The troubled Cowes Floating Bridge has once again been pulled from service – but the reason is unknown.
Following a seemingly more reliable run in recent months, the East Cowes to Cowes service has once again been suspended this evening (Saturday).
The Isle of Wight Council has confirmed that the service is not currently operating across the River Medina, but hasn’t expanded on why.
It’s been suggested to Island Echo that the chain ferry was pulled at around 17:00.
A launch service for foot passengers and cyclists is now in operation.
UPDATE SUNDAY – The service remains suspended this morning.





























































































That’s a shame, must be another Maritime inspection, if only IWC stopped wasting taxpayers money on this heap of junk, nothing is better than this .. joke of an asset. But it’s a good reminder of the IWC incompetency.
Obviously the temperature of the water in the river is wrong – so not the poor vessel’s fault.
I heard the water is too wet and salty
Never mind. There’s enogh money in the brown envelopes to cover the cost…
I can expand on it, it’s broken.
This council needs to be voted out, no point ‘just’ moaning on here.
Just get rid of this pile of money wasting junk for starters. Build a bridge across the river that was suggested back in 1975. 24 hours 7 days a week crossing without holdups. Sack the entire numpty heads that were responsible for this pile of garbage that wasn’t fit for service. Can’t believe this has gone on for so long.
Don’t the councillors realise they are wasting their own council tax too? Get rid of this pile of junk – it’s a laughing stock now, and so are we for allowing the situation to develop
Logic dictates this enterprise is funded and run by IOW council, and therefore a tax payer asset funded by us, there are no commercial restrictions on putting information in the public domain as that part of the dim and shady past has been resolved saving a lot of embarassed councillors having to declare their part in thie farce, now we have a council saying, its not running, we are not going to tell you why, would gives them the right to do this.
So of course, the Traffic Policing Unit, having allowed the festival of fart-boxes aka Ford Takevover to jam the roads with noise, pollution and ignorant idiots, will make sure of good traffic control at the showground, being the only other route out of Cowes? They will, won’t they?
“pulled at around 17:00” ie just at the bottom of a low spring tide. Who could have foreseen (ie avoided) that?
Boat is so much faster though!
Looks like plenty of overtime coming up for the people who operate the electric signboards on Fairlee.
The gift that keeps on giving, for gods sake call it a day and be rid of the thing, either put out to tender to set up a permanent launch service instead of the current brown envelope mob and it would save a fortune.
Words fail me, unfortunately can’t see them getting rid of it as they spent a fortune on spare parts so yet another waste of tax payers money. Wondered what the massive queue of traffic was yesterday, I thought it RF obviously wrong.
Oh was it working then?
Sorry, I never bother with even trying these days. Basically, a waste of time.
More chance of seeing Mr. Seeley in Newport High Street.
Must be the strain of that 12 days of inspection and routine maintenance it has to go through (when was the last time the mot and service on your car took 12 days – unless it needed its engine, gearbox suspension, brakes, body and interior replaced of course).
Use it for target practice, along with the the top brass at the council placed on board…
Enough is enough. We need a full public investigation revealing everything related to this unfit for purpose ferry. What has been spent? Who’s money was it? What is it costing? Why has it not been replaced with an identical version of the previously reliable vessel? Who is making decisions, and why is the public (the financers) being deliberately mislead and lied to?
Hey Ed where’s the post I sent earlier today ? This is not the first time it’s happened. Other posters have experienced it as well. If you don’t want posters that shame the crap Isle of Wight Council then just let us know.
Why don’t we just put the floating bridge in the middle of the channel and blow it up and bring the old floating bridge back as it was more reliable
its not working because its crap, end of.
why bother saying might as well have a permanent feed on here ..
long cold spring now suns out it was too much for it..it’s all tukkered out..