# Security on ferries



## shingi (Apr 18, 2008)

Not too sure if this has been covered before although I did do a search without much luck.

What security do you think the ferry companies have on board these days? It strikes me that it would be fairly easy to get weapons on the boat seeing as how no pre-boarding searches are carried out. What carnage if that happened to what would be to a captive body of people? I would like to think that they have some armed personnel on board. What do you all think?

Linda


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

well you could say that about any mass form of transport other than planes? Easy to get those same things on to buses, trains etc, as well as ferries.If we give in & say we're not going to travel because some religious nutter MIGHT attack the mode of transport, then they've won.:frown2: And as for carrying weapons or having somebody riding "shotgun", I doubt it!


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## Pat-H (Oct 30, 2009)

Its pretty hard to damage a ferry unless you can get below the waterline (inside or out)
The normal car decks are open so any explosion would have limited effect.


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Pat-H said:


> Its pretty hard to damage a ferry unless you can get below the waterline (inside or out)
> The normal car decks are open so any explosion would have limited effect.


 err, I don't think so, Ro Ro ferries are the most dangerous


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## shingi (Apr 18, 2008)

I was thinking more in terms of nutters wearing suicide vests and shooting passengers when there is nowhere to go!


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

shingi said:


> I was thinking more in terms of nutters wearing suicide vests and shooting passengers when there is nowhere to go!


Wide open and easy to do, same for the tunnel:frown2:


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

Grath said:


> Wide open and easy to do, same for the tunnel:frown2:


Same for the shopping centre, school, football stadium, theatre, train, bus, market, church, cinema - even the seaside promenade (as has just been proved).

So what do we do - stay in bed all day?

PS: Don't forget to check under the mattress before you go to bed tonight. :wink2:


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

As we have just sadly witnessed, if someone is determined to cause trouble, it does not take a great deal of material to do so - one 20 tonne lorry driven by a terrorist with no regard for humanity and deliberately choosing children is impossible to guard against.

We recently crossed via the "vomit comet" from Cherbourg to Portsmouth and we were NEVER checked in any way.....

We have been searched before at Plymouth, at Portsmouth and at Dover and Calais but often by HMRC looking for excessive alcohol.

We were checked at Calais for stowaways - they even came inside the MH and asked us "where would you hide someone?" AFTER looking in the fridge....... The above cab bed was full of wine and detergent but they could not be bothered to look behind it.....

Cursory is the understatement when we have been checked..... we once came back via Dover during a Customs "Work to Rule" and were all set to be searched until the Officer recognised my family name asked me a couple of questions about where I was raised and what my father did (teacher), he then said "he was the one person who really encouraged me and I owe my position here to his encouragement!" followed by "Off you go, have a nice day", while the next vehicle in front and behind were being unloaded etc......

But other than that, we have ever had any real problems and have crossed the channel literally once or twice a year at least for at least 45 years......

Dave


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

gaspode said:


> Same for the shopping centre, school, football stadium, theatre, train, bus, market, church, cinema - even the seaside promenade (as has just been proved).
> 
> So what do we do - stay in bed all day?
> 
> PS: Don't forget to check under the mattress before you go to bed tonight. :wink2:


gaspode, I said wide open and easy to do!, I did not in the slightest imply or say it would stop me doing anything. A person just has to be aware:grin2:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Penquin said:


> EDITED
> We have been searched before at Plymouth, at Portsmouth and at Dover and Calais but often by HMRC looking for excessive alcohol.
> 
> AFTER looking in the fridge....... The above cab bed was full of wine and detergent but they could not be bothered to look behind it.....
> Dave


Err what is the limit on detergent these days Dave?

Ok I'll go now.


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Regarding port checks and custom searches, during my trucking days, which involved about 60 ferry crossings per year, I have has so many searches, some serious, some not so, that I could not remember details!
One I do remember when I was transporting some large valuable machinery on a flat trailer which was triple sheeted. I had to completely remove the three sheets so they could check the machine:surprise: That was no joke!
Also, many times, had security crawl over the top of the load, to check for illegals.
Had Customs check inside the van, and on our way out of the Country. They asked had we any knifes!:serious::grin2: then looked in the cutlery draw:serious:
I would imagine, anybody who has crossed frequently would have similar experiences!


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Grath said:


> Regarding port checks and custom searches, during my trucking days, which involved about 60 ferry crossings per year, I have has so many searches, some serious, some not so, that I could not remember details!
> One I do remember when I was transporting some large valuable machinery on a flat trailer which was triple sheeted. I had to completely remove the three sheets so they could check the machine:surprise: That was no joke!
> Also, many times, had security crawl over the top of the load, to check for illegals.
> Had Customs check inside the van, and on our way out of the Country. They asked had we any knifes!:serious::grin2: then looked in the cutlery draw:serious:
> I would imagine, anybody who has crossed frequently would have similar experiences!


I thought I'd had a lot of different jobs, but by heck you seem to have had some very interesting ones Graham   what others have you done?


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> I thought I'd had a lot of different jobs, but by heck you seem to have had some very interesting ones Graham   what others have you done?


Not sure where you get that from Kev.
I have only had three forms of career. 
1 Boats, served time as Boatbuilder, then progressed into sales and Branch Management.
2 International Trucking, including working for a large semi trailer manufacture.
3 Transport Management.

Some were interesting at times, and some were not
How about you?


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Grath said:


> Not sure where you get that from Kev.
> I have only had three forms of career.
> 1 Boats, served time as Boatbuilder, then progressed into sales and Branch Management.
> 2 International Trucking, including working for a large semi trailer manufacture.
> ...


I seem to have read in the last few days of all kinds of jobs, one this morning at Mira I think, on MPG, so perhaps part of your duties in and amongst the others.

Mine would bore you as they did me, hence lots of them, I was okay once I got into driving about 20 years ago, stuck with that one


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> I seem to have read in the last few days of all kinds of jobs, one this morning at Mira I think, on MPG, so perhaps part of your duties in and amongst the others.
> 
> Mine would bore you as they did me, hence lots of them, I was okay once I got into driving about 20 years ago, stuck with that one


I see you jumped to a wrong conclusion Kev:serious:
When I was working for the semi trailer manufacture, I used to go to MIRA as they were involved with MPG tests of the Tear Drop trailers


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Grath said:


> I see you jumped to a wrong conclusion Kev:serious:
> When I was working for the semi trailer manufacture, I used to go to MIRA as they were involved with MPG tests of the Tear Drop trailers


I often do the jumping thing, (more of a shuffle these days though) other peoples jobs always seemed more interesting than mine though.


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> I often do the jumping thing, (more of a shuffle these days though) other peoples jobs always seemed more interesting than mine though.


I am not sure if my jobs were interesting, I suppose they were to me, but to some others, they may not have been. But for me, they were fun, sometimes!
I have been very lucky in part, as I have mostly enjoyed my work, and when I did not, I moved on! For instance, I decided that boat sales, or any kind of sales was getting false, I started to not enjoy my boating, it was work, even when I was out with my family, so I took a long European break, and started International Trucking after that. I wanted to see places!
I could not just do a job for money, as that would be a waste of my life! Not easy for everybody as money is needed to live
Anyway Kev, what has my jobs got to do with security on ferry's?


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Grath said:


> I am not sure if my jobs were interesting, I suppose they were to me, but to some others, they may not have been. But for me, they were fun, sometimes!
> I have been very lucky in part, as I have mostly enjoyed my work, and when I did not, I moved on! For instance, I decided that boat sales, or any kind of sales was getting false, I started to not enjoy my boating, it was work, even when I was out with my family, so I took a long European break, and started International Trucking after that. I wanted to see places!
> I could not just do a job for money, as that would be a waste of my life! Not easy for everybody as money is needed to live
> Anyway Kev, what has my jobs got to do with security on ferry's?


Nothing at all, but I didn't think it worth a PM or new thread


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

We've been over on ferries quite a few times, Sweden about 8 trips, Norway once, Holland 12 times, Spain 3 times. Greece-Italy once.

Only been checked once in all those trips.

Given that all modern ferries have comprehensive CCTV coverage, and you still have to go through customs and police checks, I feel pretty secure, sinking a 65000 tonne ferry is not going to be easy, and the numbers on board at the dates we travel are low.

I'd feel more vulnerable in the Chunnel.

Peter


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> Err what is the limit on detergent these days Dave?


I could say there was a black market for such things, but if the detergent was any good it would be a white market wouldn't it....?:grin2:

That was in the days when Persil Automatic (name dropping) was about 1/3 of the price in France c/w the UK, in France they did it in 20kg boxes which were unheard of in the UK...... so we always stocked up for the year (our washing machine ran 3 times a day as the kids were always getting filthy as they were playing outside - no screen time then.......

I cannot remember how many swimming pools our son started digging in our garden - and not always in the same place :serious:

Dave


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Thanks Dave I did wonder why.


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

Grath said:


> gaspode, I said wide open and easy to do!, I did not in the slightest imply or say it would stop me doing anything. A person just has to be aware:grin2:


Slight misunderstanding there I think. 

I was aiming the comments at the O/P not yourself. 0


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## Jamsieboy (Jan 14, 2011)

Getting on off the UK France/Spain ferries involves an element of "getting through" some checks. Risky for the bad guys.

Much easier targets I would have thought as Nice has proved.
London Bus
London Underground.
As sorts of "softer" targets around for those so inclined I am afraid.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Looks like they have been planning for it for a while. https://driveeuropenews.com/2015/11/24/ferry-security/

And talk of Sea Marshalls. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...erries-at-risk-from-jihadi-terror-attack.html

Cant say it worries me but I would rather be on the ferry than the tunnel if anything happened. I cant run but I can probably swim further and faster than the rest of the passengers.


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## shingi (Apr 18, 2008)

We came through Calais yesterday. A fair few French soldiers checking vehicles and car boots etc., although we were waved through in the motorhome unsearched. The ferry was quite full and, call me a wimp if you like but I sat very near to the outside deck doors as I'd rather jump overboard that face something like that. And to think, we're doing it all again in two weeks!
Linda


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## Carl_n_Flo (May 10, 2005)

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/calais-sec...lligence-warnings-isis-attack-ferries-1573376


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

There is so much unfounded speculation in that article that I am disinclined to take any notice of it.

Scaremongering to the nth degree.

Even though we are off to France in a fortnight.


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

news today

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/re...ity-exercise-on-cross-channel-ferry-1-7504668


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

bognormike said:


> news today
> 
> http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/re...ity-exercise-on-cross-channel-ferry-1-7504668


Twas on TV news this morning!:grin2:


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Well thats all very well but......

How long would it take to actually muster the required personnel and get them to a ferry in mid channel??

What would be their chances of getting safely onto the deck if there was some nutter(s) running amok on the exterior decking armed with automatic weapons? Is any helicopter going to be armed?

Watch this video to see just how easy it is for a nutter to carry a full sized assault rifle and 240+ rounds of ammo whilst wearing JUST jeans and a T shirt!

Worrying or what ???






Andy


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Yes Andy is right. The sbs etc might be trained up to retake a ship on the move but that probably assumes its a piracy or hijack job not some idiot going berserk with an Ak47. It would be too late. 

The only safe way is to have an armed presence on every ship and that won't happen until ones been wiped out sadly. 

Don't worry about it.


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## DBSS (Jun 30, 2013)

What I want to know is which ferry they used for the SKY news report about the French putting armed marshals aboard. Never seen one so empty and at this time of the year..


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

DBSS said:


> What I want to know is which ferry they used for the SKY news report about the French putting armed marshals aboard. Never seen one so empty and at this time of the year..


I can't tell you which ferry featured in the Sky news report but the actual ferry that had French armed police helicoptered in was the Brittany Ferries 'Mont St. Michel'. At this time of year on the Portsmouth-Caen route you would expect the ferry to be pretty full so maybe Sky used footage that they already had on file.


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## Carl_n_Flo (May 10, 2005)

The ferry used in the Sky report video was the Stena Superfast VII. Not a French ferry and currently used on the Irish Sea services.
At the time of the video (no idea when it was shot) she might have been running on the Rosslare to Cherbourg route.


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