Sandbanks Ferry is out of action and no service is expected until Monday 12 August at the earliest.
This surprise news follows a difficult winter for people living on the Isle of Purbeck when the annual November closure lasted into Christmas.
Walkers completing the Dorset Coast Path at Shell Bay will need to return to Swanage by bus and reach Sandbanks via Wareham.
Sandbanks Ferry is the vital link between the Isle of Purbeck and Poole’s coastline which joins Bournemouth at Durley Dene Chine.
