The return of the Cowes Floating Bridge has been delayed again this week, according to the Isle of Wight Council.
The vital link between East and West Cowes was originally taken out of action on 30th March for 24hrs due to the discovery of a hole, just a week before the MCGA inspection and annual maintenance. The aging vessel was then taken out of service for a week from 7th April before returning just a week later, as expected.
Due to the problems discovered, the Hempel-sponsored chain ferry was taken out of service again on 22nd April and shipped to a dry dock in Southampton to allow repairs to get underway. It was originally hoped that the floating bridge would return last Friday, however the Council announced that that was unlikely and that the service would not resume until early this week, later confirming tomorrow (7th May) as a return date.
Now, the return has been delayed once again due to the availability of a tow back from Southampton for the bridge, mixed with tide times and re-fitting the chains. A normal service will now resume from Thursday (8th May).
