Scillonian
Encyclopedia
The Isles of Scilly Steamship Company (ISSC) operates the principal shipping service from Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
, in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, to the offshore Isles of Scilly
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly form an archipelago off the southwestern tip of the Cornish peninsula of Great Britain. The islands have had a unitary authority council since 1890, and are separate from the Cornwall unitary authority, but some services are combined with Cornwall and the islands are still part...
. It provides a year-round cargo service together with a seasonal passenger service in summer. The name of the company's principal ferry, the Scillonian III
Scillonian III
RMV Scillonian III is a passenger ship based at Penzance in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, run by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company...
, is perhaps better known than that of the company itself.
The company is based in the Isles of Scilly Travel Centre Penzance. It also owns Isles of Scilly Skybus Ltd
Isles of Scilly Skybus
Isles of Scilly Skybus is a British airline which operates seasonal and year round domestic scheduled services to the Isles of Scilly from Land's End Airport and Newquay Airport in Cornwall, and from Exeter, Bristol and Southampton...
, an operator of fixed-wing aircraft
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
services to the Isles of Scilly, and Westward Airways
Westward Airways (United Kingdom)
Westward Airways is an airline based at Land's End Airport, near St Just and Penzance in Cornwall, England, UK. Until February 2009 it operated sight seeing flights in the local area, also running the former Lands End Flying School and is the operator of Land's End Airport...
, an operator of sight seeing flights.
In 2010, the company had close to 1,000 shareholders, around half of whom live on the Isles of Scilly. Due to the Isles of Scilly's remote location, the shipping service is often called 'a life line
Life Line
A life line is a Neuro-Linguistic Programming concept.Life Line may also refer to:* "Life Line" , episode from the sixth season of Star Trek: Voyager* "Life-Line", Heinlein's first published science fiction story....
' for the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
.
In addition to passengers, 12,000 to 14,000 tonnes of cargo are normally carried by Scillonian III and Gry Maritha
Gry Maritha
The Gry Maritha is a freight ship based at Penzance in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, run by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company.-History:Gry Maritha was built by Moen Slip in Norway, in 1981...
every year.
History
From 1858 services were provided by the Scilly Isles Steam Navigation CompanyScilly Isles Steam Navigation Company
The Scilly Isles Steam Navigation Company provided shipping services between Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly from 1858 to 1872.-Company:The company was founded in 1858 by John Banfield, Thomas Johns Buxton, William Mumford Hoskin and James Phillips, shareholders in the Little Western Steamship...
which was replaced in 1870 by the West Cornwall Steam Ship Company
West Cornwall Steam Ship Company
The West Cornwall Steam Ship Company was established in 1870 to operate ferry services between Penzance, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly.-History:The company was formed on 5 February 1870, principally by the shareholders in the West Cornwall Railway...
. This was wound up in 1907 and the services operated by John Banfield until 1917. For the rest of the First World War the services were operated by Government vessels. At the end of the war, a transport vacuum arose when the Ministry of Shipping withdrew the wartime service between St Mary's and Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
.
On 26 March 1920 the current Isles of Scilly Steamship Company was founded with £20,000 (£ as of ) raised by selling shares, mostly in the Isles of Scilly. The company was formed with the express purpose of securing a regular shipping service between the islands and the mainland. It came into service when the company received its Certificate of Incorporation
Certificate of incorporation
A certificate of incorporation is a legal document relating to the formation of a company or corporation. It is a license to form a corporation issued by state government. Its precise meaning depends upon the legal system in which it is used, but the two primary meanings are:* In the U.S.A...
, giving the right to commence business, dated 27 March 1920.
Initially services were operated by the Peninnis
HMS Argus (1904)
HMS Argus was a Royal Navy ship built in 1904 for the His Majesty's Coast Guard.-Naval service:After launch the steam coastguard cruiser Argus was delivered to Sheerness to replace two sailing cruisers . She was armed with two 6-pounder guns.In 1905 she captured seven Dutch coopers inside the...
(ex-HMS Argus), which the company purchased from the Admiralty Disposals for £8,000 (£ as of ). Following the necessary alterations at a cost of £5,000 (£ as of ), this former fishery protection vessel served as the company's ship from 1920 until 1927 but it soon became clear that a purpose-built, new steamer was required.
During 1924 the directors of the Steamship Company began considering the purchase of a larger ship and at an Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders on 16 June 1925, the directors were empowered to place the order with Ailsa Shipbuilding Company
Ailsa Shipbuilding Company
-History:The company was founded in 1885 by the 3rd Marquess of Ailsa.In 1902 the Ailsa yard fitted out the polar exploration ship Scotia for the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902-04...
Ltd of Troon
Troon
Troon is a town in South Ayrshire. It is situated on the west coast of Scotland, about eight miles north of Ayr and three miles northwest of Glasgow Prestwick International Airport. Lying across the Firth of Clyde, the Isle of Arran can be seen. Troon is also a port with freight and ferry services...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. In order to keep their yard open during the economic slump, this work was undertaken at cost, the contract price was £24,500 (£ as of ). The new ferry, built to carry 400 passengers and cargo, was launched on 17 November 1925 and named Scillonian by Mrs. A.A. Dorrien-Smith of Tresco Abbey. At 11 pm on 25 January 1926 she completed her maiden voyage from Troon and docked at St Mary's. She made her first time-tabled, commercial trip from on Thursday 2 February 1926 from St. Mary's to Penzance. It took her three and a quarter hours.
Following this ship Scillonian II entered into service in 1956, purpose built for the Steamship Company by John I. Thornycroft & Company
John I. Thornycroft & Company
John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, usually known simply as Thornycroft was a British shipbuilding firm started by John Isaac Thornycroft in the 19th century.-History:...
of Woolston, Southampton
Woolston, Southampton
Woolston is a suburb of Southampton, Hampshire, located on the eastern bank of the River Itchen. It is bounded by the River Itchen, Hampshire, Sholing, Peartree Green, Itchen and Weston.The area is rich in maritime and aviation history...
, and was in service until 1977. A second ship operated for a while named Queen of the Isles
Queen of the Isles
The Queen of the Isles was a ferry built for the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company in 1964 by Charles Hill & Sons. She was designed to carry passengers and cargo between Penzance, Cornwall, UK, to the offshore Isles of Scilly, complementing the service provided by the other company ship Scillonian...
. At approx 500 tons she was smaller than Scillonian II and was used to augment the larger ship at busy times. She was also used to run charter services to the Islands from other ports. On her sale she went to operate an inter-island service in the Pacific.
The present Scillonian III
Scillonian III
RMV Scillonian III is a passenger ship based at Penzance in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, run by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company...
was also purpose built for the Steamship Company and entered into service in May 1977. Scillonian III is the third passenger ship of this name and currently in service for passengers and cargo 8 months of the year. Due to the number of tidal currents which meet off Lands End, and the need for a shallow draught to allow access to the Islands, the sea journey to Scilly can be rough. For this reason Scillonian III was fitted with a "Flume" antiroll stabilizer system.
On 1 September 2009, the Steamship Company took over the lease to operate and manage Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
Dry Dock
Dry dock
A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
. Established in 1834, it is one of the UK’s longest established dry docks and provides facilities for vessels requiring repair and conversion. It takes in 15 to 20 ships a year.
At the AGM
Annual general meeting
An annual general meeting is a meeting that official bodies, and associations involving the public , are often required by law to hold...
in September 2010, the following corporate figures were published: During the previous fiscal year, Steamship Company craft had carried 73,000 passengers to Scilly by air and sea. This accounted for 61.4% of the total passenger market on the route between Scilly and the mainland. Skybus Ltd
Isles of Scilly Skybus
Isles of Scilly Skybus is a British airline which operates seasonal and year round domestic scheduled services to the Isles of Scilly from Land's End Airport and Newquay Airport in Cornwall, and from Exeter, Bristol and Southampton...
had a market share to 50.2% of all passengers flying to St Mary's.
In May 2011, the Steamship Company acquired Nike Engineering at the Porthmellon Industrial Estate in St Mary's, which provides marine and mechanical engineering services to the Isles of Scilly.
Currently in service
- Scillonian IIIScillonian IIIRMV Scillonian III is a passenger ship based at Penzance in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, run by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company...
— Passenger and cargo vessel. Purpose built in 1977 by Appledore Shipbuilders LtdAppledore Shipbuilders-History:The Appledore Yard was founded in 1855 on the estuary of the River Torridge. The Richmond Dry Dock was built in 1856 by William Yeo and named after Richmond Bay in Prince Edward Island, where the Yeo family's shipping fleet was based....
, DevonDevonDevon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. - Gry MarithaGry MarithaThe Gry Maritha is a freight ship based at Penzance in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, run by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company.-History:Gry Maritha was built by Moen Slip in Norway, in 1981...
— Cargo vessel. Built in NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, acquired in 1989. - Lyonesse Lady — Inter-island launchLaunch (boat)A launch in contemporary usage refers to a large motorboat. The name originally referred to the largest boat carried by a warship. The etymology of the word is given as Portuguese lancha "barge", from Malay lancha, lancharan, "boat," from lanchar "velocity without effort," "action of gliding...
. Purpose built in 1991 by Lochabar Marine Ltd. to replace MV Gugh (see below). - Swift Lady — Inter-island RIBRigid-hulled inflatable boatA rigid-hulled inflatable boat, or rigid-inflatable boat is a light-weight but high-performance and high-capacity boat constructed with a solid, shaped hull and flexible tubes at the gunwale. The design is stable and seaworthy...
. Purpose built in 2004 by Redbay Boats, Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. - Island Lady — Cargo vessel. Built in 1986 as a MODMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
tank landing craft, acquired by the ISSC in 2007. Is 90ft long with a 22ft beam and capable of carrying 100 tonnes of cargo.
- Ivor B — Cargo vessel. Acquired by the ISSC in 2010, formerly Guedel and in French service, formerly serving islands off the coast of BrittanyBrittanyBrittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. Is 32 metres long and capable of carrying around 280 tonnes of cargo. Named after the late Ivor Bone, a building contractor manager during the construction of the new Five Islands SchoolFive Islands SchoolThe Five Islands School is the first federated school in the United Kingdom, providing primary and secondary education for children from 3-16 at five sites across the Isles of Scilly.The primary school bases are:* Carn Gwaval Primary Base, on St Mary's...
.
Former ISSC vessels
- RMS PeninnisHMS Argus (1904)HMS Argus was a Royal Navy ship built in 1904 for the His Majesty's Coast Guard.-Naval service:After launch the steam coastguard cruiser Argus was delivered to Sheerness to replace two sailing cruisers . She was armed with two 6-pounder guns.In 1905 she captured seven Dutch coopers inside the...
, operated by the ISSC 1920 - 1927. - MV Ganilly, operated by the ISSC 1923 - 1932. Built in 1923 by H W Dockyard, Plymouth. Later sold to Coast Lines Ltd.
- SS Gugh, operated by the ISSC 1923 - 1951. Built in 1910 by Philip and Sons, formerly the steamer Dart. Converted to diesel in 1927. Wrecked in 1951.
- SS Scillonian, operated by the ISSC 1926 - 1956.
- SS Advance
- SS Endeavour
- MV Endeavour
- MV Normor
- TSMV Lady of the Isles, operated by the ISSC 1947 - 1952. Sold to a French owner.
- Gondolier, operated by the ISSC ???? - 1967.
- Lyonesse, operated by the ISSC ???? - 1967.
- Golden Spray III, operated by the ISSC 1947 - 1968. Now operated by the St. Mary's Boatman's Association.
- MV Kittern, operated by the ISSC 1949 - ????. Built in 1944 by Fox and Son, Ipswich. An ex Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
motor launchMotor LaunchA Motor Launch is a small military vessel in British navy service. It was designed for harbour defence and submarine chasing or for armed high speed air-sea rescue....
. - MV Tean, operated by the ISSC 1953 - ????. An ex Royal Navy motor launch.
- TSMV Scillonian IIScillonian (1955)The TSMV Scillonian was a passenger ferry built for the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company in 1955 by John I. Thornycroft & Company of Woolston, Southampton...
, operated by the ISSC 1956 - 1977. - MV Gugh, operated by the ISSC 1961 - 1991. An ex Royal Navy motor launch. Formerly MV Fervent. Was replaced by the current Lyonesse Lady.
- TSMV Queen of the IslesQueen of the IslesThe Queen of the Isles was a ferry built for the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company in 1964 by Charles Hill & Sons. She was designed to carry passengers and cargo between Penzance, Cornwall, UK, to the offshore Isles of Scilly, complementing the service provided by the other company ship Scillonian...
, operated by the ISSC 1964 - 1966.
Services
Scillonian III operates a return service from March/April to November (Monday to Saturday, and Sundays during August 2006). She departs Penzance at 9.15am and returns from St. Mary's at 16.30pm, although these times may differ on certain dates due to tidal conditions, school holidays, and other events. The sailing time is approximately 2 hours 40 minutes.During the winter, when Scillonian III is out of service, a cargo only service is provided by
Gry Maritha.
Future
In early 2007, press reports indicated that Cornwall County CouncilCornwall County Council
Cornwall Council is the unitary authority for Cornwall, in England, United Kingdom. The council, and its predecessor Cornwall County Council, has a tradition of large groups of independents, having been controlled by independents in the 1970s and 1980s...
was expected to approved plans for the construction of a new ro-ro replacement ferry at a cost of £17.5 million. This vessel would be leased to the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company and would replace both
Scillonian III and Gry Maritha.