Triumphrat

06-16-2005

Just returned from the 2005 IOM TT. How fantastic ! and im still on a high. The best time, entertainment, company, locals, beer and friendly police too !! My only gripe is with the ferry crossing. The Steam Packet Company. Anyone had any problems ? and is there any way of claiming for damage to the fairing on my brand new bike ?? they crammed 3 million bikes on the vessel and then roped it against a sharp edged post with no protection. The result is a worn chunk out of my fairing :cry: (( + the company crammed bikes together ending up in people literally having to climb across each others bikes to get off ! Arrive Liverpool, Seacat cancelled, go to Heysham 100 miles north, no please, thankyou or sorry. The list goes on and i think to spend £180 on this poor service is disgusting. Im chartering a smelly fishing boat to go over on next year !!! got to be better than Steam Packet.. oh i forgot to mention paying £10 extra for 1st class snd having to sit on the floor.. i hope i dont sound like a moaner but i just think we could have been treated a little better.

SP3inAZ · 06-16-2005

Hi Desparate Dan - I just returned also - I agree with how they jammed the bikes in, but I watched them tie mine down to be sure it wasn't rubbing on anything. When I made my reservations, I wasn't sure where I'd be (we did a tour of Scotland and Ireland) so I guessed Belfast. When we pulled into Blefast the night before an 8 Am saling, we couldn't get a hotel room due to the Northern Ireland/Germany football game. So we ended up riding down to Lurgan for the night. Loaded on the ferry with no problem, but coldn'[t figure out where the first class lounge was (we were pretty tired and could have used extra sleep). Leaving the Island, they changed our 10 PM Blefast ferry to 3 AM to Larne. We had to go directly to Troon, and were worried about making the connection. turns out the fery we were on was also our ferry to Troon, but we had to get suited up, roll off the ferry to the parkin glot, then turn around and get back in line to get back on. What a change - a couple hundred bikes on the first ferry - then only us on the second. And no first class lounge, so I don't know if we'll be getting a refund. I suspect not.

But in context, all pretty minor stuff. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat if I can afford it and take the time off of work. Let me know if you get any kind of refund, I'll do the same.

Regards,

Mark G

gareth47 · 08-15-2005

I also used Steam Packet Seacat to get to and from the TT this year. I was quite impressed with the way in which my bike was tied down - the metal rails had 2inch thick foam wrap-arounds and they placed a clean rag under the tie-down rope - mind you, I stood over the guy while he tied my bike down!

I've also used Irish Ferries and that was a completely different story! - You had to tie your own bike down with a few short lengths of 1.5 inch diameter oily rope. - not impressed!

10 more days and I'm off to the IOM again for the Manx Grand Prix - can't wait!

NorrinRadd · 09-28-2005

SP3inAZ (or anyone who has been there and done that!)

I was planning to do the TT in '06 in conjuction with a tour of Ireland before and Scotland after (I wish by bike but it will be by car) but after checking transport issues and all I am now thinking just one or the other and the IOM. Which did you enjoy more (note: I have been all over England almost up to the Scottish border) Can you offer any insight or pitfalls?

I am working with the tourist group for lodging on the the IOM and was thinking rental car around Ireland then turn in car, public transport/walk on IOM, then if going both places rent car in Scotland. Looking at the transport you can get back and forth Ireland-Scotland, and IOM-Ireland, but not IOM-Scotland only England, how did you work your trip? If I just did Ireland and IOM would it be best to leave the car and still do IOM on foot due to the crowds? I have watched all the TT videos including the new documentary but can't get the full picture of the island.

I go to OCONUS MotoGPs every year but this seems to be taking a lot more advance planning due to the limits of the IOM provided the crowd size.

Any input from your (or anyone's) experience would be appreciated!

SP3inAZ · 09-29-2005

Hi - We Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and IOM for a month, all by bike. We had to get from the IOM to Glasgow a couple days after the races. We took the ferry from Douglas to Larne (near Belfast in Northern Ireland) and then immediately from Larne to Troon in Scotland. It was the same ferry, but we still had to get off and get in line and get back on again. We were one of a couple hundred bikes on the Douglas-Larne ferry, but the only bike on the Larne-Troon Ferry. I'll PM you later with more details, but I think you could do IOM easily without a car - presuming you're staying in Douglas. They have bus tours out to good vantage points on the track. But I much preferred having the bike - on non-race days we had a great time exploring.

Regards,

Mark G