Extremely Rough Seas! Douglas to Liverpool on the Isle of Man Steam Packet Manannan
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- Опубликовано: 6 июн 2024
- Heavy swells in the Irish Sea for my journey back to Liverpool with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's HSC Manannan. I'm normally pretty good with boats though I must admit I felt a bit queasy myself on this trip. Mind you, a lot of people weren't so fortunate! When you're told to stay in your seats, you know it's going to be rough, though one we made it to the relative shelter of the North Wales coast, it did calm down a bit.
In this video, I'll show you around the boat, the route, some of the scenery you'll see on the way and the price.
As always guys, your support is very much appreciated. Likes, comments and subs are all very welcome and thank you very much for taking the time to watch my content.
Cheers for now.
Mark
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📖Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:00 - Douglas Sea Terminal
02:18 - Boarding the ship
04:16 - Leaving Douglas
06:38 - Getting rough!
08:10 - Back out on deck
09:28 - Interior Tour
11:35 - Views from the upper deck
13:29 - Summary
14:48 - Arriving at Liverpool
Picture Credits:
Route Map: OpenStreetMap (annotated)
This just reinforces my life mantra……..”The sea is only for flying over!”
I crossed from Dublin to Liverpool with my father in 1975. It was the worst before or since to date. I went on deck and waves were crashing as high as the bridge. They advised people to keep off the deck. Then they advised people not to move around the ship at all. With great difficulty like a stringless puppet, I found my way back to the bar. Everyone was lying on the floor. furniture was moving around. The only person standing was my Dad clutching a pint of Guinness and hanging onto the bar.
What a hero!
Absolute legend ❤
Sounds very similar to my journey from Holyhead to Dublin in 1998. We travelled straight into the remnants of Hurricane Mitch, the biggest hurricane ever on record in the USA, after the ferry company buckled to people pressing them to send a boat out. In hindsight, I'm glad they did, because that journey is still as vivid in my head as it was 25 years ago. Replace your Dad with my mate Paul, and the pint of Guinness for a four pint pitcher of lager, and we're about there.
The journey took three hours longer than usual as we had to go with the current until we found somewhere calm enough to turn. We never found calmer waters and so the captain came over the tannoy and told us all to hold on as he was about to turn the ship. The crash of the keel as we did so put the fear of good into 99% of the passengers, thankfully a few of us were well oiled by this point which took the edge off. Seeing the lights along the Liffey was a relief though, I can't lie!
Good on your Dad!
Having spent 42 years in the merchant navy my tips on avoiding sea sickness would be, you need to believe you will not be sick and occupy your mind in a positive way. Avoid people who are being sick and go out side for a wander but mindful of violent rolling or pitching which can cause some nasty injuries. Hope these comments are helpful and good luck on all your future voyages.
Cheers Gordon, thanks for the tips. Yep tbh, I was surprised there wasn’t anyone else on deck apart from me. The other thing I’ve been on crossings where they’ve stopped people going out, I guess it’s a H&S thing but I totally agree, I’d much rather be outside in these situations. There was a noticeable whiff in the air inside!
My dad was an officer in the merchant navy,he always got seasick🤷♂️
@@Man_fay_the_Bru extreme dedication 👍
yeah it was seeing other people throwing up that made me feel queasy but was still entertaining at the expense of the poor sods
I love stormy seas! I take QM2 in the winter to experience them.....nearly everyone in the bow of the ship was seasick but I loved it!
I lived in the Isle of Man for several years in the 1960s, went to school there etc, and took the Douglas/Liverpool ferry many times, mostly with my parents. However the roughest crossing I recall was one I took on my own at about 17 years visiting a university for an interview etc. At lunch I was almost the only passenger eating a meal, most were lying around groaning or being sick. I’ve fortunately never suffered from seasickness and indeed have always had a pretty normal appetite on board ships, whatever the weather. Happy sailing 🚢 😂👍😆.
Hi Bill, cheers for the comment. Yep I don’t really suffer from it to the extent where I need to ask for a sick bag. However, my appetite definitely disappeared once we were out of the bay. Thought it best to leave lunch (and tea) until dry land!
@@LetsMakeaTrip Roughest crossing I endured was on a tiny ferry called 'Falaise'..Bleurgh. Dieppe to Folkestone as a child It was far rougher than this, BUT this vessel you were on looked like it wasn't very stable. Is it a sea cat type thing? they are notoriously horrible.
Transderm Scōp is effective on a rough sea.
@@LetsMakeaTrip Nasty roll on that ship. No wonder people felt ill.
Fadó fadó myself and 3 friends decided to check out the Isle of Man for a week, so took the ferry (from Dun Laoighaire, if memory serves - i'm probably wrong). Boy, that was one rough crossing - personally, I’ve never been seasick so wasn’t bothered. However, the other 3 spent a large part of the trip looking over the side (chumming the fishies, so to speak). So, during my ramble (gotta love rambling around the vessel) I checked out the café - VERY few folks dining there. I went for burger ‘n chips and was advised it was free/complimentary (due to so few passengers availing of the café t’wud essentially go to waste) - probably one of the best scoffs I’ve ever had (not because it was ‘comp’, rather it was just so nice. So I had another one - tasty!). Found the lads (seated) and once I started to tell them where I’d been, they each went a healthy shade of (emerald?) green and scarpered back to the deck (faster than Roadrunner zipping past Wile E. Coyote). Now, I usually enjoy the actual travel as part of any trip and sure did this time but never appreciated just how much seasickness takes out of us (zero energy left for quite some time afterwards, by all accounts). Different strokes for different folks, eh? Still, the return trip was smooth as glass. Happy daze (and a fantastic time was had by all).
@@LetsMakeaTrip ...i went on the Seacat Liverpool to dublin.... thought the boat was going to capsize.... they even ran out of sick bags.... everyone complained and the boat was taken outta service to be fitted with stabilizers
midship /lower down is closer to ships pivot point makes for less motion, like a see saw works. :)
Enjoyed this video, and it's cemented my want to make a return trip from Liverpool to Douglas. I see the Manannan a few times a day living practically opposite the ferry terminal (and directly opposite the new one), and I love the look of the vessel. Looking forward to a photography trip to the Isle Of Man soon as a birthday treat to myself in September! Thanks for the video, informative, entertaining and useful.
Cheers Paul and enjoy the IoM. I did 😊👍
thanks for sharing -brings back happy memories - i worked on the IOM for many summers when in my twenties - now 60. The best part was when the ferry was a rough crossing it was pure entertainment watching most people being sick and lying on the floor, couldn't stop laughing as I never understood sea sickness, now if that turbulence was on an plane I would have soiled myself - that large crown which is offices now used to be a restaurant called the crow’s nest where I worked behind the bar, very posh in it’s day. Paul in Bournemouth
Cheers Paul, yes it’s funny that I know people who are fine in the air but not at sea (and vice versa). Glad you enjoyed the video 😊👍
Happy New Year. I was on that boat sailing from Liverpool to the Douglas Isle of Man and back again to Liverpool.. Myself mum and grandma had seats in the reserved lounge. The outgoing and return crossings last June were lovely and smooth. I stood out on the back Deck out in the Irish sea and when it went into the River Mersey and i stayed there taking pictures whilst come back into Liverpool. The Isle of Man Steam packet an excellent company.
Cheers Bobby, same to you mate. Yes the approach into Liverpool was lovely even on my crossing, in the dark. I would definitely want to do this crossing in the summer. But I guess you never know what you’re going to find. A couple of weeks ago, I was in the notorious Bay of Biscay and that was like a millpond!
Nice one Mark! The things you do to keep us armchair travellers informed and amused is great! Regards. Blair.
Cheers Blair, glad you enjoyed it 😊👍
I delivered the COVID vaccine to the IOM during the pandemic. Had some much rougher crossings than that on the conventional ferry or the freighter service that the Steam Packet runs in winter. One evening I boarded the ferry in a gale and was absolutely starvin' Marvin because I'd spent the day on the isolation quay in Douglas due to the strict quarantine rules. I was the only customer in the restaurant. The hostess said: "Do you want a sick bag love?" I said, "No, I want cheese burger and chips and a bottle of beer". The plate was sliding one way across the table, the bottle the other, by the time I'd trapped them both I had no hands left to actually eat the meal. Did the Ministry of Silly Walks back to the cabin as the boat pitched about rather violently but arrived safely in Heysham in the morning. Happy days!
Haha, great story mate. Did you manage to finish the burger!?! I’m not sure I’d have done that, even though I was starving,I’d be waiting until I survived and got my feet on terra firma tbh!
@@LetsMakeaTrip Of course I finished it - and the beer. I could have eaten it twice!
I've done this Journey i love Liverpool
So do I mate 😊
@@LetsMakeaTrip so do i
Loved this video. I have done many day trips (on the Ferry) to the I-O-M in the 70's and have sailed in some pretty awful weather too, so I feel for you on this trip, The Irish Sea can be really bad at times. Good to see the catamaran Ferry. Really enjoyed your video.
This reminded me of my crossing from St Malo, France, to St Helier, Jersey. That was supposed to be cancelled due to the weather and rough seas, but they decided it would be fine. The ferry was swaying all over and you could see the water in the port windows. It was an experience and I was so pleased to reach land. I think I kissed the ground like the pope when I reached St Helier lol. Great video, Mark. Working my way through all the others. 👍 Andy.
Worst trip I had by boat was the Calais to Dover ferry. A gang of us from work had been on a boozy long weekender, in Lille. Coming back the seas were rough, but just before reaching Dover it got worse. So bad it was considered dangerous for the shiip to dock, so we had to lay up waiting for the worst of it to pass. Almost everyone but staff were lain waste. Sick everywhere, people slumpled over, or lying on any flat surface... Happily, my sea legs are great, and it being late November, we heard the resaurant had an early Christmas dinner on the menu. So my friend, also unaffected, and I decided to go for dinner And hats off to the galley staff, it was lovely. Needless to say we had the whole restaurant to ourselves 🙂
enjoyed watching that.... thanks
As a yacht sailor, we have made the trip through those seas quite a few times in a 40(ish) foot boat and it gets kicked around quite a bit. We find that eating smaller meals more frequently is less upsetting than a big heavy meal. Also, stay warm - people who go out to get some "fresh air" usually get chilled and that often causes seasickness too. Standing upright and watching the horizon over the bow from indoors might help.
Cheers for the info. Didn’t realise keeping warm helps and yes, I bet a lot of people don’t think about that when they go outside. Having done a bit of sailing in similar size yachts, I always found it worse gybing but I was never that bad. Just used to sway around a bit at the bar after being on the boat all day!
That's really interesting..I have got really cold on some rough ferries, and the spray drenches you as well..I can't believe that my parents never gave me seasick tablets..I generally was ok on deck, albeit cold..Going inside the ship was much worse. Very giddy making.
@@LetsMakeaTrip I tend to sway around at the bar too. Even when I haven’t been on a boat!
Great video, really enjoyable to watch.
Cheers mate, hope all is good with you 😊
Keep your video coming love them 👍👍👍
Thanks James, appreciate that mate 😊
Looks like a fun trip. Thanks for the video. My favourite ferry ride is between North Sydney and Port aux Basques -- awesome in a storm.
This boat used to travel between Australia and Tasmania before it came to the Isle of Man; maybe you travelled on it?
A friend who use to go to the TT from the early 50's to 2000 always travelled in the lower lounge on the old boats as this was on the roll center of the boat. You rocked side to side but not up and down. My first trip was in 1977 from Liverpool and the wind was from the South East against the side of the boat. So to prevent the boat running with a list we zig-zaged across the Irish sea. Oor Willy went pale. First time I realized people go green. At a hotel on Bay View road they had photos of a ferry entering Douglas and in a series of shots a swell ran the length of the boat and the last one you could see the rudder and props.
Great Video Mark. I've done several crossings to the IOM during high winds I have to say its an experience!
Haha, yes mate it certainly was! My first time on this ferry so I guess it can only get better (can’t it) 😂
Been on a few rough sea crossings in the past. Most extreme was the Hovercraft between Dover and Calais. By some miracle me and my family avoided being seasick although probably 90% of the boat were.
Also experienced a rough crossing on the Le Havre to Portsmouth Overnight Ferry during a school trip but we slept through most of that and got woken up by a teacher telling us to hurry up as we were about to disembark and we'd missed breakfast!
That was one rough crossing mate! Great work as always 😊
Cheers Gareth, yep I found it quite rough, kind of good fun but I was glad to get back on land afterwards tbh!
I went over to the Isle of Man many times in the 70s for holidays with my grandparents-In my head every crossing was like that 😁
Cheers Jane - it sounds like this is quite common. It kind of puts me off a bit but I do need to try the new Manxman ferry at some point so I will be back! Might fly home next time though 😊👍
Fantastic video.. Excited to see you on your next trip
Thanks, well there’s a flight to the US coming up, then another bus video! 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Defo look forward to the bus video as I'm a bus driver myself :)
I have sailed the Irish sea all my life visiting family in Ireland and it tends to be very choppy to downright rough..the trick to avoid seasick!! eat at least 4 hours before you sail...avoid alcohol...find the most central point and the lowest point in the ship..this is where the least movement can be found
Cheers Billy, yep I’ve heard that about sea sickness too. I guess that’s why people were lying on the floor. I sailed a bit on yachts and it was always the swell that’d cause issues. Tacking into the wind was fine but gybing was always worse I thought! Great times though - maybe I found my sea legs a bit on those 😂
Doing the above is the best method of avoiding seasickness. Something else that helps eating non fatty foods during the trip and, believe it or not, drink Coke.
One of the causes of sea sickness is that with an empty or partially empty stomach it fills with wind as well as liquid. If your stomach is fairly full then there is less room for the wind to build up. Drinking Coke overfills the stomach with a lot of wind which vents, with somewhat loud noises, and also settles the stomach.
correctomundo
@@christopherperkins3416 cheers Christopher, I’ll bear that in mind next time I’m on a rough crossing 👍
Thank you! I was so sick on the return journey from the TT (was fine out bound!) I will definitely take this advice on board 😁👍 not fancying a 3 hour vomit comet journey again, they even slowed the boat down as it was so rough!! Eeek!
See the Manannan pretty regularly when walking the dog along Crosby beach. Always wondered what it was like on board. Even though some of your trip was a bit dodgy weather wise,I wouldn't mind trying it.
Oh yes, try it. Judging by the comments on here it’s a bit ‘luck of the draw’ with the crossing but that’s weather for you!
I’ve done that trip back in 95, on the old ship, crew pointed me to the cinema which was in the bowels of the ship, no windows, dark, light focal point, job sorted… 🎉
Sounds like good advice.
Lay on the floor it helps 😊 nothing worse than sea sickness so lots of sympathy. ❤
wow what a crossing!! i deffo would not have sea legs for that journey!! i bet the smell on the ship was divine lol!!
The smell was yes, rather unpleasant!
Very good I did the Llandudno to Douglas in July 75 long time ago.😊
Yes, I’d have loved to have tried that. Sadly no more!
Oh dear, I’ve had several very rough ferry crossings - not very pleasant. Thank you for your tour of the ship under the uncomfortable conditions. Best place on the ship for seasickness is the lowest and most central point where the ship has the least movement. I’m lucky not suffer from seasickness, but I feel sorry for the many people who do.
Yes I’ve never been sick on a ship either but I wouldn’t want to ‘find my limit’ tbh! Fortunately this wasn’t it but I was glad to get back on dry land 😊
Do this route several times a year. Back in Nov 22 we crossed on one of the last Manannan sailings of the year (extended season due to other ships, Ben my Chree, having work done). Sailed to Heysham in Lancashire which is unusual on Manannan. My wife said it was the worst crossing she's had in 42 years. Saw waves up past the windows and the ship was being thrown around like a rag doll. Sick people everywhere and lots of screaming. My word I wont forget it for some time!!! Thanks for the vid. Doing the journey back to the island again in 4 weeks! 🙂
Hi Gareth, cheers for the comment mate. That sounds both interesting (with it being Manannan) and also scary! I hope you get a better crossing on your next one!
The cats are bloody hopeless for the Irish Sea but that's what you get with a corrupt monopoly running the show.........
I've always booked the Niarbyl Lounge whenever travelling on the Manannan. It gives you better views, more peace and quiet, better access to the upper deck, somewhere to leave your luggage if you're travelling alone and want to go walkabout on the ship. I'm pretty sure you can order food to your seat too, although maybe I used to get spoiled as my father was the ship's steward?! Anyroad up, that's my ten penneth's worth; thank you for the video!
Cheers Danny. Yes it does help if your dad works on the ship, fair do's. I think I'd do the same if I go on there again but I enjoyed it up on the top deck. I don't think many in the general lounge seating must've known about it tbh as I never saw anyone else up there really. I just wish the sea could've been calmer on that crossing!
A very very happy new year
Same to you Alan, cheers!
Reminds me of emerging from Douglas Harbour and being assaulted instantaneously by mountainous seas, the lady in front of me shouting ‘I don’t want to die’.
If you love sailing, this is the crossing for you. The skippers are the most canny on the Irish Sea, plotting courses to accommodate the wild winds routinely encountered.
Best experience is remaining on external section at stern as you enjoyed on the video which I enjoyed immensely.
Cheers Ken. I used to enjoy sailing and I’m not normally too bad with crossings. Agree with you about the outside space because, for me, it did feel worse once I was back inside. Mind you the smell and sound of people vomiting didn’t help!
Nice video mate. I was on the Ben-My-Chree in November, and that storm was gale 9. Took about 5 hours to cross from Heysham to Douglas.
That sounds like a bit of an ordeal Macky! Not sure I’d have fancied that!
I would always try to sit in the centre rather than at one of the sides, so that you don't go up and down so much. When I was a kid we came back from Boulougne to Dover, on a hovercraft and loads of people were vomiting. We were go up and down about 6ft.
I went on a rough cruise for a week, I had no problem staying on my feet on the ship but as soon as I stood on dry land I looked like I was the drunkest man in the world - took me 3 weeks until my own bed wasn't swinging from side to side.
Yes I’ve had that getting off a ferry down to Spain. Stood at the bar after getting off and I was swaying from side to side. Weird feeling. The other thing with a cruise I suppose is you can’t really get off. Puts me off cruising a bit tbh. Cheers for the comment 😊👍
Looks suitably wild! I remember once on a Cherbourg to Portsmouth crossing, also on a catamaran (faster but definitely less stable), with similar swell. Though my sister and I sat in the cafe with tea and cake, while it seems most others were vomiting into the sickbags!
Yep, the Bay of Biscay’s another one where I think if I get to the point where I don’t feel like eating (even if I’m starving) then it’s suitably rough!
@@LetsMakeaTrip My one ferry crossing of it - Portsmouth to Bilbao, as a teenager - was dead calm 🤣
The best thing for Sea Sickness is a cup of hot Chocolate, it tastes the same coming up as it did going down. Seriously, when I retired, I bought an Angling Boat. I was sick for a few trips but your body does get used to it and now I am never sick no matter what the Sea conditions. Excellent video and well presented.
Haha, thanks Peter! The boat thing, yep I agree. I sailed a bit off the west coast of Scotland, just to get some RYA certificates really and I got used to the sea a little during that time. I think it helped overall and I absolutely loved it. Might pick it up again in the future, would love to buy a boat when I retire too. One day, mate 😊👍
I always found Horlicks to have more of a vomit flavour than hot chocolate.
I always take a tablet for travel sickness just in case,sailed on the Mannanan to Liverpool a few weeks ago it was a .lovely calm crossing,i don't think sea sickness is all in the mind i have seen a dog being very seasick once. looking forward to travelling on the steam packets new ferry the Manxman she arrived in Douglas 2 weeks ago.
Awesome video
Thank you 😊
Many years ago I made weekly return voyages between Harwich and the Hook of Holland. A rough crossing of the North Sea in Winter is quite an experience!
Yes John, I agree. I’ve done that route a couple of times and it was fine. But further north on the Aberdeen to Lerwick ferry well yes, let’s just say I didn’t get much sleep that night due to the noise of the bow smashing into the waves!
@@LetsMakeaTrip Aberdeen !! where a vessel is already rolling inside the breakwater
Great value for money definitely!
Hi, you have brought back some memories. First the sea cats, we had them on the Kent/France service affectionally known as the vomit comets, it only took a slight swell for them not to run. Secondly the "old steam racquet company". Some of their ships must have been left by the Vikings, The King Orry for example I think it was this ship we were craned on and off in the early 70s. Went for the TT from 71/77 missed God Hailwood on the Ducati in 78 but did watch him in 79 coming second to I think Alex George ? Looking at google maps Peel has change so much where we used to stay. On a sad note in the late 70s I was in Rochester and there in the Medway was the King Orry awaiting to be scrapped.
Hi Geoff, glad I stirred up some great memories for you (my dad tells me about his times at the TT too). I've never been but I reckon the boats (and the island) must be absolutely rammed when it's on!
Aww Mark as early as 5:43 (the face said it!!)....I remember a trip I did...Portsmouth to Bilbao, the Bay Of Biscay can be a bloody nightmare in a Force 11.....any chance you can review that crossing lol. Happy New Year and THANK-YOU for all the reviews.
Cheers Ady, happy new year to you too mate. I’ve recently filmed the Portsmouth - Santander crossing with Brittany Ferries though the sea (for the Bay of Biscay) was surprisingly calm. I’ve been on some rough trips through there though. One time Brittany Ferries contacted us as the boat was leaving early to avoid the worst of the weather and we were the last one out of Portsmouth. That was on the Baie de Seine I think. If you check out my Instagram, I posted a short clip of that crossing today. It was long before I was doing the RUclips thing unfortunately.
I had a crossing in around 1961-2, with my gran and grandad, coming back to Liverpool. I can’t remember the boat but the sea was that rough the crew went to the life jacket and boat stations. I loved it! But my gran really thought it would sink!
Must be a bit worrying when the crew do that!
@@LetsMakeaTrip I think my grandparents did, but I was far too young to be affected by it. I was just sailing the high seas! They still had the large wooden “ spare wheels” on the open stern area then so to my way of thinking me staying there “steering” the ship, brought us safely home! Granted others helped. The captain, “assistant helmsman” maybe an engineer or two, but we all know the real hero! 😉😆😆
Bad experience with seasickness,crossing
The North Sea.
Fortunately I had the privacy of a single cabin.
A few oranges had been left in a bowl
I had one post sickness. I'd full recovered without 15 minutes.
Recommend oranges.
Great video Mark and great value too.
A summer crossing would, hopefully, be much better 👍
Cheers Gazza, never heard of the Oranges remedy. Worth taking a couple on board then next time. I mean I wasn’t too bad, but some well, it’s the noise and the smell isn’t it! Outside that top deck in the summer on a smooth evening crossing would be lovely though 👍
We took the Larne to Stranraer ferry a lot in the 70s. It was invariably very rough but I never got sick, and being very young I quickly got used to rough seas and have never had issues since. During one very rough crossing, I think every glass and plate in the bar was smashed.
Cheers User Name, that sound of stuff smashing all over the place can’t help the nerves I wouldn’t have thought! I keep meaning to do the Cairnryan route, might get round to it this year hopefully. 👍
Interesting to hear. I too travelled Larne to Stranraer and Belfast to Douglas. 70 s. After those crossings I had no real problems anywhere else in the world.
love the isle of man ,the people ,and have travelled there since 1970s. travelled on the old ships ,manx maid ,lady of man ,monas queen .also the sea cats and the later ben my chree. my son and myself had our motorbikes damaged in 2001 returning from the manx grand prix. ten bikes damaged in total not secured well. nearly moved there when we retired but didnt quite manage it. we still love the place though and still ride scooters in our 70s.
My first time there John and it won't be the last. So much to see - not just transport-wise. Thanks for the comment.
Have been travelling to and from the island since the 80s. I personally prefer the sea cat to the boats in rough sea. And its definitely worth booking the premium lounge.
Cheers Paul I’ll remember that for next time 👍
Glad it was you doing this and not me 🤣 great video mate
Cheers Connor, well yep, it’s not for everyone. If you struggle with sea sickness, definitely take the plane!
Always had a full English before a voyage and never had issues. Done the North Sea to Iceland in big seas as well, three days of it, but it really does help to eat and keep to the middle of the boat
I’d love to do that trip up to Iceland (from Hirtshals now I believe as it doesn’t stop in Shetland anymore). A long time if it’s rough though!
Great video as always were you ok kindest regards Paul in Kent
Cheers mate. I was, but I didn’t feel like eating anything until I was back on the train in Liverpool. I’ll take that as a win in the circumstances 😂
The boat looked great, even if the journey was a bit rough, but you survived! I was based at RAF Saxa Vord on Unst and caught the Lerwick to Aberdeen ferry once. Never again, I spent most of the journey sick in the toilet! I will stick to land or air!
Ah yes, the Aberdeen - Shetland ferry. Spent a rough night on that once, couldn’t sleep due to the sound of the bow smashing into the waves! Once on Shetland, I’m pretty sure I went past Saxa Vord in my attempt to be the most northern person in the British isles a few years ago 😂
@@LetsMakeaTrip When you are in the Shetlands you are pretty much most northerly in the UK in anything, bus stop, pub etc. RAF Saxa Vord now gone, and part of the island to be used for space rocket launches!
Really interesting video Mark. I rarely make ferry crossings but the roughest was with Hoverspeed Ramsgate-Calais in the late 1970s. Rough crossing. Hovercraft literally bounced along over the waves and with sea spray covering the windows (in those conditions) there was little to see ! Also hovercraft look impressive from afar but they were terribly noisy on board.
Cheers Alex. I always wanted to go on the Hoverspeed, never got the chance. I do want to try the Portsmouth to Isle of Wight one out, I believe it’s the only one left!
@@LetsMakeaTrip Not sure how many are left on that route but they cannot last forever. Obviously (assuming they areoperating) you want to try the Isle of Wight trains !
I did the old underground stock a few years back and the steam railway. Enjoyed them both but I really need to experience that hovercraft. Determined to do it this year 👍
The hovercraft is still operating, but the trains have been replaced with more "modern' refurbished trains
Good watch thanks, did a cross Channel once In a force 9 and just sat at the front like you!
Cheers mate, it makes for a fun crossing if you can stomach it!!
Irish sea can be rough, had a few experiences on it, but as you said they wouldnt sail if it wasnt safe ☘️👍☘️
Wow that was a good trip over. Apart from a Heysham - Belfast crossing one windy night in the 70s, My sea crossings were Harwich - Hook of Holland, and some crossings to Calais and Oostende; ]en-route to Vienna by train]. Most of the time I just found a seat in the bar, and never moved. I realised that several others who joined me on the overnight train, had done the same haha. I recommend the return direction, as it was in daylight from Vienna to the coast, and it's a lovely run through Germany.
Cheers Jack, thanks for sharing your experience. I may well try that one day 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Welcome.
I remember Heysham to Douglas overnight on the king Orry in force ten gale's, 😮 it was an experience
Love your videos I quickly browsed a few mins ago and subscribe to your great channel, hopefully One day being able to sail / fly to IOM for holiday
Cheers Dafydd, appreciate the support. Yeh I would say the IoM is really cheap to get to, either flying or ferry and there is lots to do once you’re there. Definitely recommend it 👍😊
The only rough(ish) crossing I was on was between Hull and Zeebrugge a few years ago. I dosed myself with seasickness pills beforehand! It was an overnight crossing, and I had a berth, and I found that lying on the bed, with the ship rolling beneath you was surprisingly soothing! I actually slept - not something I'm good at!
Everyone seems different Tim on these. I wonder how much of it is psychological aswell? I’ve tried sleeping through it myself but the more I thought about it, the worse it got and I ended up getting no sleep at all 😂 Stomach’s usually ok though (which is the main thing).
we went from felixtow to zeebrugge with the motorbike club in 1991.had to stay lying on the floor for the whole journey .it felt like the propeller was digging in . that was easter time. ostend was a shithole ,never again ..
@@johnbellamy6449 I did a Dover{?}Oostende rough North Sea ferry as a kid on a school trip 1970's..the teachers were sea sick and allowed us to run wild on the ferry..Oostende had horses on the beach, which was all I cared about and spent all my money on them..Don't remember much else..apart from windmills.
The ferry had saucepans everywhere in a dormitory with bunk beds...
Why saucepans?'' were actually vomit receptacles! Gross.
One of the boys wanted to find a Lee Enfield rifle in the dunes from WW1.
Needless to say, he didn't find one.
@@johnbellamy6449 got all my stuff robbed from a tent in Ostend once. Haven’t wanted to go back since!
Love a Mark eye roll 🙄😆
Lol, just for you mate 😊
Excellent video - did the trip from Guernsey to Weymouth on the infamous Condor Vitesse
in winter- nearest thing to hell on earth (or water) I have experienced. They were hosing the ship down as I left !
Cheers John. My only experience of a crossing to the Channel Islands was with Sealink in 1973. I was too young then to remember much but my parents tell me it was pretty rough and I think it took a few hours in those days too!
I've done a lively Guernsey to Weymouth trip too, not the worst they can go out in I understand but pretty bad, boat was banging down and stuff was coming off the shelves in the shop.
Personally I thought it was fun and didn't really suffer, though I don't think my sister would ever go on one again!
Oh boy. I would've been filling one of those bags with my breakfast for sure. Much rather you than me.
And yet it does look a great route and I'd happily risk it being rough to enjoy those views. 👍
Cheers JH, yep the time of day aswell with the sun setting, it really was beautiful and I find that with the coast of north Wales anyway - even on the train. And I think on that upper deck, in the summer, a few chairs to relax on would be lovely.
Strangely enough you could say I've seen this entire route from one place. I happened to visit New Bighton during a mirage out to sea and with biniculars (and a compass) could see both the Isle of Man and the Lake District. I was only about 60 feet above sea level. The IoM looked like a faint shimmering pyrimid, slightly above the horizon. I do study long distance views but this was my furthest ever!
Sounds like a nice warm day too 👍
Great vid m8.on rough seas always best to sit at the back of the boat.
Cheers John, yep felt at my best out on deck tbh, the top one near the back yes 👍
Yes, been to Barra and South Uist when it was very rough indeed. You're right, seeing where you're going, being able to anticipate the big troughs and swells before they happen, is key to not being sick. People make things worse on those Calmac ferries by drinking loads. That's worse than eating. If being ill is your thing, just spend 5 hours down below in the bar getting bladdered. If it's not your preference, then don't. Easy.
This is a heavy chop for the Irish sea. I have made the crossing thousands of times from the late 1950s. Having said that this was the upper limit for the Manannan. The reserve lounge is not reserved once underway, just sit in a non reserved seat. The roughest crossing I have ever experienced we a storm force 12, it was September 1973. 7 hours of hell on the old Ben, she had to go into Camel Lairds for Rudder damage, she was out the water more than she was in it, smash after smash. The engines where on the governors the whole time trying to reduce the prop speeds as they became airborne. My Dad was a marine engineer, when it was rough he always went low midships. The ship is a fulcrum and the centre moves the least.
Cheers Ian, thanks for the very useful info. There’s one or two on here that think it was no big deal this sea state, but when you’re on it and people are throwing up all over the place it’s kind of a different experience. I’m not sure I’d fancy a force 12 tbh - this was about enough for me!
I took my wife (to be at that point) for her first trip to the Island in June 1978 on the Ben. We experienced a force 9 westerly and as Ian says the props were airborne for a lot of the time. It sounded as though she was being hit by massive hammers as she dropped into the wave valleys. She was one of the last two turbine steamers built for the IOMSPCo and was built to take any weather. I seem to remember that the steamers were licensed for journeys into the north Atlantic. There was a plate on the Manannan saying that she must not proceed more than 50 miles from a safe haven. Not very reassuring in bad weather!
@@LetsMakeaTrip It looked a horrible , nauseating movement on it, and the sight, sound and smell of others being sick make it far worse.
@@MrPaulfrazer Princess Victoria Disaster {Irish Sea ferry} was not allowed to do the longer, 'rougher' route between Fishguard/Rosslare, but was able to do Stranraer/Larne, as she was no more than 10 miles from Land at any given time.
However, she foundered with the loss of 104 lives.
Captain should never have set sail.
@@Oakleaf700 That was my parents' wedding day! Storms all over the country and bad floods on the East Coast. My mother used to talk about the Princess Victoria going down. Something to do with watertight doors on the car deck. The older IOM car ferries had a ramp rather than doors of course.
I remember going B & I Dublin-Liverpool in the 80’s with my mam when hurricane Charlie hit. What was a 8 hour crossing turned into 13 hours. When we got onboard we got duty free & off to our cabin. It wasn’t till the next morning we knew how bad is was. Only began to calm down once we hit Birkenhead. Still can’t believe we missed the biggest storm of the 1980’s.
Another great video. I have never taken this route before as our school voted for the plane over the ferry. It would appear the catamaran does not handle choppy seas well where as it would have been more comfortable on a conventional ferry but slower. My roughest crossing was from Amsterdam to Newcastle during the back end of Storm Ciara in Feb 2020. The previous 2 days sailing had been cancelled. Thankfully I had prepared with a couple of stoogerans so was fine but I would say more than 2/3rds of the ship was k/o’d given how quiet it was till next morning. My cabin like your seat was at the front and even laying down felt like being on a fairground ride. Thankfully the bar remained open.
As conditions had calmed by morning, breakfast was packed unlike dinner the night before. We diverted to hug the English coast which although adding 2 hours to the journey meant stunning views of North Yorkshire not normally seen from the ferry over breakfast.
Sounds like an ‘interesting’ trip that one! I’m not sure I’d have been able to drink much on a rough crossing like that. It’s a long journey that one aswell. Thing is with the IoM that day, the conventional ferry to Heysham was stuck on the mainland so, correct me if I’m wrong here, it seemed like the catamaran was better suited to the weather. I always thought it would be the other way round tbh!
@@LetsMakeaTrip yep 15 hours on that one. I know the fast Stena ferry to Dublin always used to get cancelled in bad weather where as the conventional ferry generally did not unless very bad. The sea in your vid did not look crazy rough though clearly the effects on the boat were bad given how tricky it was to walk etc. Apparently the boat to Isles of Scilly is notorious as it’s flat bottomed so even a small swell causes issues. If you look online for the Green Island Ferry Taiwan that is about the worst as it’s basically a hydrofoil cutting across huge big Pacific waves. The Cook Straight Ferries in New Zealand can be bad as well.
@@baseballfan99 as with all these things, it didn’t come out as bad on the video but yeh, the Stena route I seem to remember that the high speed ferries were always the ones to be cancelled first. Coming back from Dublin once we were stuck outside Holyhead for hours in the middle of the night waiting to dock. We missed the boat train that basically left with no one on it!
I’m from the Isle of Man and have experienced this many times. Used to get sick from it but now I’m rocking it 🌊
Yep, comes with the territory I bet! Cheers 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip yeah lol
Yep, I was never stopped going up on the top deck, even though we only booked seats about half the time. It's much more pleasant and you can sit against the wall, which was/is dad and bother's favorite place to sit, wrapped up all warm. Personally I don't get seasick, so a full english breakfast is usually on the cards for me! Hopefully the Manxman is there and running by the middle of summer, I'll be travelling back to Heysham so maybe I'll get a chance to see it while pretty much brand new!
Manxman due to leave South Korea on 12 May apparently with a 30 day voyage to the UK for final fitting. Looks good 👍
It was 1967 and my family were returning to Australia from the UK, we left Cape Town to travel to Perth and the sea was as calm as could be awoke in the early hours of the morning to find that we were in the middle of a cyclone that was throwing a 30,000 ton liner about like a cork in a bathtub, for the next 24 hours it was hell, I spent the time being violently sick and hoping that I would die, after it cleared the whole boat had a prevailing background wiff of vomit, have never travelled by boat since, so glad to see that you and your partner made it alright, till next time stay safe and cheers.
Cheers Simon, sorry to bring back bad memories, that trip sounded really bad compared to this! Overall, looking back it wasn’t a particularly pleasant experience but there were a lot of seemingly ok people who were later really struggling! I was glad when it calmed down tbh. Would I do it again? Oh yes! 😂
even on a calm day those Cape rollers can throw a vessel around like a cork. the convergence of tides occurs there
Really enjoyed that film. The Isle of Man has always had a romantic fascination for me. I went once by plane from Blackpool Squires Gate and - from vague memory - did a long day return trip to Douglas from Liverpool in the Packet Steam Company's real steamship in the late 60s. Your video was a real nostalgia trip for me! Yea, would love to see more of these Irish Sea ferries - Douglas - Heysham would be good (if you haven't already filmed it) and is it possible to go from Douglas to Belfast or Dublin? Paul in Oz [ex-Preston]
Yes Paul I seem to recall the IoM to Ireland/NI is a feasible route - possibly seasonal(?) I’d need to check that but there’s a few other UK to Ireland routes I could do (or have already done). Buried way way back in my early videos I took a train to Fishguard and ended up on the ferry. Not from Fishguard though, from Pembroke Dock! That whole trip was a nightmare - just hasn’t had much exposure that video for some reason as it is fairly entertaining if I do say so myself.
@@LetsMakeaTrip Ooh, I will see if I can dig that one out from your archives. I am aware of the Wales-Ireland ferry link but had no idea if it was popular. Pembroke Dock? Is there a Rosslare service from PD as well as from Fishguard? Google maps seems to indicate that there is a service there. I can see that the south Wales to Ireland option better suits people living in southern England. Anyway I'll be looking out for more of your UK ferry trips as I really enjoy viewing them. Paul in Oz
@@paulhellander2791 yes both go to Rosslare Paul and from there you can go on to France or Spain.
@LetsMakeaTrip I was at Pembroke Dock for hours way back in Jan 10 We got there mega early and the terminal building didn't open until 11pm for the 0245am sailing. It was a nightmare and than felt seasick on the ferry. Absolute nightmare
Several years ago took a cat from Poole to jersey via guernsey for a day trip. Had a nice day in jersey. The return trip later that evening on calling at guernsey the tannoy announced that the rest of the journey was going to be rough. What a nightmare, going through something called the Alderney race where two tidal forces meet, the vessel rolled, bucked, shook and the seas crashed against the windows. Passengers began crying, being I’ll, lying down between the rows of seats. Vowed I would never get on another boat, obviously forgot about that, but nevertheless a memorable trip.
I reckon most only remember the rough crossings. I’ve been on many ferries in the past, hardly remember any of them apart from the Bay of Biscay and the North Sea in bad weather. Still keep going on them though 😂
I have done a few sea crossings/journeys in my time and the most comfortable to date was Northlink from Lerwick to Aberdeen. But I have had three particularly bad journeys (a) cross-Channel hovercraft in rough weather where you really couldn't do very much other than sit upright in your seat and hope that it would soon be over (b) another cross-Channel voyage from Boulogne to Folkestone where I did end up lying on the floor and not caring where my case ended up (in the end all luggage was found in a pile). And (c) a small cruise ship trip from Dover to Bergen where the ship was pitching horrendously. I had a cabin with portholes and heard a thudding noise outside. This proved to be a lifeboat which had been dislodged and was banging against the hull. In that case, also, I found that lying down was the best way to avoid the worst affects of mal-de-mer. Your journey across from Douglas to Liverpool LOOKS colourful but I am glad that I can enjoy your broadcast without the motion sickness (or the smell of vomit, haha!!).
went on the ben mcrea a good few years ago to IOM very rough sea but me and my brother still had a full english fry up !
I’ve heard the breakfasts are very good on that!
Around 20 years ago I had an extremely rough crossing from Heysham to Douglas, seated more of less in the same seat as you, overlooking the prow. On that crossing several passengers including one crew member broke limbs while attempting to get to the toilet. It felt like we were falling off multi-story buildings as we crashed into the troughs. I think the only two people not being sick were the lady next to me (a native of Shetland), and me, who spent the whole four hours concentrating on breathing out as we crested each enormous swell.
Sounds a lot worse than mine that! I’ve never been sick at sea but I can’t say I’d have kept it all in from what you’re describing there!
Been sailing to the IOM since I was 6 months old. Been on many rough crossing's. Went to the TT last year. Was a bit rough sailing back to Liverpool. Have to say I've never been sea sick😍😍no matter how rough it is
I’ve come close but haven’t quite found my tolerance level yet (which is a good thing I guess).
been on that ferry so many times as i live here on the isle of man and i didnt even know there was a top deck !!!
Yeh, was a good find that. I bet when that ferry is rammed, the top deck will still be quiet as it’s so inconspicuous 👍
Hi Marc. Use to do Holyhead to Dublin every year until budget flights.Great video btw.
Hi mate, yep I thought you might have! I presume you fly from BHX now?
@@LetsMakeaTrip yes mate. To Dublin or Belfast.
In all my years of travelling I've managed to avoid rough seas. All my boat trips have been calm. I think I'd have been reaching for the barf bag on that crossing! 😂😂
I reckon about 50% of people were throwing up or lying on the floor (which is a considerable amount really). I’ve had a few rough crossings (North Sea and Bay of Biscay) but I haven’t succumbed to the sick bag yet fortunately.
Our 'little rib', good review and glad you were on it rather than the traditional boat ferry where you might well have lost your breakfast!
Thanks DD! Yep, I need to check this but I’m pretty-sure the Ben-my-Chree never left Heysham that day - too rough!
More videos like these please
I’ll try mate 👍
As a seaman myself I can imagine you’ve already had the that’s not rough at all comments ect but good to see an insight from a passenger and one that doesn’t want to cause fuss or complain by all accounts, why I stick to cargo vessels myself. hope you enjoyed the great city of Liverpool as well 👍🏼
Cheers mate - yes I've had lots of those comments already!! It's a bit subjective really isn't it but yep, overall I think I enjoyed it. Was glad to get to Liverpool in the end tbh but I'd do it all again definitely!
@@LetsMakeaTrip Look into 'Princess Victoria Disaster' {1953} It happened in mountainous seas, not widely known about in British Isles, but it happened on the ''North Channel'' Irish Sea.
It was horrifying. Terrible seasickness and some poor passengers were too ill to move and went down with the ship, too poorly to be roused from their cabins.
@@Oakleaf700 sounds grim, I’ll look it up though out of interest. Cheers
@@LetsMakeaTrip It's really shocking.
There are some very good Irish especially programmes on here about it.
@@Oakleaf700 just watched a 10 min doc on it talking about the stern doors, scuppers etc. Also, I would say that back then, predicting the weather out to sea and any imminent deterioration would’ve been harder than these days with all the tech they have on ships - they simply wouldn’t go out if it was too rough now.
I used to go to the TT every year with a bunch of friends. Wonderful times in the eighties and early nineties. Coming into Heysham on the return journey one year the sky was just black inland. And I mean BLACK. We got disembarked and set off for Essex. That was the most appalling rainstorm I’ve ever driven in. It was like being firehosed. It didn’t stop raining until Newport Pagnell at 200 miles. My Kawasaki was trashed by blown grit getting under luggage, tank bag, flapping overtrousers and taking off paint, the factory stickers on my gas shocks. A new bike trashed. Getting past trucks on the M6 basically meant watching a bike go into the spray and disappearing, waiting to see if any debris came out of the wall of water, and if not, riding into the waterspray with a yard of visibility until past the truck and into the clearer air in front.
Well, once home I went through the paint finish disaster that was my bike, made a list of parts needed and set off for the Kawasaki dealership. When I got there I had to wait while I listened to a horror story from a Yamaha Ventura owner who it turned out had been on the ferry behind mine and got caught in that storm at sea. It was so bad that most of the bikes in the car decks went over and could be heard throughout the ship sliding and crashing about down there. Apparently there was fuel and oil from wrecked bikes everywhere. Thankfully no fire. It had been a horrifying trip with the ferry thrown about all over and everybody sick. We’d missed that disaster by one sailing, and I was thankful in the end that I’d actually got off lightly.
This sounds horrific. I’m not much of a biker tbh but this does give me a good understanding of some of the pitfalls in bad weather - what a nightmare! Thanks for sharing the experience. I guess it’ll always be a proper memorable trip but for all the wrong reasons! Like you said though, could’ve been worse!
Travelled many a rough and lumpy crossing on the Manannan. The back of the boat is best place to sit in the rough weather, trust me!! Middle seats by the bar are where I always sit. Also laying down does help massively.
Thanks Hannah, yep there were a few in the cinema too which I think had been commandeered as being one of the central-most points? Also, I think the crew were advising people to lie down if they were feeling too bad!
It should be named The Vomit Comet! Great video thanks for sharing….
I have heard that nickname before - might have been this ship and if so, very appropriate !
i was thinking of the australian coastal packets of the mid 19th century .
I did Valletta to Gozo few weeks back and that was rough.
Yes someone else was telling me about Gozo and how it can be a rough crossing. I did it on a previous video of mine re: Maltese public transport and it was a lovely sailing. A different beast in winter though by the sounds of it!
You were lucky there were so few passengers. I've done that trip in similar conditions when there was no space to move around and people were vomiting as they waited in the long queues for the toilets.
That sounds particularly grim mate and apparently, this wasn’t even rough for some people!
They used to run catamarans from here in Folkestone back in the 90s. Known locally as the _Sick Cat_ or the _Vomit Comet._ They would roll in a puddle.
I’ve heard of the vomit comet before - doesn’t sound particularly glamorous! 😬
I remember the sea cat from Liverpool to Dublin in the 90 s Yousef to travel with my husband and kids my husband used to say it's going to be rough I can smell the spew and it usually was ha ha
The "Crown" on top of the sea terminal was at one time an Italian restaurant. A friend of mines dad was the restaurateur/chef, and the property was leased from the Government. Sadly my friend and his dad are no longer with us. They are well remembered though.
Fascinating, never knew that Carl. Sorry to hear they’re no longer here though yes I’m sure they’re remembered by everyone who knew them by this iconic design.
I live on the Isle of Man and was on the manannan today from Liverpool, there was about 30 people were being sick and it was the roughest thing ever! Xx 😊😊😊
Laying on the floor the whole time! 😂😂😂
The worst sailing I went on was on the Stena Nordica back over 10 years ago now, going from Holyhead to Dublin. It was dark out and the sea was that rough that the ferry felt like it was lifting up really high and then banged down into the sea. It was the only time I ever got sick on a ferry (It was the second time getting sick from the food though, but that was hours after getting off the Stena Nordica). Great videos.
Cheers mate. I had that once on the Northlink between Aberdeen and Lerwick. All night it went on with that banging sound, inside cabin - I couldn’t sleep a wink!
I wouldn't have been sick, but I'd have been mighty frightened!
Looks pretty mild for the Irish Sea. Been in some crazy storms on the Lady in the 80s.
I know it’s quite subjective so I’d hate to have been on anything rougher I must admit!
My experience a number of years ago was/from Palma to Barcelona on a similar boat!! It was that rough in rode thru the waves. The jolts and shudders are terrible. on arrival going to the car!! The Car deck looked like someone had been playing dodgems. Quite a number of damaged vehicles, ours was just OK!! Toilets located Midships?? So people think it's close just in case big mistake, and they become an ice rink due to people not quite making it. Made this journey many times normal Seas four hours this one six hours.
Cheers Peter. And yes, the Mediterranean you wouldn’t maybe associate with rough seas but this sounds particularly horrendous. And coming back to find your car dented must be everyone’s worst nightmare!
Took the "vomit comet" from boulogne to folkestone some years ago, crossing was choppy but OK but the thing which nearly made me review my lunch was when we were close to folkestone the captain dropped the throttles sharply and the whole craft pitched her nose down heavily and settled back up again!
‘Review my lunch’ 😂 I must remember that line! Cheers Glen 👍