The Cowes Floating Bridge service has been suspended this evening (Sunday) due to a software issue.
Isle of Wight Council has said that engineers have been contacted to look into an issue with the vessels software.
As a result of the suspension, a launch service is now in operation for foot passengers and cyclists.
The Floating Bridge will likely remain out of service tomorrow (Monday) with the launch service scheduled to run from 05:00.
An Isle of Wight Council Spokesperson has said:
“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and we will provide further updates as soon as possible.”
UPDATE ON MONDAY – The Isle of Wight Council has confirmed that they are awaiting the arrival of a specialist technical engineer.
The Floating Bridge is to remain out of action until at least Wednesday 18th July.
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Before all the whingers jump on here, it has run for a few months now without any problems, so lets not get overly critical.
Software issues? It’s a blinking floating bridge. All it has to do is go from one side to the other on the chains!
Software? The only thing soft about this is the brains of those that procured it.
Engine management? Monitoring of Hydraulic systems?
Nintendo Switch?
Hand held payment devices??
Yeah its the sat navigation system so it might get lost on its way. So waiting for someone from NASSA, but he’s stuck on the other side
Least its not occurred in the busiest holiday season when the kids break up from schools.
Could be worse, could be Cowes week.
It has gone a long time without fault now, so can’t be much more to go wrong.
That teach you to use windows vista.
Probably translates as the council ticket machines won’t connect to the internet so they can’t take card payments. I also suspect that this is just a cover story for further mechanical failures.
scrap it for gods sake, more money thrown away for what???
Have they tried turning it off and back on again?
how about turning it off and throwing the keys in the tide
Has anyone tried beating the sides with some seaweed.lol
Basil Fawlty eat your heart out……
Thats a good idea
McBoatface Express returns! I like that launch boat, it’s so fast.
A few weeks ago i had the pleasure of using the King Harry Ferry across the Fal river, it is a chain ferry just like our wreck, it operate in strong tidal conditions just like our wreck and it has operated without tugs in winds around 100 miles an hour.
the difference is theirs works, a crewman who has worked there for over 20 years said it had never broken down or missed a crossing in that time.
Likewise the big floaty that travels across the river Tamar. I only experienced this recently. OMG it’s like the ‘Grandaddy of ours!! Never realised there were other floating bridges. And hmmm, this was amazing and much cheaper!! x
This piece of junk should have been scrapped ages ago.
The old one worked better.
May I assume that cc Jordon will again massage the figures again to qualify the efficiency of this badly designed floating bridge. You have had mechanical, hydraulic, electrical and now software failure in concert of frequent grounding awaiting high tide to Re float her and an inability to operate in high winds and some tidal flows. Please don’t try and justify the efficiency of this totally useless craft cc Jordan, the average return time in the mornings is 25 minutes, grinding at minimum speed to avoid breaking down. I observe this frequently whilst waiting for my grandson to take him to college.
I’ve been here twenty-six+ yrs now and historically, the bridge has always suffered problems and most often has been out of action… How many more millions is this going to cost us, the community?