That officer must have been having a really bad day. I took the Brittany ferry from the U.K. to Ouistreham back in March and all they did was stamp my passport and say "have a great day!"
Then again, back during the liquid ban here in the States, I was rejected by an over-zealous officer for carrying liquid medicine even though I followed the proper procedure for doing such.
I think it all depends on who you get.