Please Report Any Security Check Problems When Boarding Ferries ex UK

[Tangled Metal]

I'd probably buy them over in France. Although that's more based on not risking confiscation rather than actually knowing confiscation will happen.

[Sweep]

This by the by is the decathlon camping knife i mentioned upthread.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/hiking-knif ... gIM7PD_BwE

It is an excellent knife and in fact i also use it in the kitchen at home as my main small cooking knife.

Doubtless, since it locks, i could fo someone a serious injury, but then I could withbso much else if I was so inclined.

It's not light but is excellent.

Back to info on individual ferry cos, which I think was the OP's original and excellent question.

[simonhill]

We are from the US and will arrive in Portsmouth mid August and then take the ferry to Cherbourg.
This discussion is quite timely!
My question is what about gas cylinders for stoves? Planning on buying ours in Portsmouth.
Thanks!

This should be specified by the ferry company. Check their website.

When I took my capervan to Guernsey on Condor, the booking conditions said only one gas cylinder allowed. Having previously seen very thorough searches of cars on Condor between Guernsey and Jersey I decided not to take a spare cylinder. As it turned out my van wasn't searched at Portsmouth or at St Peter Port. This was 2016.

The thorough searches of cars I saw was previous year. I was on bike and they didn't look at anything of mine. I just got nodded through. Didn't depart from England on that trip as I flew in and out Jersey and only used ferry to and from Guernsey.

[hamster]

No problems with gas cylinders - the caravans all have huge ones.

[slowster]

We are from the US and will arrive in Portsmouth mid August and then take the ferry to Cherbourg.
This discussion is quite timely!
My question is what about gas cylinders for stoves? Planning on buying ours in Portsmouth.
Thanks!

Googling camping shops in Cherbourg*, it looks like Go Sport** is the obvious place to go assuming your ferry arrival time is not on Sunday or after 8pm when the store is closed. Alternatively there is a Decathlon store on the southern outskirts of Cherbourg.

* https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cherbourg+camping+magasin&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=49615110,-1605711,2323&tbm=lcl&ved=0ahUKEwiFydSaoOXbAhWRNOwKHYK6AecQtgMIKw&tbs=lrf:!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:4&rldoc=1#rlfi=hd:;si:,49.62923515443219,-1.6130831368163854;mv:!1m3!1d6069.508015337272!2d-1.6138126976684362!3d49.63706186889342!3m2!1i832!2i451!4f13.1

** https://www.go-sport.com/search/?q=gaz

[willem jongman]

A bigger issue with gas cannisters could be that once in France you may be hard pressed to find the screw on Lindall valve cannisters that you use in the US and that are also used in many other countries apart from France, where the bajonet type CampingGAz valved cannisters are the most common type.

[hamster]

Yes, worth getting the Gaz converter doohickey...
https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/p/edelr ... colour=109

[simonhill]

My point was that only ONE cyclinder was allowed on Condor Ferries. No restrictions on carrying gas, only the number of cylinders.

Whether this only one rule would apply for small cylinders, I have no idea, hence I said check the company's website.

[MartinBrice]

Portsmouth security is a real pain. On the half dozen times I've been through there in a bike I've been searched and so have many of my companions - I'm in a big club and we have a couple of dozen on our tours.
I'm convinced they search cyclists because we're a "vehicle" so count as a thorough vehicle stop and search with very little difficulty for them.
It's a total waste of time when massive camper vans go through unsearched.
Once I had one pannier scanned, but not the other one, and was then scanned myself but they missed the large metal multitool in my pocket.
At Dover once I was waved into the search area riding a bike with four panniers, tent on the rear rack. Obviously I'm camping. Obviously I'll be cooking. When asked if I had a knife I replied No and was told to be on my way.
Incompetent, time wasting.
And what are we going to do with a kitchen knife? Hijack the ferry and fly it into an office block in New York? Do me a favour....

[ANTONISH]

Portsmouth security is a real pain. On the half dozen times I've been through there in a bike I've been searched and so have many of my companions - I'm in a big club and we have a couple of dozen on our tours.
I'm convinced they search cyclists because we're a "vehicle" so count as a thorough vehicle stop and search with very little difficulty for them.
It's a total waste of time when massive camper vans go through unsearched.

I think you have hit the nail on the head here Martin.
I don't blame the people doing the searching they are probably working under "Tick box" instructions.
There must be some higher up idiot who scripts the inane questions.
Considering that once on the ferry - apart from the metal cutlery, there are many items that will convert readily into an offensive weapon - yet the search goes on for the innocuous pen knife.

[sabrutat]

I've never been stopped, despite having my 'It's not the lack of a knife that's stopping me from killing people.' zinger all loaded up.

[Cunobelin]

We are from the US and will arrive in Portsmouth mid August and then take the ferry to Cherbourg.
This discussion is quite timely!
My question is what about gas cylinders for stoves? Planning on buying ours in Portsmouth.
Thanks!

OT, but appropriate

There are not a lot of places near the Ferry to buy Gas cylinders

You will need to go further afield - what sort of cylinders are you after?

[Woodtourer]

[quote][/quote
Our stove is a MSR Pocket Rocket. So they take a screw on gas cylinder.

[Cunobelin]

[/quote
Our stove is a MSR Pocket Rocket. So they take a screw on gas cylinder.

Depending on which way you approach there are very

There are few outdoor shops, Snow and Rock are MSR stockists at Port Solent, and there is a Decathlon on Southampton road, which is fairly near Port Solent. There is a fairly pleasant off road route to the Ferry from either of these once you get past Cosham

This map shows the Portsmouth cycle routes

[simonhill]

I took the DFDS ferry from Dunkirk to Dover yesterday. On bike with 2 rear panniers. Not camping, but I have sheath type knife and a Swiss army one. I placed them inside different panniers

What I assumed to be the security area had 3 people standing about waiting for the next lorry. They barely gave me a glance as I slowly pedalled past. On the ferry, I did see a notice stuck to a wall saying that people could be searched before being allowed to board. Coincidentally, I saw someone sitting at an outside table using a one of those sheathed cooking knives to prepare their picnic. I decided not to raise a security alert.

Reading through this thread, it seems to be mainly a Portsmouth thing, not a ferry thing. If you travel through Portsmouth frequently, why don't you raise it with the powers that be? A photo of the aforementioned steak knife; the legitimate use of knives by cyclists and campers; the lack of checking caravans, etc should go to make a good case. No point in just whingeing about it. Isn't there something called twitter that every company is petrified of?