kiki2000 Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Hi, we are going to go Portsmouth to Santander in May, I hope to pack as much frozen food as I can in the freezer section of fridge, can we use the gas to keep the fridge ticking over while on the ferry overnight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnP Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 I have not travelled on this route but the regulations are probably the same for all crossings ie. gas must be turned off at the cylinders before boarding. There is a thread on this subject in Motorhome Hints and Tips under the title "Freezers overnight on ferries" and you will find some good advice there. I do not know whether you have a separate fridge/freezer or a fridge with a freezer compartment. From experience either will stay frozen for a considerable period of time if you get it really cold, pack it well and do not open the door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 kiki2000 - 2010-03-29 8:03 AM Hi, we are going to go Portsmouth to Santander in May, I hope to pack as much frozen food as I can in the freezer section of fridge, can we use the gas to keep the fridge ticking over while on the ferry overnight? I don't know of any ferries that would allow you to keep the gas on. On our longest sea crossing, Newcastle to Gothenburg in Sweden, which took around 26 hours, we put frozen bottles of milk and water in the fridge and all our 'perishables' were o.k. when we arrived. We had also turned the fridge on at least 12 hours ( or more) before reaching the ferry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinfrier Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Hi I used the ferry last year no one asked me to turn off the gas so I left it on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 colinfrier - 2010-03-29 9:38 AM Hi I used the ferry last year no one asked me to turn off the gas so I left it on Colin Not sure which ferry you were on, but I've just typed " gas bottles on ferries" into Google and up came the Brittany Ferries website. It says: " Maximum of three 15 kg gas cylinders may be carried. All should be adequately secured and must be turned off " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Decorator Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Filling your freezer as tight and full as possible at least a day before travelling should allow it to survive turned off overnight easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 colinfrier - 2010-03-29 9:38 AM Hi I used the ferry last year no one asked me to turn off the gas so I left it on Check the ferry operator's conditions of carriage. So far as I know, they all require gas to be isolated at the cylinder. The concern is the risk of fire should the fridge, or some other gas burner, ignite fumes from a possible fuel spill. Fire on a car deck would not be funny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterjl Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Hi whenever we have used this crossing, rather than take the risk, we have left fridge empty and stocked up in Spain - plenty of supermarkets. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinfrier Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 I was on Brittany Pont Avent no one asked me to turn off so I left it and no I did not read the small print ignorance is often bliss.Pity they don't do what Minoan line do and provide drop down EH Brittany charge enough for there crossing compared with Minoan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted April 1, 2010 Share Posted April 1, 2010 During my police service I attended a couple of gas explosions that caused extensive damage to buildings. A serious gas leak in an enclosed space like a car deck only needs a spark to turn the ship into a wreck. Turning the gas of at the bottle minimises the risk Can anyone intending to keep ther gas turned on during a ferry crossing please post the dates and times so I can avoid the sailing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheetahdavie Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Just had a thought, I still manage to do this ..on thursdays? Packing a fridge..bottles..goodies etc. Weight..?..many vehicles seem to have "little" payload. A tin of canned veg =.540kg. A bottle of milk aint half heavy. [i note many who come back from abroad speak of "cheap plonk"..a bottle of wine is weighty!] Packing my fridge would take a good deal of my payload..to an inexperienced person like me this seems a waste ..loking at what some people eat a loaded fridge would seem very heavy indeed. Does a loaded fridge count toward the calculation for payload? or have I got it wrong..its April 2 now!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 EVERYTHING counts to your vans Maximum Gross Weight! You!, your passengers, stuff in the fridge, fuel,solar panels, gennys, even bottles of wine! The penalties for being overweight, if you are stopped can be quite hefty, as well a being unsafe and invalidating any insurance in the event of an accident, so it's as well to get it right before you leave. Gas is supposed to be switched off but modern car ferries have quite extensive and sophisticated natural and mechnical ventilation systems on all car decks to prevent a build up of any explosive mixtures of gas or fuel vapours, so the chances of an explosion being caused by a fridge pilot light must be very small indeed, so don't have nightmares! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike 202 Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Agree that Ferries have good ventilation, BUT why take items that need to stay so cold, after all the whole of Europe seem to be surviving with the food available from their supermarkets and shops. If you want something like UK bacon (probably from Holland) then go to LIDL and get vacuum packed with at least a 30 day shelf life. Personally I think that it is irresponsible to leave the gas on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 No one has ever checked if my gas is off so it stays on. As to why carry some food would have thought this was obvious. When you get into France or where ever you are going it is always useful to have some food available. Food in France these days, with a few exceptions, is very expensive and now is no better than the UK. Even French bread is going the way of UK with most being filled with additives to prolong the life of it. Carrying a lot of food on a long holiday is not going to save you much but every little helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 The risk from a gas cylinder which has been left on is admittedly small. It would require a fire to have already started elsewhere to manifest the risk. However, there is always the possibility that if the gas hose connection is not fully tight, leakage could arise. If the fridge has been left on gas, or is an AES fridge with the gas on, there is the potential source of ignition. The risk that this might ignite leaking gas, or fumes from spilled fuel, is still quite small, because of gas drops in the vehicle and the need for any spillage to be in the vicinity of your van. However, the consequences, for you, your van, and all the other passengers on board, should such a fire arise, would be potentially very serious indeed.It is unlikely you would be insured against any resulting losses, because you would have acted negligently. That is to say you know of the risk, but choose to ignore it.I suspect you are far from alone in adopting the attitude that you only have to comply with rules and regulations if someone asks/tells you to. However, belonging to that large undisciplined group of rule dodgers does not make you right, in law, or morally.Fortunately for you, the rest of us by and large stick to the rules and reduce that risk, so generally defeating your best attempts to increase it. It takes seconds to turn off, so there is no excuse for not doing so, even for the bone idle and selfishly foolish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinfrier Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 The only crossing where I have been asked and seen to turn off the gas is on the tunnel the ferries never bother to ask or even put up signs so I guess they don't see it as a big problem. As you say Brian it only takes a minute to turn off and on the short crossings no problem this thread was about longer crossings i.e. to northern Spain 24 hours or more.Why can't Brittany provide hook up they charge enough that would be the best solution Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cattwg Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 mike 202 - 2010-04-02 9:30 AM Personally I think that it is irresponsible to leave the gas on. I agree. The safety arguments have already been expounded so I won't repeat them. Cattwg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 If the worst comes to the worst and the ship does catch fire and sink how will anyone know, apart from ourself of course, whether we'd left the gas on? :-) We all take calculated risks every time we leave the house? Ever cross the road when the little man is on red? Pinch that extra second by crossing the lights just as they turn red? Drive up to the next pump while someone is filling their tank at a garage? All potentially fatal mistakes but we subconciously weigh up the odds, think it will never happen to us and do them anyway. If leaving the fridge on was such a big threat to the ships' safety there would be people checking your van before you loaded, and they don't, so I think that sums up the problem for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Decorator Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Tomo, Then I assume you don't give a toss if anyone gets injured? Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterjl Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Hi I have seen crew members walking to each M/home or caravan and put hand next to fridge vent to check for heat. That was about 5 years back and i forget which crossing but some operators do check albeit not so straightforward with the modern fridges with no pilot light! Even on short crossings we take a few tins and thats it - the rest we buy abroad. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 As with any of the examples above if I DID happen to cause an injury to someone then of course I'd feel guilty. But to be honest, the chances of my leaving the fridge on actually causing some shipboard catastophe is so miniscule that I'm willing to take the chance. And if we're all being honest it's how we all think when we do take a risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 It is one thing to take the risk yourself, but to put others at risk too is, IMV, very selfish. I've been in a motorhome when a gas leak self-ignighted and we had a 5ft blowtorch inside ... not at all funny but fortunately we were able to turn off the gas and extinguish the flames quickly. But if it had happened in the hold of a ship and we hadn't been there to sort it out I hate to think what would have happened. A fire of this sort may well not sink a ship (hopefully they have systems in place to alert them to fires etc in the hold) but think of the damage it could do not just to your vehicle and those around you, but if there are any pets in vehicles, what it could do to them. I like my dogs alive and kicking ... not crispy thanks. 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Have to say I agree. Taking a risk with your own neck has limited implications for others. Taking a risk that may threaten the safety or convenience of others however, is in a different category.I don't think it matters a hoot if the perpetrator may, or may not, be discovered. Where's the morality in that? If the gas valves are closed, the event cannot take place, if they are left open it may take place. If it did, it would be unlikely to result in the Channel filling with floating corpses, but the prospect of delaying several thousand people, possibly causing considerable damage, and wrecking other people's travel plans should, surely, give some pause for thought. All for the sake of opening and closing a door. I'm afraid that seems unreasonably casual to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graham Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 When we have used DFDS or Brittany Ferries we have always been asked if the gas is turned off at the cylinder. This has not happened on the Dover ferries but I am sure I have seen a sign there reminding people to turn it off. I haven't looked that closely because I turn it off anyway. To return to the original question we have used the North Sea ferries on 4 occasions. The fridge was run for some time beforehand, packed with cold goods and an ice pack, run on gas until boarding time and everything was still fine 20 hours later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 It's another one of those 'annoying Rules', that a lot of us get Blase' about Like not smoking or using a mobile phone when filling with Fuel, or not using the phone on an unmanned level crossing, Both rules which have been ignored recently and lives have been lost, I think we have to be protected from ourselves sometimes. Like the Ban on gas powered vehicles through the Channel Tunnel (anyone fancy being trapped under there during a Fire ??). NO, Please keep your fridge off on the ferries, I might be unlucky and be on the same ferry as you who have it on. I still always get a mental picture of the 'Herald of Free Enterprise' laying on it's side whenever I drive aboard a ferry. /:-( Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.