A cable ferry (including the types chain ferry, rope ferry, swing ferry, floating bridge, or punt) is a ferry that is guided (and in many cases propelled) across a river or large body of water by cables connected to both shores. The earliest examples date from the 13th century, and often used either rope or steel chains. These were largely replaced by wire cable by the late 19th century. Cable ferries use relatively little energy, but can hinder other craft.
The River Medina is the main river of the Isle of Wight, England, rising at St Catherine's Down near Chale, and flowing northwards through the county town Newport, towards the Solent at Cowes. The river is a navigable tidal estuary from Newport northwards, where it takes the form of a ria (a drowned valley). This occurred because the Medina used to be a tributary of what was once the "River Solent", with a larger catchment area. As the Solent valley flooded, the river received less water and more sediment, causing it to become more tidal.
The river is bridged at Newport. Cowes is connected to East Cowes by a chain ferry known as the Cowes Floating Bridge. The river also has several small ferries which cater mainly for sailors.
Cowes (/kaʊz/) is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina, facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east bank. The two towns are linked by the Cowes Floating Bridge, a chain ferry.
Cowes has a population of 14,370 according to the 2021 Census.
Havelsee (German pronunciation: [ˈhaːfl̩ˌzeː] ) is a town in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Havel, 12 km northwest of Brandenburg.
The Pritzerbe Ferry, a vehicular cable ferry, crosses the Havel between Havelsee and Kützkow.
The Cowes Floating Bridge is a vehicular chain ferry that 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, and remains the only way to cross the River Medina between the towns without taking a ten-mile trip via Newport.
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.
Wisemans Ferry is a cable ferry across the Hawkesbury River in New South Wales, Australia. The ferry operates from the eponymous community of Wisemans Ferry on the south bank, to a point on the north bank downstream of the Hawkesbury River's confluence with the Macdonald River, connecting with the old Great North Road. The crossing has remained in use on its current site since 1829, making it the oldest ferry crossing still in operation in New South Wales, and possibly in Australia.