# Calais Manoeuvres



## Old Cunarder (Sep 5, 2007)

Could anyone explain why the Pride of Dover and Pride of Calais, , when departing, always ran astern until outside the harbour before swinging into the approach channel? All other ships swing either off the berth or whilst in the harbour. As a very regular user of the service I had never seen POD and POC do otherwise. Now they are sadly no longer with us I would be interested in the answer.


----------



## alan ward (Jul 20, 2009)

For perhaps one of the happiest periods of my working life I drove a van,a 3.5 tonne brand new Mercedes sprinter,and crossed the channel virtually every day driving to Paris or up to Belgium.We had five company credit cards in our wallets two for diesel,one for the Channel Tunnel, one for Norfolk Lines ferries and another for P&O.Guess which ones got used most?I loved the ferries,we used to take the train across,do the job asap and then hot foot back to either Dunkirk or Calais for the trip back.Stop at Adinkerke for tobacco and cheap heineken,board,subsidised meals in the transport cafe and crash out on the massage beds,we got paid for this! I used to watch those ferries manoevre in awe they would come in,at speed, and just slot themselves into their berths.Wonderful to see.The other drivers didn`t get it they would use the train both ways to get maximum time in the UK,I never got it a lovely stroll round the duty free,read the paper,get a coffee or sit in a lay by watching porn on a lap top? I was really sad when that job went west,so was the missus when the supply of perfume dried up.


----------



## Basil (Feb 4, 2006)

> so was the missus when the supply of perfume dried up.


WHAT? You're too mean to pay full price for her perfume? Not today surely? (Eats) (*))


----------



## howardws (Aug 15, 2009)

Prides of Calais and Dover both had bow rudders which enabled them to manoeuvre astern very easily and very quickly so messing about in the harbour wasn't necessary. The newer P&O ferries don't have bow rudders, they went for bulbous bows instead - I don't know about the other companies but assume that they are the same.


----------

