# Portsmouth - Santander 28/01 sailing brought forward



## jonasw19 (Jun 11, 2010)

We were phoned last night to inform us that the Portsmouth - Santander 28/01 sailing has been brought forward to 10pm 27/01.

Reason bad weather in the Bay of Biscay. So we now have 2 nights on the ferry. Off to take a bucket of anti seasick pills.
No implications for us as we are nearly packed.

Anyone else travelling on the Pont Aven?

jon


----------



## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Hints from an old sea-dog.

Do NOT travel on an empty stomach.

Do NOT lie down athwartships, ensure you are fore-aft.

DO try and keep the horizon in view and concentrate on that.

DO get as much fresh air as possible.

If you see/hear/smell other passengers calling for their friend BURT or HUGHEY then get as far away from them as practicable as it is catching!

Mind over matter - be positive, sea-sickness is NOT inevitable.

Oh, and did I tell you - KEEP EATING!!

Bland food - don't go for the greasy fry-up.

Bon voyage.


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

A few more hints....

the stern moves less than the bows so unless you like roller coasters, sit out in the fresh air at the back as you will feel the waves much less...

Take the anti-seasick pills a couple of hours before the scheduled departure to give them time to be absorbed and build up concentration.

I also would agree to eat regularly, and agree bland food rather than fried gunge.

As was said, it is mind over matter, if you don't mind it won't matter...

Make sure that everything in your MH is well secured - it may well roll around if the seas are bad, so ensure that the fridge is clipped shut with perhaps a heavy flat weight in front of the door.....

Do not leave ANYTHING loose on the sides or in the bathroom - otherwise you will probably find them all on the floor when you are allowed back to the vehicle.

Check the vehicle over outside when you get back to it - just in case anything has been bouncing around during the voyage..... If so take many pictures before you move, showing other vehicles and location etc..... BF will undoubtedly deny all liability but..... your insurance company may well need such things

Enjoy the journey - I would as I have done similar trips before..... with BF..... at least the restaurants will not be packed.....

Dave


----------



## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

Heard of HUGHEY before but not BURT!!

I like that one!


----------



## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

In terms of vertical displacement if the ship is pitching midships moves less than both bow and stern, although all the ship pitches the same degree.

If it is rolling, in a beam sea, the angular change is the same all over the ship, but the actual movement is less in the centre of the ship than close to the side.

Sometimes the worst is a combination of pitching and rolling, producing a corkscrew effect, but again somewhat less in the middle of the ship.

Although generally the advice is to avoid alcohol, from my experience on Greek ferries I have found that an Ouzo with water and sipped slowly seems to settle the stomach, so maybe a cognac, with soda, might do the same, but don't blame me if it doesn't.

I hope you can avoid the seascikness.

Bon Voyage

Geoff


----------



## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

There is a discussion (of sorts) about this on the Brittany Ferries Enthusiasts Forum. Given that sea conditions in the Bay of Biscay over the next few days are not forecast to be particularly bad, it has been suggested that commercial expediency is perhaps the reason for the change in timetable. Etretat's sailing to Bilbao was cancelled due to "unforeseen technical issues" and yet she apparently sailed to Le Havre last night with freight on board. The suggestion is that BF have amalgamated the cancelled Bilbao sailing with Pont Aven's sailing to Santander and the sailing time has been split down the middle. All of this is my long winded way of saying that you may not have such a bad crossing after all! 

Caulkhead


----------



## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

pippin said:


> Hints from an old sea-dog.
> 
> Do NOT travel on an empty stomach.
> 
> ...


athwartships??? Now that's a good'un did you make it up, Pippin? No, I just google'd it. I'm gonna dine out on that one! "Husband, if you must insist on sleeping athwartships, I'll just have to go to the spare room!" We love outfoxing each other with our superior vocabularies. Now I'm one up again!


----------



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

Eurotunnel or Nautamine 

Trev

Oddly, I dreamt last night that Etretat had been damaged in a Storm!


----------



## jonasw19 (Jun 11, 2010)

Dozens of MH on board.
Pompy harbour dead calm. Now having the evacuation procedures. 
This is easy, what can possibly go wrong?

Off to bunk.


----------



## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

I'm on the 2nd Feb sailing heading back home from Santander to Portsmouth . . . I sincerely hope it's not cancelled . . Or rough - I kinda like fried food but not splattered over my shoes


----------



## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

jonasw19 said:


> Dozens of MH on board.
> Pompy harbour dead calm. Now having the evacuation procedures.
> This is easy, what can possibly go wrong?
> 
> Off to bunk.


Pompey is always calm - summat to do with the Isle of Wight.

Dunno what though. :roll:

Just wait until it isn't in the way any more. :wink:


----------



## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

jonasw19 said:


> Dozens of MH on board.
> Pompy harbour dead calm. Now having the evacuation procedures.
> This is easy, what can possibly go wrong?
> 
> Off to bunk.


I can imagine some rather unsavoury evacuation procedures.......


----------



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

Well Pont Aven is gently slipping between Ushant and the Breton coast. Perfect time for breakfast.

Trev


----------



## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

There is only one worse thing at sea to being athwartships and that is getting pooped.


----------



## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

pippin said:


> There is only one worse thing at sea to being athwartships and that is getting pooped.


Oh I think being 'pitch-poled' could be worse'

Pippin, if the audience does not understand 'athwartships' we might be in danger of losing them with 'salty' vocabulary and told to 'Get Off'!

Geoff


----------

