Cowes Harbour Commission (CHC) has published a preliminary timeline for the construction
of the new Cowes breakwater.

Final ground investigation works have now been completed and tenders have gone out to five short-listed contractors; to be returned by 18 October.

The design and build contract is to be awarded this December, with construction due to start in February 2014 and completed in 2014

The breakwater will cost £6million to £7million. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has committed £3.16million towards the scheme.

CHC has committed a minimum of £3million from the commission’s own funds and is seeking additional funding streams, to cover any shortfall, and looking into ideas such as naming rights for the breakwater.

How long will the breakwater take to build?

The breakwater will be delivered under a design and build, fixed priced
contract. Construction is likely to take around eight months, depending on the
methodology employed by the contractor with completion hopefully during 2014.

Breakwater construction exclusion area

The diagram below illustrates the exclusion zone that will be put in place at
the mouth of Cowes Harbour during construction of the breakwater, with a clear
route defined for traffic to and from the site, and newly re-configured small
craft event moorings.

Click here to view a PDF of the exclusion zone diagram.
Please note: five clusters of inflatable yellow buoys have been laid to mark
the position of the breakwater which is now readily identifiable to passing
vessels.

In advance of construction on the
breakwater commencing, CHC will issue all the necessary navigational
information, to ensure continued safety for harbour users in Cowes Harbour.

How will the breakwater construction affect yacht racing?

CHC will be liaising closely with all Cowes yacht clubs and event organisers to
avoid disruption to racing, however, impacts during construction of the
breakwater will hopefully be minimal. Race starts and finishes will take place
outside the exclusion area.

Will there be disruption for vessels entering and leaving Cowes Harbour?

There will be no changes to the outer and inner fairways, or the small craft
channel, and Red Funnel ferry movements into and out of Cowes will remain
unaffected.

What will happen to swinging moorings in the harbour?

In consultation with event organisers, small craft event moorings will be
re-configured with extensions to the east and north, as shown on the diagram
above of the exclusion area.

CHC’s annual day class moorings have already been re-configured, with all
permanent moorings positioned south of the construction exclusion zone.

Regular updates will be included in future CHC
E-newsletters and on COWES.co.uk

Pictures: A map and aerial view of the marina, plus two photomontages showing what the breakwater will look like when viewed from the northern end of the Parade, Cowes – the first shows the high water perspective, the second shows the low water perspective.