Panniers etc on Ferries & how to have safe panniers

[davetb]

Thanks everyone. Most reassuring. I have put gear cable wire in a loop on the panniers to act as opportunist deterrent, with the padlock cable through them and round seat tube. That just stays on like that until we need to take panniers off. Chris's are more easily removed than mine though.
Yes valuables always go every where with me when ever I am traveling by car, foot, canoe or bike ) So far so good, keep fingers crossed!

[Redvee]

My bikes have been abroad three times on ferries and from memory they were left on a low level deck on channel crossings. Pannier bags were left on apart from personal stuff for in the cabin and a bungy cord secured them to a convenient rail. I can remember one return crossing into Portsmouth where a side door was opened as the bow doors were opened and a fellow travellers helmet was blown across the deck.

[ANTONISH]

I've never had panniers interfered with on a ferry.
I doubt that there are many opportunist thieves hanging around on a ferry car deck - one would have to rifle through the bags in front of witnesses and cctv.
Everybody will have boarded the ferry with the intention of getting to their destination.
Apart from visibly attractive items like GPS devices, money and passports, I would leave everything else on the bike.
I would lock the bike on the off chance that it could be loaded into a conveniently parked van - but the chances of that are very slim.
I wonder what the chances are of the crew holding up the unloading of a ferry in the search for a lost bike

[PrinterJohn]

If you feel you have to lock you bike up, please do not lock your bike with mine under it! I like to get off the ferry promptly and have in the past had to wait for people who have locked their bike up with mine behind it. Cheers John

[ANTONISH]

If you feel you have to lock you bike up, please do not lock your bike with mine under it! I like to get off the ferry promptly and have in the past had to wait for people who have locked their bike up with mine behind it. Cheers John

Which bike is yours ?

[hamster]

I've always left them on the bike. The car deck is locked during sailings and frankly a little camping kit is an unlikely target to the expert thief compared to the valuables in all the cars.

[DJF]

We have always left panniers front and rear and rack pack, sleeping mats on the bikes on ferry crossings and have never had anything taken, we just take bar bags upstairs and on overnight ferry a small bag with nightly items in.

Find a rail at end of ferry and just tie on securely.

[TimP]

On the bike safety rather than security point, for ferries in Scotland I used to use a spare toe strap round the rear brake lever to bars so that the rear brake acts like a parking brake.
I would leave panniers on the bike - and have done so even when loading on buses in the past. They protect the bike, especially the gears. I never keep valuables on my bike.