FLOATING VOTERS
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• Commercial Motor readers have voted Sealink's Dover to Calais service their favourite ferry crossing. You gave the route 45% of your votes in our 1990 Boat poll, which had a record entry including some from Germany and Holland.
Last year's winner, Sally Line's Ramsgate to Dunkirk operation, remains popular. It ran Sealink a close second with 33%, despite carrying fewer freight vehicles.
The dubious honour of attracting most votes in the "least favourite" category goes to Brittany Ferries' Trucldine PooleCherbourg service, according to CM readers. Over 14% of voters said it was your least-popular crossing. P&O's Dover to Calais, Ostend and Zeebrugge also fared badly, getting between 9% and 11% each.
Mick Oakey, transport manager of Tyre & Tune Transport Burton, wins 10 free freight crossings for his firm. His vote for Sealink's Dover to Calais service was first out of the hat.
The carrier offers a "good, friendly allyear service", says Oakey, who runs 12 trucks, two of which go to France and Belgium weekly. "With Sealink there is always someone to greet you, and show you where things are — not like some Other favourites include Brittany Ferries' Portsmouth to Caen, P&O's Dover to Calais and B&I's Holyhead to Dublin route.
Ones you do not rate are: Schiaffino's Ramsgate to Ostend, P&O's PortsmouthLe Havre, Sealink's Dover-Dunkirk and Brittany's Portsmouth-Caen.
Readers were asked to vote for one best service and one worst crossing, awarding their favourite marks out of five for such things as booking procedure, checking-in, toilets and cleanliness. There was also space for comments. These included: • P&O Dover to Zeebrugge route — "Ship dirty and food inedible"; John Bridgland, driver, BOC Transhield, Ashford.
• Sealink Folkestone to Boulogne — "Treated like cattle"; M Sylvester, driver, TDH International, Shropshire.
LI Trucldine Poole to Cherbourg — "Filthy boats, lousy food, bad staff"; M Golding, driver Stuart Taylor International, Blackburn.
III Sally Line Ramsgate to Dunkirk — "Please change food from time to time"; Leo Moonene, driver, Bousmanne, Holland.
O Caledonian MacBrayne Stornoway to Ullapool — "Having two CVs on this route every day, you'd expect better service"; M MacDonald, transport manager, Hebrides Haulage, Isle of Lewis.
LI P&O Lame to Cairnryan — "Reversing onto boats could be improved"; Tiernach Mahon, director, Mahon Furnishings, Co Fermanagh.
O Sealink Dover to Calais — "I'd like to see a no-smoking dining area"; Godfrey Richards, driver, Lloyds of Ludlow, Shropshire.
El by Murdo Morrison