It is Capt Marvels fault as he had me searching some old ferry photographs and I inevitably came across this, it wasnt difficult.
jonnyscottblair.blogspot.com/200 … rugge.html
One mans blog but the facts are there. might be worth another read.
But the facts are pretty much all over the shop. He seems very angry and he’s judging an event that happened in the 80’s by today’s standards. Terrible event but he needs to get some facts straight. For instance P&O bought the majority of Townsends parent company after the event so him not travelling on a P&O ferry over 20 years after the event is as misguided now as it would have been at the time.
switchlogic:
But the facts are pretty much all over the shop. He seems very angry and he’s judging an event that happened in the 80’s by today’s standards. Terrible event but he needs to get some facts straight. For instance P&O bought the majority of Townsends parent company after the event so him not travelling on a P&O ferry over 20 years after the event is as misguided now as it would have been at the time.
Full of holes doesn’t come close, the first water the Herald took on was indeed partly due to being ballasted forward and running slightly ‘nose down’ but it was the wake of an inbound ferry that the Herald crossed that starter that terrible ‘ball rolling’ & brought the first flood of seawater that flowed into the car deck & went below, lowering the bow still further.
I’ve crossed hundreds of times and (back then) normally slept in my cab rather than the cabins provided & I can’t remember how many times I’ve crossed the channel with bow doors open prior to this incident, in fact, in good weather it was common practice.
Ross.
And anyhow it would have happened eventually anyway. Everything is normal practice until a horrible incident causes things to be changed. It’s just a fact of life that safer practices come about as a response to incidents.
I was due to sail on the herald that day but the coach I was on was delayed so missed it by 45 minutes, remember sailing past the next day and shivering 
switchlogic:
Everything is normal practice until a horrible incident causes things to be changed. It’s just a fact of life that safer practices come about as a response to incidents.
I couldn’t agree more, my mum used to call it “locking the door after the horse has bolted”!!
Ross.
Pete the post:
I was due to sail on the herald that day but the coach I was on was delayed so missed it by 45 minutes, remember sailing past the next day and shivering
If this had happened to me I would never admit it on a public forum like this one, there must be about 50% of drivers who were doing the continent at that time who “just missed” that boat.
I personally wish this particular topic would fade away, it has been covered 100’s of times in the past and always brings back bad memories to me, as a local I lost several friends who worked on the ferry that day and would prefer not to have constant reminders of the event 
I used the Herald regular ZB-Dover on Saturday nights.That weekend I did Swiss Valencia & saw the picture of the Herald on its side in a Spanish Sunday paper… The cabin, kitchen etc stewards were always wrecked - in a serious nasty selfish way. They would start the party after leaving Dover so when they got to ZB they were in full swing. The drivers were just a nuisance to them. They used to close everything up as soon as poss. & party in the crew quarters. Once they did a Conga thru the drivers lounge while we had been sitting there without a drink for at least a coupla hours. Townsend crews were always well under the influence in those days ( Last knockings ,as it were ) until they were sacked. I also lost friends on the Herald & will never forget the top heavy Union mafia that created the situation . When Townsend kicked 'em out one of 'em said to me." Townsend will miss us more than we will miss Townsend." The silly bar-teds used to stand on the wall on the left as you enter the port & want the drivers to join their strike■■? They thought those ferry boats existed just for them. They were the bad old days when officers had no control over the crew. The unions ran the show.
I will never forget that what happened on that night …
PS. Never saw any officers mashed; usually sober & civil.
It’s an offence for a crewman on watch or likely to be called on watch on a commercial vessel to be under the influence.
It’s all part of the same legislation drink driving comes under.
deleted cause ,to many memories
i recon this should be laid to rest.
jimmy