ISLE of Wight company Wight Shipyard has been drafted in to fix the Cowes floating bridge.

The Isle of Wight Council said the improvement works would enable the chain ferry to operate at all tide times.

Currently, the floating bridge cannot run at certain times due to issues with the chain depth during a fast-flowing spring ebb tide.

Wight Shipyard, of East Cowes are drafting plans for hydraulics to tighten and slacken the bridge’s chains, giving yachts proper clearance at all times of the tide.

In addition, it will draw up proposals for new prow finger extensions to allow better access for vehicles and reduce noise when the floating bridge docks.

The cost of the improvement work is currently unknown and will only be clear once the council has agreed a design solution. 

The floating bridge has made in total £578,000 for the council since it entered service in May last year. It made £193,000 between April and June this year.

Council leader Dave Stewart said: “The council is very pleased to be working in partnership with a prominent local company to design improvements that will help provide what we need for the floating bridge to work at all times of the tide.

“Between April and June 120,000 foot passengers and 48,000 vehicles used the service – very much showing it’s reliable and earning money for Islanders – however, we want it to be 100 per cent.

“Finding a solution to the chain depth issue is complex because of the nature of the Medina, but initial designs and discussion between Mainstay - the builder of the floating bridge - Wight Shipyard, Cowes Harbour Commission and the council are certainly encouraging and we all are committed to working together.”

Peter Morton, Wight Shipyard chief executive, said: “We want to move forward and resolve the issues and we believe we can.

“The chain ferry is vital to East Cowes, West Cowes and indeed the whole Island so we look forward to working together to find a workable solution, while keeping the ferry operating.”

Mainstay managing director, Stewart Graves, said: “We are pleased Wight Shipyard will be working on design improvements to the drive chain tension and we look forward to working with them to negate this operational issue.”

UPDATED 12.30: The Isle of Wight Council said it is too early to know if the work will require the floating bridge to come out of service entirely for a period or if improvements can be made in a phased way. 

A spokesperson said: "Until the nature of the work to be undertaken by Wight Shipyard has been finalised and agreed, the council cannot say how this will affect the operation of the floating bridge service."