I.O.W to Cowes ferries

mad_boater

mad_boater

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I'm curious to know wether the passenger or car ferries have ever been cancelled due to rough weather? The short distance between Cowes and the entrance to Southampton Water can, as any one regularly uses it, be more than a bit lively in adverse conditions. This is due in part to the conflicting currents.Would any forumites cross if say they had to be back at work or the like.I will admit its caught me out a few times,now I give it respect.
(whimp?)
 
Yes, they've been cancelled in high winds several times to my knowledge. I think they pull the Redjets first before they cancel the car ferries, but you can imagine that one of the Red Funnel ferries has the same aerodynamics as a block of flats, so they would be a handful to dock in a blow...
 
A lot depends on the wind direction. They are more likely to be cancelled due to difficulties docking either end than not being able to cross the bit in the middle. It has been known for them to arrive, stand off for a time and then have to go back.

From the small boat point of view the problem is usually the rollers and standing waves you get particularly to the west of the Brambles with wind against tide. I have dashed back from Beaulieu and the Hamble when perhaps I shouldn't have - one time across the the East Knoll at high tide but in an easterly and falling off waves into troughs that were deeper than expected and half expecting to ground at any time.
 
They monitor Bramblemet http://www.bramblemet.co.uk/(S(yg1knq55c215ksuglidkmtmq))/Default.aspx and then take a decision. I live on the Island and have commuted from time to time on the Red Jet. They don't cut the service very often. Wind against tide in the Thorn Channel is one of the main issues for the RedJet ... that is a horrible spot! Just off Cowes can get a bit interesting as well for the same wind against tide reasons.
 
I used to commute by hovercraft in the 60s. They were frequently cancelled, and we had to run like hell for the Red Funnel.

I can also remember being on the hydrofoil when it 'fell' into a big hole of foam. All the lift disappeared, and we saw greenish water round the cabin windows ! The engines took an awfully long time to speed up amid clouds of black smoke. Guess that the turbos had stalled when the boat stopped dead.
 
l'escargot said:
They must have been scratching their heads for the last couple of months - Bramblemet has been down more often than not. :)
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ARHAR !!!!! ....thanks for that, i thought it was my end at fault, its there, its not, its there again, was getting ready to adjust computor with a hammer and a bucket of water !!!!!!
 
STEVEDUNSTABLE said:
ARHAR !!!!! ....thanks for that, i thought it was my end at fault, its there, its not, its there again, was getting ready to adjust computor with a hammer and a bucket of water !!!!!!
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They currently have data transmission problems, the radio transmitter has been sent for repair. They will also have flying cricket balls to contend with Wednesday evening with the annual Brambles cricket match.
 
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