East Cowes Marina and Ferries.

[MedinaView]

Hi,
I am new to boating, although we have been visiting the Isle of Wight for many years and staying in a cottage near East Cowes Marina. We have always caught one of the red Sally Ferries from East Cowes to Cowes, and it has always been an outstanding service.

We have finally bought a house in Medina View in East Cowes, and it appears things have changed? Has the marina changed the service they use? We did get stopped last year and told that they no longer recommend Sally Ferries and we had to use the Folly Waterbus? This year apparently there is no Sally Ferries and only Folly Waterbus?

We have bought a little Handy boat which we are mooring on a river mooring, but suddenly the fares seem much more expensive, and we have got stranded twice already. There were no ferries during Round the Island Race for us to get to the festivities in Cowes this year either?

Does anyone know if East Cowes Marina plan reinstate a taxi service, as we may change our plans and put our boat on a walkashore next year in East Cowes Marina if not?

I did see another post on this forum about their being problems with the river ferries during Round the Island Race, but I can't find it now to question that as we didn't manage to catch one.

We are really enjoying the boat though, and the weather has been so much better this year than we ever remember since we have been coming to Cowes.

Thank you!

 

[Seajet]

Buy something like an old landing craft capable of taking a few cars and go into business quick, there's a market waiting for you !

Sad to hear Sally Taxi has gone if that's the case - now the other lot will have a monopoly ?

 

[MedinaView]

Looking at the Cowes Commissions website it does appear that all the taxis are the same company now (folly). They certainly all have the same eMail address.

Maybe the commissioners thought it better to have one monopoly instead of competition?

 

[{151760}]

I believe that the Folly service were asked to take on the Cowes taxis, along with some subsidy, which they did rather reluctantly. I don't think there's much money in it.
As ever, it's better to rely on your own resources. Taxis are fine for occasional use, but your own tender is better.

 

[MedinaView]

Ah I see. It's a shame really as Sally Ferries ran all the time and my daughter loved their boat dog.

Yes, I think we will probably look at getting a tender as the price has nearly doubled for us to get to and from Cowes as they now charge for kids too.

Thank you

 

[AndrewL]

I get the impression that the Cowes water taxis have all seen a big drop in business over several years now. A few years ago Sally Taxi had reduced their operating hours, I assume due to lack of demand.

From speaking to the owners of the Folly taxis they said they have seen a yearly drop in business for a while now. It can still get very busy on a sunny summer weekend, but some weekends there are hardly any visiting boats.

A recent email from the Medina Mariners Association says that Folly Ventures now run all the water taxis from Island Harbour down to Cowes, with "substantial funding from Cowes Harbour Commission". Also that the operating hours are based around the pub opening hours, 10am to 11pm. Not great for an early departure.

A dinghy is the way to go, although I've never found a place to keep one in/near to Cowes. Mine is currently at the Folly in the MMA compound.

 

[burgundyben]

What about joining the Medina Mariners Association, keeping a dinghy there?

 

[AndrewL]

http://www.medinamariners.org

I'd recommend the MMA. There is a dinghy compound, concrete slipway and you can launch at all states of tide. Members get a 50% discount on the scrubbing piles and haul out. Also dinghy sailing and social events if you want.

 

[Seajet]

We used Sally and the other lot at times to get from the Folly to Cowes; one has to have a pretty large, powerfully engined tender to do that - so they have lost the custom of us three boat crews, to the taxi and it will now be East Cowes Marina ( if there's ever a chain ferry to West Cowes in the evening again ) or the Folly, not both Folly and Cowes - the council are short sighted greedy idiots.

 

[{151760}]

The Folly taxi hours are currently 10:00 to 21:00 Mon-Fri, 10:00 to 23:00 Sat, and 10:00 to 18:00 Sun. They still have two boats that will do Cowes - Folly and return, by arrangement, I think.

 

[MedinaView]

The Sunday and Monday finish is always too early for us if we are trying to enjoy our weekend.

Sally did 0800-0000 every day of the year.

It sounds a shame that the 'substantial funding' wasn't given to them really. Especially given the rise in fares as well.

 

[Seajet]

Yes, 10:00 -21:00 Mon to Fri is absolutely useless for an evening and meal at the Folly, so the pub will lose out in a big way; many /most people will resort to blowing up their inflatables - and suddenly the ferry will say ' there's no demand ' - a lose for everyone concerned, except the Folly Taxi lot briefly before they either wise up or pull the plug.

 

[MedinaView]

The other thing that has spoilt it for us is the waiting time now. Sally was always only about 10 minutes wait. Now the Folly are running it we have had to wait a number of times for them to drop off at the Folly then come back, leaving us waiting in Cowes for an hour rather than 10 minutes. Perhaps a new taxi service needs to be encouraged.

 

[Seajet]

I suppose there's some sort of commercial licence issue to prevent Sally Taxi returning with a customer oriented service; if they did, a lot of people would say ' knickers to the Folly lot ' - I would even if they cost a little more !

 

[slipknot]

It may we'll be some time away, but when the new marina is eventually built, the need for a good taxi service will be greater than ever.

 

[MedinaView]

The wife has been doing her detective bit and came up with an old review on TripAdvisor that sounds interesting.

There are too many rumours on the internet grapevine, but it does sounds feasible.

 

[colhel]

For dinghy storage and launching you could try the East Cowes Sailing club, I've never been in but have seen their nice veranda whilst sailing past

 

[MedinaView]

Yes, for us East Cowes SC or Kingston? Are sounding like the closes places to keep a dingy.

 

[colhel]

Can you launch and retrieve at Kingston?

 

[MedinaView]

I haven't been to see them yet, I was told to ask as people do keep dinghies there.