Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2014/January 2015 | Page 78

ON THE WATER

Cowes breakwater
starts to take shape
By Peter White

T

he idea of a protected Cowes
Harbour was first mooted way
back in 1860. Then some 12 years
ago, positive steps were taken to protect
the world-famous harbour by working to
progress construction on a much-needed
breakwater.
In less than 12 months time the project
will reach fruition as the massive structure
is completed, with the hope it will not
only protect the harbour but also prompt
further business investment in Cowes,
and indeed throughout the whole of the
Island.
Currently, when you look out into Cowes
Harbour, a long bank of gravel above
the waterline stands prominent. But by
next September around 40,000 tonnes
of granite rock will be placed around the
gravel, and the long-awaited breakwater
will be fully installed and operational.
I spoke about the £7.5million project to
Capt. Stuart McIntosh (right), the Cowes
Harbour Master/Chief Executive, who
confirmed: “It has been a long-term
objective for Cowes Harbour Commission.
Cowes, of course, is well-known for
yachting and an important gateway
for the Isle of Wight. It is actually called
a harbour, although the dictionary
definition of a harbour is usually a
protected, sheltered, environment.
“Cowes Harbour was and is an open
estuary mouth. Effectively, north of the
Cowes chain ferry, the river mouth faces
due north out into the Solent. So, Cowes
Harbour’s open funnel-type entrance
makes the harbour very prone to strong
winds or sea conditions coming from a
northerly direction.
“The resulting storms and gales limit the
type of development we can have in the
harbour, and can restrict the harbour’s
use even during the summer when you
can still get quite strong northerly winds.
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Cowes is well known for hosting a series
of international regattas throughout the
summer, including Cowes Week and the
Round the Island Race, but if you get a
gale from the north, the sea conditions
and wave conditions can become pretty
untenable in the outer areas of the
harbour.”
The withdrawal of Government funding
and a downturn in the economic climate
put the breakwater project under threat,

so Cowes Harbour Commission (CHC)
looked for grant funding support. And
in 2012 the Homes and Communities
Agency (HCA) agreed to put £3million
of funding towards the development,
which enabled CHC to go out to tender,
and subsequently award the ‘design and
build fixed-price contract’ to Boskalis
Westminster.
Work began in May of this year, with
ground conditions proving extremely