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78-514: 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floating bridge between the two towns was established in 1859 and the crossing is one of the few remaining that has not been replaced by a physical bridge. The service is owned and operated by

156-411: A contactless payment system for tickets. In 2021, Tap On Tap Off was introduced, a contactless ticket-free payment system enabling capped daily fares. As of December 2023, Southern Vectis operates a fleet of 83 buses. In April 2006, almost all Southern Vectis buses were painted in a new 'Best Impressions' livery with two shades of green with a new logo and slogan, "the island's buses". This livery

234-559: A management buy out . Five new operators entered the market on the Isle of Wight . In 1987, Southern Vectis started Badger Vectis in Poole , and Solent Blue Line in Southampton . The new operations used older Southern Vectis buses and second-hand double-deckers. Southern Vectis also moved into other business areas on the isle of Wight . The company bought a self-drive van hire firm. It also bought two Ford Granada taxis, which it ran from

312-664: A backup during maintenance, as with the Torpoint Ferry . Cable ferries have probably been used to cross rivers and similar bodies of water since before recorded history. Examples of ferry routes using this technology date back to the 13th century ( Hampton Ferry in England). In 1831 James Meadows Rendel introduced chain ferries worked by steam and in 1832 constructed one crossing the Dart at Dartmouth. Between 1832 and 1836 similar chain ferries were implemented between Torpoint and Saltash across

390-666: A cable ferry was the Kungälv – Fästningsholmen ferry in Sweden. Today, the Jonen ferry in the Netherlands is pulled by a winch on the banks. These cable ferries can be operated electrically without having to provide electricity by rechargeable batteries or an overhead wire. Saving the weight of the engine on board, these ferries can also be operated using less energy. Two or more ferries can be provided in order to increase availability and capacity and as

468-421: A capacity for 12 cars. This was used regularly until 1975 when the current Bridge No.5 arrived with a capacity of up to 20 cars. From 1982 there were no reserve vessels in place for the route, leaving Bridge No.5 as the sole ferry operated. In 1988 a direct bus service was created between Ryde and Cowes which involved the bus travelling over on the floating bridge. Small buses had to be used to guarantee space on

546-819: A century before 1934, the Risdon Punt at Hobart was the only fixed method of crossing the Derwent River within Hobart city limits. In the fishing village of Tai O on Lantau Island , Hong Kong, the Tai O Ferry (橫水渡) crossed the Tai O River before a bascule bridge was built. The largest and busiest cable ferry is the Torpoint Ferry in Plymouth, England. It was first converted to cable operation in 1831 and currently operates 3 ferries, carrying 8000 vehicles per day. The longest cable ferry link

624-561: A couple of men at a slow walking speed. Ferries of this size that were hand-operated, such as the Reedham Ferry , have since been motorised in order to reduce the level of hard work and increase the speed. For these and other ferries of up to 20 t or so displacement, typical installed motor power in kilowatts ranges from single figures to low double figures. For example, the 22 meter, 22 tonne Pritzerbe Ferry has 23 kW installed. This allows comparison with free ferries. The motor ferry "Luise" on

702-763: A dealer in Llandudno . In July 2012, a new £28m school transport contract was made by the Isle of Wight council with Southern Vectis. New vehicles, Optare Solo SR M920s were ordered and arrived in September 2012. Some buses were transferred from the Go-Southcoast subsidiary, Damory Coaches formed of Volvo B12Ms with Alieeze T9 Bodywork Registered MV02. New double deckers ordered from Alexander Dennis were delivered in January 2013. Southern Vectis' involvement in coaching had varied through

780-478: A loss. However, the idea of introducing a charge was very unpopular with local residents, councillors and businesses and the threat receded. Earlier vessels included stairs to give passengers access to roofs covering the vehicle deck, a feature not present on Bridge No. 5 . After 40 years of operation Bridge No. 5 made its last journey on 3 January 2017, and is currently laid up awaiting sale in Gosport. Occasionally

858-902: A number of new business practices. These practices raised the interest of the Office of Fair Trading who, in 1987, investigated the company and found their behaviour to be anti-competitive . It was alleged that Southern Vectis was engaged in "duplication", running buses immediately ahead of competitors' where routes coincided, and having their drivers lie in wait for competitors' vehicles in order to beat them to waiting passengers. In 1991, duplication tactics were seen again when Southern Vectis shadowed an Isle of Wight County Council contracted bus run by Norman Baker Taxis. In 1986, Southern Vectis acquired Newport bus station as part of their privatisation and refused competitors access to it. The Office of Fair Trading report, published in 1988, found Southern Vectis' behaviour to be anti-competitive. Southern Vectis

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936-448: A public consultation on the floating bridge arguing that charging to cross the river could affect the local economies of the two interdependent towns. The River Medina traditionally has not been bridged with a fixed-link bridge in order to allow yachts and barges carrying goods to pass up river to the rest of the island. The last charge for pedestrians ended in 1992 and was 10p. As of September 2016, pedestrian and bicycle charges were 70p for

1014-401: A return using a Saver Card, or £1 for a return using the ticket machines, although under 18s are still free. In October 2019 the publication of a Freedom of Information request showed the financial performance of the floating bridge from the financial year of 2015–16 to the first 5 months of 2019–20. The cost of additional launch services and perceived unreliability of the new vessel from 2017

1092-526: 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

1170-427: A slump in crossings from 300,000 to less than 210,000 in 1993, as the diversion travelling via Newport became more congested the popularity of the floating bridge began to rise again. The argument was put forward that by taking out passenger compartments the overall capacity of the ferry could be increased by up to 30%. Following this it was hoped that the service could become profitable, as it has historically always made

1248-520: A vehicle disembarking the vessel, leaving it grounded. It was then unable to move until the next high tide later that day. Due to the Isle of Wight Council Budget Cuts in 2010, the Isle of Wight Council began considering charging 50p each way for pedestrians, cyclists, car passengers, and pillions on the floating bridge. In January 2011, the East Cowes Town Council passed a resolution about the floating bridge and residents have been calling for

1326-411: Is MV Baynes Sound Connector south of Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada with a length of 1961.48 metres. [1] The earliest punts were privately owned by local landowners, and charged a toll. As governments started to build roads, they started to build and operate punts as required. Private punts might be bought out, or made to impose more standard tolls. The energy needed for operating cable ferries

1404-406: Is in general especially small, as the crossing distances are mostly short, the speeds low, and there is almost no maneuvering. Whereas a free ferry is especially inefficient when starting off or moving slowly against a current or wind, a cable ferry is more or less rigidly connected to the ground with side forces held by the cable(s). As the frictional drag of a displacement hull decreases with about

1482-738: The American River in Northern California. Most of the road crossings of the Murray River in South Australia are cable ferries operated by the state government using diesel engines. The platforms at the ends can be moved up or down according to the water level. At one time, cable ferries were a primary means of automobile transportation in New South Wales in Australia. In Tasmania , for

1560-515: The Cowes pontoon and began taxibus services which continued till 1989. In 2003, Southern Vectis started "The Pink Peril", a school service using a pink bus. In July 2005, Southern Vectis and Solent Blue Line were sold to the Go-Ahead Group and became part of Go South Coast . In April 2006, the network was changed with Newport the hub and other routes linking to it. Some routes, for example

1638-416: The Isle of Wight Council , which has 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

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1716-728: The Kennebecasis Valley . There are now eight cable ferries along the Saint John River system in southern New Brunswick. In Canada a cable ferry is proposed to transport automobiles across the Ottawa River in Ontario . There are several in British Columbia : two on the Fraser , one at Lytton, one at Big Bar ( reaction ferries ), three on Arrow Lakes . A suspended cable ferry worked until

1794-526: The Shanklin railway station ) commenced operation. . Until September 2009, three tourist road trains operated along the seafront of three island towns, Ryde , Shanklin and Sandown . The services were run by Southern Vectis under contract to Isle of Wight Council. In April 2010, it was announced that the vehicles would be retired due to increased maintenance costs. In January 2011, the Dotto Trains were sold to

1872-451: The Southampton to East Cowes Red Funnel ferry terminal; and from the Portsmouth to Fishborne and Portsmouth to Ryde Wightlink ferry terminal and Fastcat passenger boat terminal. An Open Top Christmas Lights Tour has been operated. One of the company's "Island Breezer" liveried buses took a two-hour journey past the most illuminated houses on the island. For the 2008 tour, a stop at

1950-508: The "12" from Ryde to Sandown and the "7/7A" from Sandown to Alum Bay. Stops were at Freshwater Bay and Blackgang Chine , linking them with Ventnor , Shanklin , Sandown and Ryde . To get between Blackgang Chine and Brook near Brighstone , the service used the Military Road. The 2008 season began on 15 March and finished on 2 November 2008. Some changes were made. Route number "X40" was removed (although still displayed on buses). There

2028-461: The "Island Explorer" were lost. However, the changes proved successful. Within 18 months, passenger numbers had increased by 45 per cent. This included a 14 per cent growth in fare-paying customers. In October 2009, Southern Vectis launched a website promoting a car scrappage scheme, which offered Island residents a 12-month season ticket for bus journeys if they agreed to scrap their car. The company stated that five vehicles had been scrapped within

2106-521: The "Vectis Bus Company" in 1923. The company was purchased by Southern Railway before being nationalised in 1969. In 1987, the company was re-privatised, and in July 2005, it became a subsidiary of Go-Ahead Group . In 1921 in Cowes , the company was founded as "Dodson & Campbell". In 1923, the company was renamed the "Vectis Bus Company". "Vectis" is the Roman name for the Isle of Wight. The buses were built by

2184-748: The 1980s in Boston Bar. A small seasonal reaction ferry carries cars across the Rivière des Prairies from Laval, Quebec ( Sainte-Dorothée neighbourhood ) to Île Bizard (part of Montreal ). Cable ferries were particularly prominent in early transportation in the Sacramento Delta of California . Dozens of cable ferries operated on the Columbia River in the US northwest, and most have been rendered obsolete by bridges. A suspended cable ferry for railway cars crossed

2262-574: The London bus body builder, Christopher Dodson. In 1929, the company was purchased by Southern Railway and was incorporated as "The Southern Vectis Omnibus Company Limited". In 1948, Southern Railway was nationalised and then in 1969, Southern Vectis became part of the National Bus Company . In 1986, with deregulation after the passing of the Transport Act 1985 , the business was sold in

2340-530: The Old World Tea Rooms in Godshill was added for a complimentary mince pie and a hot drink. In 2009, the company ran the "Sailbus" during Cowes Week . There was decreased patronage due to new fares and the service did not run the following year. Southern Vectis has increased its fares in reflection of its strong market position and lack of effective competition. Southern Vectis fares have also reflected

2418-570: The River Medina between the towns without taking a ten-mile trip via Newport . The current vessel was installed on 14 May 2017, but after a string of technical issues the service was suspended by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency , and a passenger-only replacement service provided by a small launch. After several months of service suspension and intermittent operation, full service finally resumed early in 2018. Before any kind of floating bridge existed,

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2496-460: The Shanklin Pony. In 2008, after its sale to Go-Ahead Group , Southern Vectis competed directly with the Isle of Wight Council 's Wightbus school services, duplicating routes and claiming term ticket fees for student passengers from the council. In September 2010, the council engaged Southern Vectis to operate many school bus routes. Services began in 2012 under Vectis Blue; under the terms of

2574-643: The South Street bus stop in Newport, until their service discontinued. Southern Vectis started to franchise its routes . For instance, Southern Vectis franchised Solent Blue Line routes to Marchwood Motorways ; the Newport Town Circular was franchised to M-Travel, and then the Alpha Group after M-Travel closed. The Traditional Bus Company and The Village Bus Company were franchised some open-top routes including

2652-681: The Tamar, and between Woolston and Southampton across the Itchen. The Woolston Floating Bridge switched from chains to wire ropes between 1878 and 1887 and was replaced by a bridge in 1977. In the early 1900s, Canadian engineer William Pitt designed an underwater cable ferry in New Brunswick , which would later be installed on the Kennebecasis River in order to connect the Kingston Peninsula to

2730-616: The Wannsee near Berlin, of similar tonnage, size and construction, has 290 kW installed. With electric drive the installed power requirements are reduced further. A very low-power installation is in the chain ferry Föri for up to 75 passengers. It uses battery-supplied twin electric motors. The average power during continuous operation (crossing two minutes and docking one minute) is given as 3 kW in summer and 4 kW in winter with thin ice, thus when moving 4.5 kW in summer and 6 kW in winter. Side forces from strong water currents or winds are held by

2808-673: The bottom within very short distances, except very near the shore. As they are also easy to see, the risk to other navigation is usually minimal, as is evident with the 6 or so chain ferries in southern England operating in waters with heavy shipping. In strong water currents, the catenaries become more stretched and chain collisions have occurred. Wire ropes are lighter than chains of the same strength and may be operated under strong tension, both giving rise to shallow catenaries which may be difficult to judge or even see. Some cable ferry operators warn vessel operators to exercise caution. They may indicate distances to keep clear, special lights, or that

2886-399: The bridge) suggested. In early July 2019 the service was suspended again to replace the vessel's chains. It was claimed they had come to the end of their workable life of three years having been re-used from the previous vessel. Later the same month the service suffered a further suspension, this time with a prow cable fault being blamed. In August 2019 during the annual Cowes Week regatta

2964-420: The cables, yet when moving introduce extra friction in these that can considerably exceed the water resistance. Also in deep water with heavy chains or long cables not lying on the ground, large tension forces with corresponding friction are created. The world's longest cable crossing, nearly 2 km with the 750 t MV Baynes Sound Connector uses three wire ropes pretensioned with 200 kN. In spite of careful planning,

3042-403: The cables. The chains or wire ropes can be used with a sufficient amount of slack to allow sinking below the surface as the ferry moves away, allowing other vessels to pass without becoming snared or trapped. Chain ferries in strong tidal currents use two chains, those in inland rivers often only one chain on the upstream side. Some cable ferries use a wire rope on the upstream side in order to hold

3120-449: The contract, the general public were not able to use them. In 2021, they were integrated into Southern Vectis. In 2009, Southern Vectis operated fifteen standard bus services, the most frequent being route 1, running every 7–8 minutes. Night buses ran on some routes on Friday and Saturday nights: Southern Vectis's "Open Top Tours" (orange and yellow livery) ran two circular summer routes to tourist destinations. In 2007, "Open top Tours"

3198-450: The crossing, however the service was withdrawn by 1990. In 2006 the Isle of Wight Council considered converting the floating bridge to only transport vehicles across the River Medina, setting up a launch for pedestrians with a charge of 50p. Prior to this the last time a foot passenger charge was in operation was until 1992, when the vehicle tolls were raised from 75p to £1.25 to compensate for any lost income. While this initially resulted in

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3276-467: The depth of the cable is unknown, both when the ferry is stationary and when it is operating. Current cable ferry routes include: There are about 150 cable ferries in the Netherlands,. About 111 of these are small hand-powered self-service ones and of these 24 use chains. Some examples: All reaction ferries: Southern Vectis Southern Vectis is a bus operator on the Isle of Wight , founded in 1921 as "Dodson and Campbell" and became

3354-452: The expected large energy savings compared to the former free ferry are not realised, also due to fouling and a speed of 8.5 knots. 998 kW engine power is installed, in the former 1099 t MV Quinitsa it is 1416 kW. With dependable water currents, most cable ferries are or were reaction ferries, powered by the current . Some of these are or were hybrid ferries with the cable passing through moveable pulleys or belaying points whose location sets

3432-400: The ferry's angle. In order to set off, manual work is required to initially pull the cable and also to maneuver, as described in the referenced video. Another hybrid seems to be the cable ferry at Sendelingsdrift with adjustable tethers to a high wire rope and also two outboard motors. Cables can hinder other navigation or pose a hazard. Whether a risk exists, and to which degree, depends on

3510-561: The first fortnight of the promotion, and it had received around 6,000 enquiries. In 2011, Southern Vectis closed its garage in Park Road, Ryde . It is now the site of the Isle of Wight Bus & Coach Museum though some Southern Vectis buses remain outstationed in the neighbouring yard. Most of the fleet is now based at the Nelson Road, Newport garage, with other outstations around the island. Another former garage, at Pier Street, Ventnor ,

3588-464: The floating bridge during times of very low tides. Normal tides can give a variation in the river width from 70 metres to 140 metres, but in September 2007 exceptionally low tides caused by a full moon resulted in the river being too shallow for the bridge to operate. Similarly in 2003 the ferry was left stranded on the banks of the East Cowes side of the river as the tide decreased due to difficulties with

3666-411: The floating bridge transports around 1.5 million pedestrians and 400,000 vehicles. At certain times of the year the ferry is unable to operate as it goes through an annual refit. During this time a foot passenger ferry is operated, however the only alternative for vehicles is to travel along the River Medina and cross at Newport. The tidal nature of the River Medina can periodically restrict operations of

3744-495: The floating bridge was out of service, which were largely blamed for the rise in costs. Throughout 2019 the floating bridge suffered from a catalogue of problems leading to temporary suspensions in service. In February 2019 Isle of Wight Council leader Dave Stewart stated the designs of the bridge did not fit the requirements initially drawn up by the council, with the idea of pursuing legal action against Burness Corlett Three Quays (the company who provided technical specifications for

3822-618: The idea of replacing the chain ferry with a swing bridge or tunnel is brought up; however, this has yet to materialise into a serious debate. The ferry operates daily, normally for around 18 hours a day between 05:00 to 00:30, although starts slightly later on Sundays. There are regular crossings at around every 10 – 15 minutes, with no formal timetable other than first and last crossings. Public transport connections are available on both sides by Southern Vectis bus route 1 in Cowes and routes 4 and 5 in East Cowes linking to Newport and Ryde . Annually,

3900-472: The issues continue with the floating bridge out of service again due to technical problems with the prow and hinge. Repairs were delayed causing continued disruption. Following extended delays it was brought back into service on 30 September 2019. It ended September having operated only 33.25% of its scheduled sailings. Issues around the vessel running aground continued, occurring again in October 2019. The vessel

3978-533: The need to provide free transport to a relatively large population of elderly people who reside on the Isle of Wight . Students under 19, in full-time education on the Isle of Wight, have received discounted fares under the Isle of Wight Council 's Student Rider scheme. In July 2010 after cuts in funding from the UK government to local authorities, the scheme was ended. Island residents and visitors living in England over

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4056-476: The position and a chain on the downstream side for propulsion. A special type are electrically powered overhead-cable ferries like Straussee Ferry , which have an onboard propulsion unit and can float free, but are connected to the overhead wire for the power supply, using an electrical cable that slides along the cable as the ferry moves. A very rare type are cable-ferries that are not propelled by themselves but rather are pulled from land side. An example of such

4134-702: The power of the river to tack across the current; the powered cable ferry uses engines or electric motors (e.g., the Canby Ferry in the U.S. State of Oregon) to wind itself across; or is hand-operated, such as the Stratford-upon-Avon chain ferry in the UK and the Saugatuck Chain Ferry in Saugatuck, Michigan , United States. Powered cable ferries use powered wheels or drums on board the vessel to pull itself along by

4212-411: The previous vessel's retirement and the new vessel's installation was re-instated, but vehicles were once again forced to take the 10-mile round trip through Newport. After several months of suspension and intermittent operation, full service resumed in early 2018. In March 2017, the Isle of Wight Council, which operates the floating bridge said it was open to suggestions from residents for a new name for

4290-471: The qualifying age or with a disability have travelled for free in the council area at any time of day, under the Government's England-wide scheme . In 2007, the Isle of Wight council reduced its reimbursement to Southern Vectis for free-travelling passengers from 76 per cent to 46 per cent. In 2009, concessionary travel accounted for just under half of all journeys on Southern Vectis buses. In 2010, free travel

4368-445: The requirements of the crossing but also on the historical context. For example, the numerous cable ferries across Australian and Canadian rivers seem to use wire rope exclusively, whereas the older crossings across busy tidal rivers in England all use chain. In Germany, several river crossings were originally reaction ferries and later kept a wire rope for holding position but introduced a chain for propulsion. The reaction ferry uses

4446-454: The river on one side of the crossing ferry and can be made highly visible. The greatest risk comes from cables that are held underwater to a lesser degree than anticipated or are not visible at all. Suspended cables (ferry to shore or to water bottom) form catenaries of a shape (entry angle and depth) that depends on the cable weight and amount of tension. Chains are in general rather heavy and can function even with very steep catenaries going to

4524-490: The situation (nature of body of water and extent of shipping) and on the type of cable(s): Only the first type normally presents no risk for other vessels, as evident in the 15 reaction ferries of this type in Switzerland. Suspended cables near the water surface block navigation and are dangerous especially in strong currents and if difficult to see. The ropes of reaction ferries attached to one shore and suspended by buoys block

4602-539: The third power of the speed, even the smallest amount of power can effect movement with enough leverage or if suitably geared down. The majority of the world's cable ferries are indeed manually propelled either with a crank turning a chain wheel or by pulling directly on a cable. For example the Saugatuck Chain Ferry taking up to 24 passengers is cranked by a single person at about 0.3 m/s. The former cable ferry at Malgas in South Africa even carried several cars, pulled by

4680-539: The towns of Cowes and East Cowes from a Nazi bombing raid during the Second World War. However, the council later stated it was postponing the naming of the vessel until some point after local elections took place later in the month. By November 2018 a council document showed the costs of replacing the ferry had increased to £6.4 million. Operational problems since the vessels introduction had resulted in an increased reliance on additional passenger launch services whilst

4758-453: The vessel after originally registering it as Floating Bridge No.6 . Despite council officials ruling out "Floaty McFloatface" as a name, a petition was later created to name the vessel Floaty McFloatface , attracting over 2,000 signatures and even caused the council to rescind its decision to veto the name. Alternative name suggestions included Błyskawica , after the Polish warship that defended

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4836-467: The vessel broke down due to a power cut, forcing passengers to wade through the River Medina to disembark the ferry. Further problems were caused by the angle of the slipway causing cars to scrape bumpers when loading and unloading from the East Cowes side. On 15 May 2017, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency suspended the service, citing "training issues". The temporary pedestrian launch which had been used after

4914-450: The vessel ran aground forcing vehicles to reverse off on the East Cowes side. A temporary launch was put in place, however this struggled to cope with the increase in demand for journeys across the river that Cowes Week had created. The following day, after request from Cowes Harbour Commission the bridge was allowed to operate but only under the escort of safety boats to enable it to maintain its usual Cowes Week timetable. September 2019 saw

4992-569: The years; early in the company's history the firm took no interest in coaching, preferring to leave the field to other operators. However, the company became involved in coaching through acquisition and conglomeration. Some buses had previously been acquired from Fountain Coaches. The company had been assimilated into Southern Vectis when the National Bus Company rationalised in 1969. West Wight Bus & Coach Company and four of its coaches had been purchased by Southern Vectis in 1987. Moss Motor Tours

5070-414: Was blamed for the loss in revenue. The current vessel Floating Bridge No.6 was built by Welsh boat builders Mainstay Marine . It has an expected lifespan of 40 years and around twice the carrying capacity of the previous vessel, Floating Bridge No.5. It was installed on the Isle of Wight on 3 May 2017. Despite delays, the vessel's maiden voyage took place 10 days later on 13 May 2017. The following day,

5148-408: Was built from steel. In 1925 Bridge No.2 was built, being the last steam powered ship. It was larger than any that had previously operated the route at over 100 ft long (30 m), with a capacity for eight cars. This was later sold on for use at Sandbanks when Bridge No.3 was built and arrived in 1936, being the first diesel-electric powered vessel. Bridge No.4 entered service in 1952 with

5226-497: Was confirmed that the ferry would be replaced. 50°45′27.7″N 1°17′29.3″W  /  50.757694°N 1.291472°W  / 50.757694; -1.291472 Cable ferry Cable ferries can be typified by their size and construction, their usage (passenger, animal, vehicle) and requirements (length of crossing, amount of other shipping), their cables (wire rope, chain, or both), and their propulsion (water current, engine, manual). The choice of cable depends partially on

5304-529: Was expected to be out of service for at least a month. In April 2022 the ferry hit a sea wall while being brought back to the Medina from an inspection in Falmouth. This resulted in a further ten days out of service. A software issue caused the ferry to be pulled from service on the evening of Sunday 16 July 2023. It remained out of action for several weeks, making the ferry unavailable for Cowes Week. In March 2024 it

5382-441: Was first taken over by the local authority in 1909, when the Cowes and East Cowes Urban District Councils took over their operation. With this, a new ferry was bought and started the system of naming vessels still used today, by numbering them in order of acquisition, the first being named Bridge No.1 . These newer bridges were significantly different from past designs, with Bridge No.1 featuring power ramps and electric lighting and

5460-670: Was no stop at the Bembridge Coast Hotel or Sandown Esplanade. In 2009, there was only one morning and one afternoon journey each way, one of which terminated or started in Shanklin rather than Ryde and reached from Freshwater Bay to Yarmouth, but not reaching Alum Bay. Coaches were used rather than buses. In 2011, "The Shanklin Steamer" (to Old Village, Shanklin Esplanade, Shanklin Chine and

5538-501: Was purchased by Southern Vectis in 1994. Wightrollers' eleven coaches were purchased by Go South Coast in July 2011. Southern Vectis employed staff from the firm. The company has been involved in Isle of Wight events such as the Isle of Wight Festival and the Bestival . Additional buses were brought to the island. During the Isle of Wight Festival, extra shuttle services were run from Lymington to Yarmouth Wightlink ferry terminal; from

5616-932: Was put up for auction in December 2020, with planning permission granted for two retail units and 10 flats to be built on the site, but then subsequently withdrawn. On 13 June 2022, a consortium of Australia's Kinetic Group (51%) and Spain's Globalvia (49%) launched a takeover bid of the parent Go-Ahead Group. The majority of shareholders voted to accept the offer in August 2022. As a result of deregulation in 1986, several competitors started and others increased existing services. These competitors included Gange's Minicoaches, Grand Hotel Tours, Island Travel (Cooke's Coaches of Porchfield), Moss Motor Tours , Seaview Services ' RedLynx and Wiltax of Shanklin. Island Travel and Gange's Minicoaches established routes between Cowes and Ryde . The newly privatised Southern Vectis responded with

5694-425: Was rebranded to "Island Breezers" (yellow and blue livery). Other open-top tours operated by Southern Vectis included "The Needles Breezer", "The Downs Breezer", "The Sandown Bay Breezer" (finished 2012). In 2007, an "Island Coaster" service started between Ryde and Alum Bay with a ten-pound all day ticket or longer period tickets for local residents. The Island Coaster followed the route of two former services,

5772-525: Was refreshed by Best Impressions in 2014 to incorporate a large green swoop towards the back of the vehicles, similar to the design of the Vectis Blue livery. Prior to 2014, most open-top routes had a blue and orange livery, with "Island Breezers" branding. This was revised in 2014, when the Needles Breezer received a blue, green and orange livery, reminiscent of Go South Coast's Purbeck Breezers. This livery

5850-459: Was restricted to off-peak times. On 17 March 2008, Southern Vectis ended several evening, night and Sunday routes. More details about the service cuts emerged soon after. On 1 September 2008, routes 27, 28 and 29 ended. In 2009, another subsidy decrease occurred. Routes 4 and 5, some journeys on route 6, routes 14 and 16 were withdrawn. In 2009, Southern Vectis staff went on strike for three days over pay. In 2017, Southern Vectis introduced

5928-416: Was taken out of service in July 2020 for routine maintenance, at which time a serious hydraulic system fault was discovered. In September of the same year the Isle of Wight Council decided to take legal action against Mainstay Marine. The vessel was taken out of service again in August 2021 due to engine problems. Engineers diagnosed a problem with one of the drive motors which requires replacement. The vessel

6006-524: Was told to either allow competitors to use the bus station or appear before the Competition Commission . Gange's Minicoaches, the plaintiff, was offered use of "Stand F" in Ryde bus station, and was also offered a stand in the Newport bus station. However, Gange's did not find the charges set for either station agreeable, and continued to operate from the opposite side of Ryde bus station on council land and

6084-462: 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. A total of nine different vessels have been used on the route since operations started in 1859. The route

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