Cowes Floating Bridge
The Cowes Floating Bridge known as the "Cowes Chain Ferry"
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| Waterway | River Medina |
|---|---|
| Transit type | Chain ferry |
| Carries | Up to 20 cars |
| Operator | Isle of Wight Council |
| Began operation | 1859 |
| Predecessor |
Floating Bridge Company |
| Travel time | 2-3 minutes |
| Frequency | Continuous while open |
| No. of vessels | 1 (No. 6) |
Installing the new chain ferry, 3 May 2017
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| History | |
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| Name: | Floating Bridge No.6 |
| Operator: | Isle of Wight Council |
| Builder: | Mainstay Marine |
| Launched: | 2017 |
| In service: | May 2017 - present |
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | n/a |
| Decks: | 1 |
| Speed: | 201.6 |
| Capacity: | 20 cars |
Floating Bridge Company
The Cowes Floating Bridge is a vehicular chain ferry which crosses the River Medina on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England. The ferry crosses the tidal river from East Cowes to Cowes. The first floating bridge between East Cowes and Cowes was established in 1859 and is one of the few remaining that has not been replaced by a physical bridge. The service is owned and operated by the Isle of Wight Council, who have run it since 1901. Prior to ownership by the local authority the service was run by The Floating Bridge Company and The Steam Packet Company (Red Funnel). The ferry currently used is named No. 6, the sixth to be owned by the Isle of Wight Council, and ninth in total. It was built in 2017 and can carry up to 20 cars. The Cowes floating bridge remains the only way to cross the River Medina between the towns without taking a ten-mile trip via Newport. The current vessel was built in 2017 and upon completion was installed on 14 May 2017. However, after a string of technical issues the service was suspended by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The suspension is still currently in place with a small temporary launch, initially only planned to be used whilst the current vessel was being built, remaining in place. All vehicular traffic remains re-routed through Newport.
Before any kind of floating bridge existed, a rowing boat ferry operated between Cowes and East Cowes transporting pedestrians only. This service was owned and operated by the Roberton family from 1720 to 1859. From 1842 carriages and animals could be transported across using a pontoon which was winched across under horse power. In 1859 the Floating Bridge Company was formed and bought the ferry rights. From 24 November 1859 the first steamboat was used, built on the River Itchen in Southampton. In 1868 the ferry was bought by The Steam Packet Company (which now trades as Red Funnel), and bought a new ferry for the service in 1882. This was used regularly until 1896 when it was used only as a spare when a new ferry was purchased.
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Wikipedia