Shetland Ferry

[Schtum]

Anyone taken a bike to Shetland recently? If so, what's the form for securing bikes, ie do you need to take your own ratchet straps or are they provided and do they insist that crew members secure bikes or are they happy to leave you to do it?

I'm thinking of a wee trip up there sometime in the next couple of months. I haven't been for about 35 years and that was in the days of the old St Clair which was pre RO-RO.

 

[roddy]

I've always been told it's best to take your own straps, in case there's are a pile o'shite ?

 

[Klanky]

Went up to see me family last Sept. The lads secure the bike for you, although they're happy for you to interfere. They've got straps and know what they're doing.

They have padded 'railings' which they lean the bike up to on the sidestand and then ratchet down. The only thing is you may need to do a bit of huffing and puffing to get the bike close enough without the panniers fouling on the frame.

I was more than happy with what they did with mine.

BTW book your cabin early.

 

[rce]

Probably a bit late now, but we took the Aberdeen - Shetland last October with our bikes.

Despite having booked long time before another bike got the only frame, we ended up strapped to a deck chain. Wife's bike fell over into mine at some point, managed to dint my tank (it was a rough passage). Northlink did us proud and sorted my bike out without any arguments, very impressed.

On the return journey an older deck hand did the fastening down and you could tell he new his stuff, we got fastened to frames which is a very good way of tying the bikes down.

Worth having some microfibre cloths to go under the straps (for seat and any frame parts that may be rubbed). Not sure what would happen if you supplied straps and they broke?