What should happen to Cross Channel Ferrys after Brexit?

[PaxmanValenta]

At present there are probably hundreds of cross channel ferries going between Britain and France. After Brexit there will most probably be a substantial decrease in people and vehicles crossing the channel. That means hundreds of ferries will become redundant. What will happen to them? It would be such a terrible waste if they're allowed to rust away or be scrapped.

I think some of them could be converted into floating hotels for Britain's seaside towns like Blackpool or Skegness. Even one embedded into concrete at the end of one of Blackpool piers.

Another use is to provide much needed housing for the homeless.

Maritime training schools.

Possibly the bigger ones could be used as transatlantic car ferries allowing Brits to take their cars to the USA.

Any other ideas?

 

[Ianno87]

As anti-Brexit as I am, I wouldn't expect the impact on the number of people and goods wishing to cross the Channel being quite that dramatic. And I don't think there are "hundreds" of ferries plying the trade these days - a few dozen perhaps (but I'm not an expert!)

 

[AlterEgo]

I really doubt there will be such a significant decrease in travel.

 

[AndrewE]

[Pre UK EEC membership] There used to be far more ferries than now, so might we see a resurgence of easy-to use ferry ports as a way of avoiding huge queues at the shortest crossings (among which I would include the Chunnel Shuttles?)

 

[Robertj21a]

Have you actually worked out just how few ferries run nowadays ?

Personally, I wouldn't expect very much change.

 

[Hornet]

With these 'hundreds of Ferries' we could make a floating bridge. (Ave Ferry length 200m x distance Dover Calais 40Km = 200 Ferries), Alternatively we could live in the real world.

 

[AndrewE]

Have you actually worked out just how few ferries run nowadays ?

Personally, I wouldn't expect very much change.

Except that it seems to be a lot easier to re-commission ships for ferry services than it is to get UK Regulatory approval to run a train! And there seem to be lots of ships cascaded around Europe (and further afield.)

 

[Tetchytyke]

The ferry companies claimed it was the end of duty free which put them into financial bother. And if we're not in the EU we can have duty free on the boats again...

 

[Bald Rick]

The 'hundreds' of cross channel ferries:

P&O - 5
DFDS - 7
Brittany Ferries - 10 (and that includes the ships that do the Ireland & Spain routes)

As for the idea of a cross-Atlantic ferry, that made me chuckle. A lot.

 

[theageofthetra]

The 'hundreds' of cross channel ferries:

P&O - 5
DFDS - 7
Brittany Ferries - 10 (and that includes the ships that do the Ireland & Spain routes)

As for the idea of a cross-Atlantic ferry, that made me chuckle. A lot.

At present there are probably hundreds of cross channel ferries going between Britain and France. After Brexit there will most probably be a substantial decrease in people and vehicles crossing the channel. That means hundreds of ferries will become redundant. What will happen to them? It would be such a terrible waste if they're allowed to rust away or be scrapped.

I think some of them could be converted into floating hotels for Britain's seaside towns like Blackpool or Skegness. Even one embedded into concrete at the end of one of Blackpool piers.

Another use is to provide much needed housing for the homeless.

Maritime training schools.

Possibly the bigger ones could be used as transatlantic car ferries allowing Brits to take their cars to the USA.

Any other ideas?

This is a joke question right?

 

[radamfi]

I suppose the Channel Tunnel will be closed and bricked up as well? What will be done with the trains?

 

[AM9]

I suppose the Channel Tunnel will be closed and bricked up as well? ...

Might need to mine it as there's no going back!

 

[Bertie the bus]

As for the idea of a cross-Atlantic ferry, that made me chuckle. A lot.

Everybody knows the Americans drive on the wrong side of the road so you wouldn't want to take your car there. A ferry service to New Zealand and Australia would make much more sense.

 

[fowler9]

I really don't envisage a reduction in ferry traffic, perhaps just an increase in waiting time at borders. It recently took me an hour to get back in to the EU from Bosnia to Croatia (And that wasn't an hour queing, it was an hour once our bus reached the border guards.

 

[theageofthetra]

I really don't envisage a reduction in ferry traffic, perhaps just an increase in waiting time at borders. It recently took me an hour to get back in to the EU from Bosnia to Croatia (And that wasn't an hour queing, it was an hour once our bus reached the border guards.

The worse one is the Montenegro -Croatia one. Its to stop Albanians mostly.

 

[theageofthetra]

Might need to mine it as there's no going back!

Perhaps with a misbehaving rebuilt green Greenly Atlantic behind it?

 

[Clip]

Could you imagine the cost of taking your own car on a ferry to the states against just hiring one and flying?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Could you imagine the cost of taking your own car on a ferry to the states against just hiring one and flying?

The only real demand for such a service would be the import and export of classic US cars to the UK and classic UK cars to the States. Definitely not enough demand for a ferry service!

 

[AndrewE]

It recently took me an hour to get back in to the EU from Bosnia to Croatia (And that wasn't an hour queing, it was an hour once our bus reached the border guards.

Our bus from Rijeka (Croatia) through a bit of Slovenia to Trieste (Italy) last year had a check of sorts... Even though they all seem to be in the EU there was a border check where a police/Borders person walked through the bus briefly checking passports. Maybe it was a Schengen area thing...

 

[Tetchytyke]

Could you imagine the cost of taking your own car on a ferry to the states against just hiring one and flying?

I've not got past the thought of spending a week on a RORO ferry. The cost of the seasickness pills alone would bankrupt me.

 

[Bald Rick]

The only real demand for such a service would be the import and export of classic US cars to the UK and classic UK cars to the States. Definitely not enough demand for a ferry service!

There is quite a demand for individual car transport across the Atlantic (as opposed to new cars en masse). Usually classics, but also US diplomats and military bringing their own cars. Cost is about £1-2k including port fees, taxes etc. Around twice that if you put it in a container.

Presumably the non container trip involves athe same RoRo car carriers that ship all the X5s and Teslas over here, and various European cars the other way. But you couldn't go with it.

 

[Bald Rick]

I've not got past the thought of spending a week on a RORO ferry. The cost of the seasickness pills alone would bankrupt me.

Well exactly. If you think the channel can be choppy, the north Atlantic is something else!

 

[fowler9]

Our bus from Rijeka (Croatia) through a bit of Slovenia to Trieste (Italy) last year had a check of sorts... Even though they all seem to be in the EU there was a border check where a police/Borders person walked through the bus briefly checking passports. Maybe it was a Schengen area thing...

Croatia is not in the Schengen area so you would show your passport as a formality same as you do traveling from another EU country to the UK. Bosnia is not in the EU hence the protracted border crossing.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Well exactly. If you think the channel can be choppy, the north Atlantic is something else!

Indeed. Have a look at this YouTube video, which is in fact relatively calm conditions for the North Atlantic; you'll only need to go about 12 seconds in to start getting the idea:

 

[Hornet]

Slightly more choppy in Pacific waters.

Regards immigration checks between EU states, I was once on a Belfast to Dublin bus which got pulled over by a team from the Garda National Immigration Bureau for a spot check at Dundalk. They did an ID check, which was a bit of a shock for two Chinese Tourists, who had failed to bring their passports. Exit stage left with the Guards! I showed my temporary Cook Islands Driving Licence, and the Guards didn't bat an eyelid!

 

[Clip]

The only real demand for such a service would be the import and export of classic US cars to the UK and classic UK cars to the States. Definitely not enough demand for a ferry service!

True but theyre already catered for by much bigger vessels than a car ferry

 

[fowler9]

Slightly more choppy in Pacific waters.

Regards immigration checks between EU states, I was once on a Belfast to Dublin bus which got pulled over by a team from the Garda National Immigration Bureau for a spot check at Dundalk. They did an ID check, which was a bit of a shock for two Chinese Tourists, who had failed to bring their passports. Exit stage left with the Guards! I showed my temporary Cook Islands Driving Licence, and the Guards didn't bat an eyelid!

Did that crossing the other way from Picton to Wellington. It was like a millpond in Queen Charlottes Sound, the minute we hit the Cook Straight though there were cups and plates all over the place. The ferry from Sydney to Manly was fun to.

 

[shredder1]

The worse one is the Montenegro -Croatia one. Its to stop Albanians mostly.

Try crossing from Kosovo to Serbia