Cowes new floating bridge broken again ?

I have renewed respect for the Sandbanks Chain Ferry, which manages to cope with twice the distance at least and up to 4 knots of current. I've seen the ferry way up and downstream at extreme tides and yet it manages to board double decker buses (just) at all states of tide and hasn't, to the best of my knowledge, run aground yet. Those chains look as they are anchored further ashore than ones on the Sandbanks and Studlands slips, which are almost in the water at the highest tides, perhaps that's part of the problem?
 
Looks like a tall pole has been added to the visible pile with the orange bumper on the western side. No doubt so the driver know where it is.
 
Giblets said:
Looks like a tall pole has been added to the visible pile with the orange bumper on the western side. No doubt so the driver know where it is.
Click to expand...

Yes " it got hit" at least a couple of times The white top last seen been worn as a hat by one of the crew!

Apparently all charges suspended until 2 July and launch booked to cover the period it cannot operate every day 'til then too.

Don't know what is going to magically happen on 2 July.
 
I've been away from the Forum for a week and I'm really glad I read the recent postings on this thread. I was completely unaware of the reduced depths over the chains. I draw 2.1m. With the old ferry I could ignore the clearance over the chains provided it was parked on one bank or the other, or I passed a respectable way behind as it was crossing.

Just done the calcs for Mean Springs and I am now constrained to HW-5hrs to HW+4hrs.

The embarrassment of coming a cropper on them and then being named on here and shamed by the avid videocam watchers (viz. VicS, Giblets, BenJenBav and JumbleDuck) doesn't bear thinking about. Unfortunately now, if it does happen, I can no longer use ignorance as an excuse. :nonchalance:
 
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