New to forum (Ireland)

[jaws100]

Hi, everyone I'm new to this forum so just thought I'd say hello from Ireland.  

Up to very recently it was not possible to hire a motorcycle in Ireland but now it is. Just thought I'd post this new motorcycle website here for all to see. I have no connection to this company nor do I know how good their service is.  
http://www.motorental.ie/services.htm

[sicheneder4]

 Hello & welcome

[2006FJR]

Glad to see you and welcome. I was in Ireland lsat year for about a week and had a wonderful time. It is a motorcycle paradise with all of the roads and scenery.

[Cpl Punishment]

Ireland is stunning. Nice to have you with us. However, Ant is best placed on ignore straightaway. He's English and very, very troublesome.  

[Orson]

Hi, everyone I'm new to this forum so just thought I'd say hello from Ireland.  

Up to very recently it was not possible to hire a motorcycle in Ireland but now it is. Just thought I'd post this new motorcycle website here for all to see. I have no connection to this company nor do I know how good their service is.  
http://www.motorental.ie/services.htm

this is good to know.

I've heard some horror stories about the ferry crossing  

might be best just to fly in and hire a bike  

Thanks for the info and welcome  

[jaws100]

this is good to know.

I've heard some horror stories about the ferry crossing  

might be best just to fly in and hire a bike  

Thanks for the info and welcome  

Hi Orson,
I would love to hear some of the horror stories about the ferry crossings, so that I could recommend the best & easiest ferry crossing to Ireland . I have no connection to any ferry company.
Anyway just if you would like to, mind !.

[Orson]

Hi Orson,
I would love to hear some of the horror stories about the ferry crossings, so that I could recommend the best & easiest ferry crossing to Ireland . I have no connection to any ferry company.
Anyway just if you would like to, mind !.

I've heard that it's one of the roughest ferry crossings in the world.

There was a Moto Guzzi rally in Ireland. On the way back to the UK, the ferry was hit by a rogue wave and a few of the bikes were knocked over despite them being tied down   Only minor damage but still gives one visions of the Poseidon Adventure  

[FJR-UK]

I would love to hear some of the horror stories about the ferry crossings…

I bought a roundtrip ticket on the Fishguard to Rosslare ferry crossing many years ago. It's a two-hour crossing when the sea cooperates. The ferry arrived two hours late and never should have been allowed to leave the port again that day, but send us they did. Because we were so late, they didn't bother to clean to vomit off the decks (or anywhere else) from the previous crossing.

We went up and down more than forward. They had to raise the stabilizers, because they were afraid they'd shear off otherwise. The crossing took four hours.

I sat on the aft deck just outside the door, sucked in the sea breeze and kept my eyes on the horizon. We watched a father open the door wide enough to hold his child out the door so he could vomit on the deck. A minute later, we watched as a man who had previously been vomiting over the rail, swayed across the deck to enter the back door. He slipped on the child's vomit and landed on his back in the pool of puke.

The chap I was sitting next to wanted to discuss what we had just witnessed. As soon as I took my eyes off the horizon, I felt ill. I staggered to the rail on the starboard side and make a novice mistake: I vomited into the wind. I wear glasses. I couldn't see, so I went inside the cabin to find a sink to wash my glasses. The stench was overpowering.

In the bathroom, all the sinks were full of vomit, but I tried to clean my specs anyway. They were clean enough now that I could see why the stench in the main cabin was so bad. It was like the Simpsons, except everybody was green instead of yellow. (You think I'm kidding, right?)

I didn't stop vomiting until the ferry docked. It was a nightmare out of H. Bosch.

The day I caught the return ferry, the Irish Sea was a millpond. I've made three roundtrips from Fishguard. Only one crossing was bad.

[traveler]

I bought a roundtrip ticket on the Fishguard to Rosslare ferry crossing many years ago. It's a two-hour crossing when the sea cooperates. The ferry arrived two hours late and never should have been allowed to leave the port again that day, but send us they did. Because we were so late, they didn't bother to clean to vomit off the decks (or anywhere else) from the previous crossing.

We went up and down more than forward. They had to raise the stabilizers, because they were afraid they'd shear off otherwise. The crossing took four hours.

I sat on the aft deck just outside the door, sucked in the sea breeze and kept my eyes on the horizon. We watched a father open the door wide enough to hold his child out the door so he could vomit on the deck. A minute later, we watched as a man who had previously been vomiting over the rail, swayed across the deck to enter the back door. He slipped on the child's vomit and landed on his back in the pool of puke.

The chap I was sitting next to wanted to discuss what we had just witnessed. As soon as I took my eyes off the horizon, I felt ill. I staggered to the rail on the starboard side and make a novice mistake: I vomited into the wind. I wear glasses. I couldn't see, so I went inside the cabin to find a sink to wash my glasses. The stench was overpowering.

In the bathroom, all the sinks were full of vomit, but I tried to clean my specs anyway. They were clean enough now that I could see why the stench in the main cabin was so bad. It was like the Simpsons, except everybody was green instead of yellow. (You think I'm kidding, right?)

I didn't stop vomiting until the ferry docked. It was a nightmare out of H. Bosch.

The day I caught the return ferry, the Irish Sea was a millpond. I've made three roundtrips from Fishguard. Only one crossing was bad.

Damn. That story makes me glad I live in a landlocked state, Idaho. Been on a few ferries, though, but nothing to compare with that type of ride.

[Global Rider]

I've heard that it's one of the roughest ferry crossings in the world.

Having experienced the Dover to Calais hovercraft on a very bad day and taking the Euro Tunnel another time, I vote they build a tunnel between  England and Ireland.

[FJR-UK]

I second that.

I've made several rough Channel crossings, but never experienced anything like the Irish Sea. I've been on ferries, hovercraft, sea cats and hydrofoils. The ferry company managed to crack my fairing when they lashed the bike to the bulkhead. The Chunnel is a blessing for bikers.

Nobody asked, but I have a hovercraft story.  

The crossing was pretty rough and we were sitting near the front of the craft. The ferry company offered us complimentary beers to compensate for the ride! Hey, if it's free, it's for me. I declined the glass, preferring to get the liquid straight to my mouth from the can. But, the five French lads in the front seats were not so uncouth.

The hovercraft was probably rising and falling about eight feet at the front. The sight of these five guys trying to pour beers into plastic 'glasses' during an eight foot drop, or trying to raise a full glass to their lips without spilling the beer all over themselves was hysterical.

[FJR-UK]

The ferry arrived two hours late and never should have been allowed to leave the port again that day, but send us they did.

Actually, now I think of it and to be fair to the ferry company: Ours was the last scheduled crossing of the day, and the line was going to shut down for the Easter holiday. A lot of people who'd made Easter holiday plans would have been very disappointed. Also, they warned us that the sea was rough as we were boarding and gave us the option to change our mind and get a refund.

As soon as our ferry docked, I felt fine again. As I was waiting to disembark, I hooked up with three other English bikers who were traveling together. Because it was so late, we all had to find rooms in Rosslare for the night. The English lads asked if I'd like to tag along with them and I was grateful to accept.

We stopped at the first B&B we saw. The leader of the pack went to inquire and came back: Full up. At the next place, the leader came back with the same news. Full.

At the third B&B, I said "Let me go this time." "Why?", he asked. Because I have an American accent.

Sure enough, the lady made room for us. "You'll have to share rooms," she said, and we did.

Ireland is the only country I know where this works.

[Orson]

Also, they warned us that the sea was rough as we were boarding and gave us the option to change our mind and get a refund.

Dang!  

I'd say you got Gilligan beat by a fair margin! Four hours that probably seemed like 12.

I'll keep that in mind if I'm ever offered the option to "change my mind" before boarding a ferry. I'll have to take a good, hard think about it  

[Ralf]

I bought a roundtrip ticket on the Fishguard to Rosslare ferry crossing many years ago. It's a two-hour crossing when the sea cooperates. The ferry arrived two hours late and never should have been allowed to leave the port again that day, but send us they did. Because we were so late, they didn't bother to clean to vomit off the decks (or anywhere else) from the previous crossing.

We went up and down more than forward. They had to raise the stabilizers, because they were afraid they'd shear off otherwise. The crossing took four hours.

I sat on the aft deck just outside the door, sucked in the sea breeze and kept my eyes on the horizon. We watched a father open the door wide enough to hold his child out the door so he could vomit on the deck. A minute later, we watched as a man who had previously been vomiting over the rail, swayed across the deck to enter the back door. He slipped on the child's vomit and landed on his back in the pool of puke.

The chap I was sitting next to wanted to discuss what we had just witnessed. As soon as I took my eyes off the horizon, I felt ill. I staggered to the rail on the starboard side and make a novice mistake: I vomited into the wind. I wear glasses. I couldn't see, so I went inside the cabin to find a sink to wash my glasses. The stench was overpowering.

In the bathroom, all the sinks were full of vomit, but I tried to clean my specs anyway. They were clean enough now that I could see why the stench in the main cabin was so bad. It was like the Simpsons, except everybody was green instead of yellow. (You think I'm kidding, right?)

I didn't stop vomiting until the ferry docked. It was a nightmare out of H. Bosch.

The day I caught the return ferry, the Irish Sea was a millpond. I've made three roundtrips from Fishguard. Only one crossing was bad.

Wow! Good thing my wife wasn't along for that ride. In Teneriffa we once went out for a two-hour boat ride and she got ill about two minutes after boarding, while still in the harbor and with perfectly calm seas.  

[Global Rider]

Nobody asked, but I have a hovercraft story.  

The captain of the Hooverspeed hovercraft said they were at the verge of not going. I recall him saying the waves were 3 meters (10 feet tall), which doesn't sound like a lot to me considering the side of the vessel.

What was supposed to be a 25 minute crossing ended up being 55 minutes. Even with my thousands of hours as a flight instructor teaching students, doing maneuvers (including full spins, etc), I was turning white due to the yawing motion. I didn't toss my cookies though, but I did take a breather at the Calais ferryport. A ferry crossing from St. Barbe, Newfoundland to Blanc Sablon, Quebec was similar. It gets rough in narrow channels.

My Euro Tunnel crossing in 2005 was impressive. I couldn't even tell we were moving till I looked out a window...smooth!

[jaws100]

Bloody hell ! I could nearly start a novel on all the stories. Yep it can get rough on the Irish sea in a blow because of the tidal rush out of the narrow channel. It is the exception rather than the rule, you guys obviously got the exception. I have had nightmarish crossings myself in winter time though rarely in summer. So you see, it is an adventure getting to Ireland.  Yes, a tunnel would be great, hardly likely though !. Personelly myself I nearly always use the Stenna sea cat out of Rosslare to Fishguard, a 1.5 -2hr crossing. Generally it does not sail if their is a serious blow. The bike stowage is good and the trip is fast. I always tie down the bike myself and its never moved. The worst ferry in my mind is Irish ferries who expect you to park your bike beside the bulkheads with poor tie down points. The idea of putting your bike up against a steel hull is not good. Irish Ferries have yet to appreciate that a lot of bikes are as valuable as cars, in some cases more so.

To FJR-UK, I would not agree that your American accent versus British accent makes any differences. In reality some B&B operaters can be nervous of bikers and for that reason only (silly but that's reality). I have got the same reaction myself with an Irish accent. Myself & my wife were in the B&B business ourselves up to last year and she would be hesitant to take bikers at times due to their appearances . Mind you I always intervened and they stayed, but you take my point.

Please can I have some good stories on the ferry crossing now ! please oh! please.  

[Global Rider]

Please can I have some good stories on the ferry crossing now ! please oh! please.  

One day, when I get back over there and take a ride to my old college...Rockwell. I hope the back roads are as twisty as I remember them.

For now, here is a listing of ferrys...
http://www.ferrylines.com/en/routes/ferries-in-the-north-sea

[FJR-UK]

To FJR-UK, I would not agree that your American accent versus British accent makes any differences.

I'm sure you're right and it was just an amazing coincidence. What I was trying to say in my feeble glibness was, Ireland is the only place I've been where the people actually seem to really like Americans. Our B&B landlady even asked if I had any Irish in me. (I couldn't help but think of the same question as asked by Phil Lynott.)

Anyway, I suspect it is because so many Irish have had family members emigrate to America. (Actually, Scotland runs it a close second and probably for the same reason. The phenomenon doesn't necessarily apply to the younger generations, though... )
–––––

The only happy ferry stories I have involve trips from England to Spain.

[jaws100]

The only happy ferry stories I have involve trips from England to Spain.

I have used the Spain to England ferry a couple of times. Last September I travelled on the Pont Evan ferry from Santander to Plymouth, as I was travelling up from Africa on my GS. We sailed into a terrible storm in the bay of Biscay. Motorbikes & cars alike were damaged below decks. We were in the dining room when a rouge wave hit the ferry and shook it like a terrier shaking a rat. All the food on tables went flying across the deck as did passengers. Two glasses of wine from a nearby table ended up in my lap. The buffet bar food trays alike ended up covering the deck. I have crewed as a blue water sailor years ago but my heart rate went up a notch or two that night I tell you and the Pont Evan ferry is big, very big.

So much for the good stories I requested.  

[jaws100]

One day, when I get back over there and take a ride to my old college...Rockwell. I hope the back roads are as twisty as I remember them.

Yep, the backroads are still the same albeit with a lot less potholes. Actually Rockwell is not far from me (some of my nephews attended also), about 60km. So, let me know if your coming an I'll put the kettle on.