Member
Never mind, they are fellow EU club members now, it can only get better...
TQA
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Good seamanship all round. But these guys do it day after day winter and summer. Bit like the Scottish ferries. Well MAYBE!
Matelot Joe
Well-Known Member
Brave people maybe ! Good is not the word I would use, more like a dress rehearsal for hell, passengers running between two way of control heavy traffic and being swept by waves.
HELLO!
Vega1447
Well-Known Member
That's not poor seamanship, it's down to the company operating procedures...
The master got the ferry docked without breaking anything...
oldbilbo
...
I seem to recall getting the big CalMac inter-island ferries onto the ro-ro berth at Oban in a well-developed NW gale and scend, using bow anchors to swing and stop, is something of a spectator sport....
Getting them off again is also full of interest!
Getting them off again is also full of interest!
Matelot Joe
Well-Known Member
Sorry, but I beg to disagree with your interpretation of what is good seamanship and brainless abuse of public safety, and the only reason for that is cost.
WoodyP
Well-Known Member
I think I would have been booking in for another day in the hotel.
Uricanejack
Well-Known Member
I think I should send this to my risk assessment team.
Good ship handeling.
No apparent seamanship anywhere
Obviously the Greek Island Ferry System has learned a great deal and improved significantly in the wake of the football game and the Ferry hitting the light house.
Good ship handeling.
No apparent seamanship anywhere
Obviously the Greek Island Ferry System has learned a great deal and improved significantly in the wake of the football game and the Ferry hitting the light house.
[70521]
Well-Known Member
+1
interloper
Well-Known Member
The Greek ferry system probably operates more ships on more routes than any other ferry system in Europe. Even northern European countries periodically have ferry disasters.
One of the safety precautions that have been in place for many years on Greek ferries is that there are no bow doors. All vehicles load and unload through the rear doors. The usual procedure is for vehicles to back into the ferry so that they are going forward when exiting. No doubt as a concession to the weather, the vehicles boarded the ferry in the video travelling forward.
One of the safety precautions that have been in place for many years on Greek ferries is that there are no bow doors. All vehicles load and unload through the rear doors. The usual procedure is for vehicles to back into the ferry so that they are going forward when exiting. No doubt as a concession to the weather, the vehicles boarded the ferry in the video travelling forward.
Tony Cross
Well-Known Member
What may not be fully appreciated is that there are over 70 Greek islands with a permanent resident population over 100 people (there are over 200 islands with at least one permanent resident). Even those few islands with an airport depend on the ferries for the delivery of most goods and produce.
Crete, for example, has three commercial airports (one shared with the military) and yet almost all inbound and outbound produce goes by ferry. Many foot passengers choose to travel by ferry, as do all cars of course. And that's on the largest Greek island. For most of the smaller islands the ferry is their only link with the outside world. It is not stretching a point to say that without the ferries many people on small islands would starve.
It is an essential service and the ferry crews know this, that's why they will make every attempt to dock, even in conditions such as we saw here. I don't think they're anymore foolhardy than some of the old clipper skippers who would sail through storm and tempest to break some record or other.
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
Well-Known Member
These Ferries support the Island communities daily, winter and summer, come rain come shine. Seas can be very rough for weeks on end; their job is to dock the Ferries and provide the service free of incidence; and somehow they manage to do it hassle free, keeping the communities alive. I know, I grew up there.