Cowes Water Taxi Service

solent clown said:
Maybe the army could step in, 17 Port maritime is only up the road! Plenty of landing craft and auxiliary vessels, they could call it exercise ... dunno, answers on a postcard for that one.
Maybe they could court martial the Council while they were at it.
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Sadly 17 Sport and Pastime isn't anything like the place you and I once knew, indeed I worked there for 3 years. Now contractorised civies with the contractors signing up to be reserve forces in the event of a crisis.

Sailed past the old ferry yesterday moored in Gosport, looked a little rusty but might do for a few months.

Pete
 
Pete7 said:
Sadly 17 Sport and Pastime isn't anything like the place you and I once knew, indeed I worked there for 3 years. Now contractorised civies with the contractors signing up to be reserve forces in the event of a crisis.

Sailed past the old ferry yesterday moored in Gosport, looked a little rusty but might do for a few months.

Pete
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I know a couple of REME lads who are there now, very low morale - one of them fought to get posted there for courses, and is not a happy bunny with how things are.
 
http://www.cowesharbourcommission.co.uk/iw_council_update_on_chain_ferry

It sounds like Cowes is at least soon going to get the Floating Bridge back. It will be a welcome relief for us too. We have had to take the bus the last 2 weekends when we tried to get back to East Cowes as the Folly finished early and dont answer their phones.

Lets hope this is back to a full Floating Bridge service, otherwise its time to move back to civilisation as our move to East Cowes has been troublesome this year.
 
MedinaView said:
http://www.cowesharbourcommission.co.uk/iw_council_update_on_chain_ferry

It sounds like Cowes is at least soon going to get the Floating Bridge back. It will be a welcome relief for us too. We have had to take the bus the last 2 weekends when we tried to get back to East Cowes as the Folly finished early and dont answer their phones.

Lets hope this is back to a full Floating Bridge service, otherwise its time to move back to civilisation as our move to East Cowes has been troublesome this year.
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It looks like they have been practising the "running aground " manoeuvre today ready for a return to service

FB 6 aground again.jpg
 
Well that photo doesn't look too promising !

Perhaps fill / empty ballast tanks at the sides and deployable helium barrage ballons on whichever side is down may be the solution ? That would make more sense than this whole sorry saga so far.

In fact I may have hit on the answer; flog the FB6 to some poor unsuspecting country ( preferably one that's far away and doesn't have much military capability ) and get one of these;

https://arstechnica.com/information...rgest-aircraft-airship-details-test-flight-2/
 
Seajet said:
Well that photo doesn't look too promising !

Perhaps fill / empty ballast tanks at the sides and deployable helium barrage ballons on whichever side is down may be the solution ? That would make more sense than this whole sorry saga so far.

In fact I may have hit on the answer; flog the FB6 to some poor unsuspecting country ( preferably one that's far away and doesn't have much military capability ) and get one of these;

https://arstechnica.com/information...rgest-aircraft-airship-details-test-flight-2/
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That's even less reliable! Besides it would frighten the seagulls.
 
I see the Folly Waterbus has just announced that they will be charging £5 each way per person in the evening on New Years Eve, so I think if they are announcing that their prices for up to New Year, then they obviously don't think the Chain Ferry will be back on. :(
 
Seajet said:
Well that photo doesn't look too promising !

Perhaps fill / empty ballast tanks at the sides and deployable helium barrage ballons on whichever side is down may be the solution ? That would make more sense than this whole sorry saga so far.

In fact I may have hit on the answer; flog the FB6 to some poor unsuspecting country ( preferably one that's far away and doesn't have much military capability ) and get one of these;

https://arstechnica.com/information...rgest-aircraft-airship-details-test-flight-2/
Click to expand...

Not too reliable either, Andy. It crashed a few weeks ago IIRC.
 
It wasn't really a crash, just an inelegant landing - they've even added airbags under the gondola now even though one could have just stepped outside for that ' crash ' - I'd happily fly in it.

Alternatively, how about a zip-wire from the big old crane to the top of the East Cowes slip ?

Then a raisable J Class mast on the Eastern side to get back -

Long strops to hook on at ground level, lift your feet and off to work you go !

Just keep legs together in case of tall yot masts and you'll be fine.

More strops - and an insurance waiver - for cars and hey presto, the IOW's back in business. :encouragement:
 
http://www.cowesharbourcommission.co.uk/seasonal_water_taxi_service

Seasonal water taxi service
29 March 2018
Cowes Harbour Commission has just granted a stakeholder subsidy contribution towards the operation of a 7-days-a-week water taxi service to operate daily from Thursday, 29th March to 30th September 2018.

In late 2017, CHC sought applications for a stakeholder dividend towards the provision of a seasonal water taxi service for Cowes Harbour. The short-listed applicants meeting the tender criteria were interviewed by a selection panel consisting of an independent local business person, a marine industry stakeholder and a CHC Commissioner. The Harbour Advisory Committee were kept abreast of the process throughout. The panel submitted its recommendation to the Board of Commissioners; this was accepted and the stakeholder dividend was granted to Cowes Water Taxis Ltd who ran the service in 2017.

The Cowes Water Taxis service will start on 29th March 2018 with a new charging system in place that is based on a zone method, similar to that used on the London Underground. The new charges have been simplified, and aim to be more transparent, with some fares working out cheaper than 2017 prices. For example, Town Quay to the Gridiron is now only £2 for a single and was £3; and East Cowes Marina to J pontoon is now £3 for a single, this was £5 in 2017.

Please see the CHC Water Taxis web page for full information on 2018 fares.
 
Great news on the new lower fares. I used the taxi last weekend from J pontoon to East Cowes Marina and was pleasantly surprised at the £3 fee which is more palatable than £5. Now if only you would do a £5 weekend / open return it would be perfect.
 
East Cowes Marina to J Pontoon was £4 return when we had our boat up there 2 years ago. Since we moved to Cowes, the service has dropped off to next to nothing and has increased 50% in costs. The £4 return from East Cowes to Cowes is now £3 single each way, no return options, which I would imagine with recent form is so they don't have to pick you up if they don't wish to.

Since CHC started their monopolisation of the water taxis the prices have soared and the service has diminished.

Its a great shame to Cowes.
 
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Not too easy to ind on the CHC website, but for those interested the times are:

April, May, June and September:
Monday to Friday 0900 to 2100
Saturday 0900 to 2330
Sunday 0900 to 1800

July and August:
Monday to Friday 0900 to 2300,
Saturday 0900 to 2330
Sunday 0900 to 2100

I don't think these times will be too generous for many of us, especially the early finishes.
 
Until CHC got involved with choosing and funding water taxis. Sally ran 0800-0000 every day of the year for nearly half the fare. Almost as soon as we moved house to East Cowes and bought our boat across, suddenly the service became very limited. So much so its almost worth us moving back to Hamble. Murphy's law.
 
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