Idiot's guide to taking balloons with full propane cylinders on ferries. Correct Sep 2005

Scope

This concerns Ferry companies which allow full cylinders to be carried on ship.

Important Documents

What to do in advance

Fill in the MCA request Form (word doc) and Fax it or send it to the MCA more than one month before travel. You will receive a document in return.
Print many copies (6 is good) of the Dangerous good's notice (pdf) and fill in as many boxes as you can. I have only needed one per crossing and they have photocopied it at the port. If you take 3 for each leg, then they can keep 2 copies. The important bits appear to be
  1. Put a name address and signature in as many boxes as you can
  2. You are shipping PROPANE, Class 2.1, UN 1978
  3. The less you write in the section about what you are shipping, the less the admin staff have to type into their computer. So make it brief, yet accurate.

What to do on the day

Get there early, they will probably want to board you first (you will be on deck with the seagulls). You also have some paperwork to do (i.e. 1.5 hours before the ferry leaves).
Check in and say "I have a hot air balloon and I am carring propane which is a dangerous good, I have the correct documents". You will be sent to an office, where you must show your MCA certificate, DGN and passport.
If you do not have any stickers, ask for stickers (you need 3 * 25 cm stickers, one for the back and one for each side of the trailer/van.

My mistake

In July 2005, I thought someone else has taken care of the admin and I arrived at P and O with full tanks and no certificates. P and O originally said we could not travel and changed their mind and faxed the MCA for us (to get our certificate) and helped us fill in the DGN.
Do not assume that the check-in staff know that Balloons carry propane (well some don't for a start, and others may be travelling with no cylinders). If you risk just driving on, the load master may turn you back (meaning getting a ferry a lot later) or you may be banned from travelling at all (and possible screw it up for the rest of us).
In France, they seem to be a lot less worried about it, but the same rules still apply. You may have to beg to declare your propane.