Side stand or center stand on ferryboat?

[Kiki]

Center stand/side stand, tied down. Most large ferries won't let you remain below deck.

Hey Nice Rumble!!

those pics look familiar-- by were those taken here in Atlantic Canada?

Yes Kiki, good eye. That's the ferry out of Pictou, NS to Woods Island PEI last July. The third pic is the ferry somewhere on the east coast of Nova Scotia in the Owls Head Harbor/ Spry Harbor area heading toward Dartmouth/Halifax. Very short crossing.

Aha-- I thought I recognized the old open-sider.

Glad you came to our neck of the woods-- tell us the next time you are coming and can perhaps ride a bit.

 

[gypsy]

Whenever I take my bike on a large ferry (won't let you stay with the bike), I have left it on the side stand and strapped it down. The Cat Ferry (www.catferry.com) from Nova Scotia to Maine supplies the straps. Here is a picture of my bike strapped down on the cat. I just compress the suspension a little and strap it tight.

gypsy

 

[Dan23]

In Gypsy's strapped down situation... definitely use the side stand.

The ferries you guys are riding are on rougher water than the ones' I'm used to.

 

[kindofblue]

Just one comment on side stand in gear. When I've shut the bike off and it's still in gear, I roll it forward until the gearing meets resistance. Then I put down the side stand. The bike is less likely to roll forward at all this way.

I ride between San Juan island and Anacortes WA in the summer

 

[worldbound4now]

My brother-in-law lives in SFO and rides lots of fairies... oh.. wait... wrong topic, but that's my experience.

 

[colin]

Overnight (8:00PM-6:00AM) ferry from Portsmouth Maine to Yarmouth Nova Scotia.
A crew of Mexico's finest makes sure that:

Bike is solidly on sidestand, in gear.

One strap on each end of the handlebars goes to the deck at about a 45 degree angle, pulled TIGHT.

Triangular block of hard rubber is jammed in back of the sidestand, to keep sidestand extended & also take some of the weight off of the sidestand.

Weather that night wasn't bad, but I've heard it can get so bad that they have to turn back...

Is tying down the handlebars normally recommended? I've never used that.

Sometimes on longer ferries (especially overnighters), you don't have much choice as to where to park. For commuter style rides, that sounds like a good idea if you can swing it tho. never really thought about it before....

 

[Dwavey]

I've sailed many BC Ferries routes, never had a problem. Been across the Juan de Fuca on the Blackball too, which is a bit bumpier. Most of the time the Ferries staff put the bikes on port-side forward but I have showed up late and been put on aft, even been in amongst the cagers in the vehicle lanes. I always use the sidestand, leave it in gear, and park at a 45 degree angle to the ship's centre line. BC Ferries all carry wooden wedge blocks; I nose up to the edge bar with my front wheel then block the back wheel and the right side of the bike. Rarely have to use a tie down but there's always something to tie down to. The only thing I might do differently from time to time is the direction I turn the front wheel; if I can't put a block under the right side and I'm on the starboard side and the sea is heavy, I'll turn the wheel to the right to increase the lean angle and make it a bit harder for the bike to fall over.

As for staying with the bike...and miss that great White Spot grub that BC Ferries serves? No way!!

 

[rwenck]

Bear with me--fhis is my first post.

If i can get my health up to speed I'm planning a trip to Kodiak next summer (If the feds will let me go through Canada), which means a long ferry ride each way from Homer to Kodiak.

I've seen bikes on the ferry, and I think they were all tied down, either on side or center stands. I've ridden this ferry only once, and never been on a ferry with a bike.

Can anyone comment on this particular ferry ride?

 

[Ignacio]

Just had this come up this weekend riding from Keystone to Port Townsend and the ferry rocked more than I can remember in the 15 or 20 or so times I had ridden the ferry.

I had left my bike on it's sidestand on the left side of a Harley in line with two others, and after what seemed like a bit of a nasty roller I went back down into the hold and stood by the bike.

Good thing I did because all of a sudden a gnarly roller hit and although it didn't tip over my bike....I seriously thought it was TOO close. Yes, I've got some extra top weight on mine that isn't stock and the three other The Harley's weren't close to tipping over, but the captain did pipe up on the PA. He suggested us 4 bike riders stick with our bikes until we made it what was an ocean current and wind from that direction.

I don't think the center stand would have much better in this case, but not sure.

Regardless, there was warning in this case and I just sat on my bike for the rest of the run.

 

[gr8eyes]

No tie downs?

 

[Ignacio]

Washington Ferries don't require them.....never mention them......nor seem to have tie down points for the purpose. It's just not part of their procedure. You gotta remember that these ferries are very large and they're inland waterways not usually affected by the ocean wave action. A warning from the captain was totall sufficient.

 

[Reg# 43897]

I've taken bikes (including the FJR) across the Gulf from Newfoundland a bunch of times. Likely the wildest water that any of you would ever encounter (I stand to be corrected, but I doubt it). I have taken good advice from the deck hands. Put it onto the sidestand as has been mentioned elsewhere. Lock the fork and put it into 1st with the slack rolled out of the drivetrain. I don't recall seeing chocks... Then start strapping 'er down such that the lowest unsprung attachment points are strapped out at 45 degrees from the centreline of the bike. Then, have somebody sit on the bike to compress the suspension and run a strap or two over the seat with a pad under it (they have 'em). They'll give suggestions to receptive riders if the strapping could be improved for more security. They'll also let you do it your own way if you insist. I have been told that the only bikes that fall over are the ones that have been done by people who are not used to open Atlantic crossings and refuse to take hints... Makes sense.

John.

 

[chornbe]

Hi,
I ride a Washington State Ferry across Puget Sound every day. When I ride I hear a debate between people as to which is more stable on a rocking boat... the side stand (kick stand) or center stand?

The ferry is quite large and it's not a concern 98% of the time. Occasionally though the wind whips up 4' swells, or a tanker comes racing down the Sound and makes 8' waves. I've never seen or heard a verified story of a bike tipping over, but there are rumours.

I'm going so far with the side stand. It insures that it won't go over to the right, and it seems pretty solid on the left side. I've not done any sort of stability tests though as you might with a boat.

So... on a rocking ferry, which do you suggest? Side stand or center stand?

Thanks!

Steve

Last summer I had my FJR on the Lewis-Cape May ferry (Delaware -> New Jersey) and I was as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs the entire time. Turns out it was just fine on the side stand. That was my first ferry trip on a bike.