News - 13/07/18

Our multi-disciplinary afloat team at Cowes Harbour Services has been working hard on a variety of local marine contracts recently. These have included a diverse range of jobs for Red Funnel over the last few months, which are carried out at night where necessary to avoid disruption to ferry traffic. Our team performs ongoing maintenance at both the East and West Cowes terminals, along with special request contracts such as repairing damaged fendering. We are also about to start painting the East Cowes link span gantry over the next two months. 

Earlier in the season, our afloat team undertook a special towing job of an ex-RNLI lifeboat named the Lady Scott. We were engaged to tow the vessel from Bembridge Harbour over to Portsmouth, where the vessel was due to be lifted out for a full restoration. The team worked with the owner to complete a full towage survey to ensure the vessel was seaworthy before completing the tow across the Solent. 

Our Multi-Cat Seaclear is often employed to carry out lifting operations for different local companies. Most recently, we assisted Diverse Marine, a new company on the Medina River. Diverse Marine is currently refitting an ex-Customs Cutter for a client and needed assistance lifting and replacing the aft soft patch and generator set into the vessel. With a maximum lifting weight of 6t, Seaclear easily completed the two lifts to allow the refit to proceed.

As well as external commercial work, Cowes Harbour Services also supports the internal mooring requirements of Cowes Harbour Commission. The most notable operations over the past few weeks have been the setting of the event moorings for Round the Island, as well as both the Classics Weeks and Lendy Cowes Week. Our afloat team will lay around 210 swinging moorings in 2018 to accommodate vessels for the major regattas and events. In addition, various other types of mooring systems will be positioned for the summer season, catering to competitors and committee boats with solid and inflatable race marks.

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