# Safety while camping on deck to Greece



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

We very much enjoyed our camping on deck experience between Ancona and Patra and were lucky to get window pitches both ways with no effort on our part. On the outward trip in early April there were very few of us but coming back in mid-May it was much busier especially after the Igoumenitsa people got on at 10.30 pm. In summer I imagine the deck is full.

Two things concerned me and I’d be interested in comments from others who have made this trip.

1.	Despite a- smallish- notice banning it and the provision of 10 amp electric hook ups there were still people using gas for cooking and fridges. They made no attempt to hide this as their doors were open and the smell of cooking and of exhaust gas from their external vents was obvious. The crew members detailed to keep an eye on our goings-on were too busy hiding in corners behind the lorries for a smoke or chatting on their mobiles.

2.	Vans were packed very close together in lines. Because of bike racks, trailers, odd attachments on the back of vans and sticking-out wing mirrors it required planning just to move around the deck. I stll have the scars....

There was a sprinkler system but how effective it would be against a gas leak or ignition I don’t know. Because of the way vans were packed it would not be easy to escape from such an incident.

Such an accident has not- to my knowledge- happened up to now but that is not to say it could not do so. Should I write to the ferry company and point out my fears or am I just being too imaginative ?

G


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