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  Marek,
  
  
  That is NOT the bow door being opened, merely the 'bow visor' that protects the watertight car-deck doors.
  
  The visor is NOT the main protection against water ingress which is provided by the watertight car-deck doors.
  
  The vitally important water-tight doors [bow doors] will remain closed until the vessel is secured in the berth & will be closed & re-secured before the vessel leaves the berth.
  These doors are the 'statutory' means of preventing the sea getting on the cardeck.
  
  It is necessary to lift the visor before the vessel arrives on the berth as it would foul the linkspans if left closed until the vessel was berthed.
  
  The visor is not raised until the ferry is inside the harbour approaching the berth & will be lowered & secured as soon as the vessel is clear of the linkspans on sailing.
  
  The water-tight cardeck doors are closed & secured [warning lights & radio or phone confirmation from the car-deck] before moving out of the berth & would then start lowering the visor as soon as it cleared the berth, often pausing a few feet out of the berth until the visor is secured. In any event the visor would be closed & secured well before the vessel completed it's swing inside the harbour.
  
  P&O vessels have a similar routine re closing their cardeck watertight doors before sailing, but have the advantage that their horizontally-moving 'clamshell' outer doors can be closed completely before they leave the berth at Calais. Similarly I would image that the 'clamshells' are not opened until the vessel is in the berth, after which the bow doors would be opened for disembarkation..
  
  As the watertight doors are providing the vital safety factor the visor or clamshell doors merely provide additional protection & restore the shape of the vessel's hull for cutting thru the water.

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