I never slept in a below deck cabin or my motor after that, RIP to everyone who didn’t make it, so sad…
Ossie
No words will ever replace the men and women lost that night, an accident that should never happen but in practice it was something that was done, just remember all the times we have cut corners to save time and mostly got away with it… So sad the tragic affects of that night. R.I.P to all and thoughts go out to their family and friends
I was only 24 at the time,i couldn’t even begin to imagine the terror the passengers went through as it tipped onto its side,not a lot scares me but that was terrible,i went to europe for the first time with 2 experienced drivers in 1999,the lead driver said to me ‘‘you know we have left dover don’t you’’ i replied yeah,he said you haven’t even looked,all i did was wipe my head and it was soaked in sweat,i was thinking of the herald at the time and all that water beneath me,not a nice feeling,give me the tunnel anytime,felt a lot safer coming back via the tunnel
Bit of a dilemma for me. The whole health and safety culture currently being enforced which drives everyone (including me) to distraction has arisen as a result of accidents such as this.
It’s easy to say that if there had been safe working practices in place, this terrible event would never have happened. But there wasn’t, and it did. Commercial pressure, no risk assessment, lack of training and complacency all contributed.
So, for example, is raining heavily when it’s time for the walk round check, it’s only a couple of miles to the next drop so it doesn’t need strapping and other trivial issues which we get away with 99 times out of a hundred, can have catastrophic effects if and when it does go wrong.
I am sure none of the personnel setting out on that fateful day had the slightest inkling of the consequences of their actions.
Hindsight is a great thing.
Alas its a sad fact of life that it takes terrible disasters like this to push safety practices forward. An incident like this was going to happen, it was just a matter of when. Ferry travel is now so much safer as a result. Same as flying, thousands died to make it one of the safest forms of transport
As an international driver at that time…before and after…we witnessed time and time again.the ship/boat departing with the bow doors open…and thought nothing of it, none of us questioned it and believed it to have been normal…but amazing how no others had capsized using the same system…a fellow driver told me who was on it…that because of no cabins available for him and his son…they decided to sleep in the truck…when they heard the sound of hammers trying to get the Rams to work…that woke them up and they decided to go back upstairs…thats when she keeled over…luckily…they both managed to escape.
God bless all of those who perished in this terrible accident, and may they r.i.p.
My old man (ex WW2 RN: MTB and landing craft) always said the sea was the most pitiless and unforgiving operating environment. All the tech in the world won’t save you unless you remember this.
Never been on the wolwich ferry since
I had cousins on board and one that had been transferred to another boat just before it left Dover .
I also worked for a transport company that had drivers on board , they didn’t all come home .
A true tragedy that shouldn’t have happened.
It will be remembered locally on all the media and marked with deep respect by many .
RIP.
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malcolmgbell:
Never been on the wolwich ferry since
Ha Ha, that’s funny 
NOT
Where did all those years go…I still remember that day, I had arrived at Ipswich dock very late afternoon, dropped the trailer and was making tea when I heard about it from a security guard and everyone was stood about talking about it.
Such a sad day . RIP all that didn’t get out.
pierrot 14:
malcolmgbell:
Never been on the wolwich ferry sinceHa Ha, that’s funny
not ment to be funny,just a fact
malcolmgbell:
pierrot 14:
malcolmgbell:
Never been on the wolwich ferry sinceHa Ha, that’s funny
not ment to be funny,just a fact
Don’t blame you,those boats (as well maintained as they are)are still very old,anything could happen,but then that’s life