Scillonian III
Encyclopedia
RMV
Royal Mail Ship
Royal Mail Ship , usually seen in its abbreviated form RMS, a designation which dates back to 1840, is the ship prefix used for seagoing vessels that carry mail under contract by Royal Mail...
Scillonian III is a passenger ship based at 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 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...
, England, United Kingdom, run by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company. She operates the principal ferry service to the 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...
, assisted by the cargo vessel 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...
.
History
The Scillonian III was purpose built for the Steamship Company 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....
of Appledore in Devon
Devon
Devon 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...
and was christened by H.R.H. Prince Charles, Duke of Cornwall
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
on 17 May 1977 and entered service later in the same month. She is the third passenger ship to carry the Scillonian name and made her first trip to Scilly on 19 May 1977, sailing from Bideford
Bideford
Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is also the main town of the Torridge local government district.-History:...
to St Mary's. On the arrival of the new ship, critics found it "too big, they will never hold her, not suitable or not as good a sea boat as the old boat" (the same had happened when the first Scillonian went into service in 1926 and again with her replacement
Scillonian (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...
in 1956)
The Scillonian III has a length of 68 m, a beam of 11.85 m, a draft of 2.89 m, a gross tonnage of 1255.25, and a service speed of 15.15 knots (29.7 km/h). 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 can be rough. For this reason the ship is fitted with a "Flume" antiroll stabilizer system.
The Scillonian III is currently in service for passengers and cargo 8 months of the year, carrying up to 600 passengers for day trips or longer holidays to the Islands. As a preferred means of transport between Scilly and the mainland, she is a familiar sight in 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...
and St Mary's - often photographed by tourists and also featured in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
series, An Island Parish
An Island Parish
An Island Parish is a British television documentary made by Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC2. Series one and two covers the lives of residents of the Church of England parish of the Isles of Scilly. These series were supported by the Diocese of Truro...
.
In 1998, faced with the cost of building a new ship, the Company decided to give Scillonian III a major refit, during which over 50 tons of steel were used to increase the standard of the ship. The ship also had 3 new generators and a new bow thruster fitted.
The cost of this was £1.7 million. In early 2007, press reports indicated that Cornwall County Council
Cornwall 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 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
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...
. The scheme subsequently collapsed.
Schedule
The Scillonian only operates a seasonal passenger and freight service. She does not sail all year but runs between Penzance and Hugh Town for about eight months only, from early spring (March/April) until autumn (October/November). Through the winter months, she is laid up in Penzance harbour and a cargo-only service to the Isles of Scilly is then provided by the Gry MarithaGry 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...
. The annual winter period is used to carry out a maintenance programme, during which the Scillonian is painted and undergoes technical inspections as well as surveys for passenger vessel certification by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is a UK executive agency working to prevent the loss of lives at sea and is responsible for implementing British and International maritime law and safety policy.This involves coordinating search and rescue at sea through Her Majesty's Coastguard , ensuring that...
. The ferry's season thus largely coincides with the tourist season on the Isles of Scilly, which normally runs from Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
to the first weekend in October. The ferry is in fact so closely assocatiated with the summer season on Scilly that for many people, "the sight of the ship Scillonian III [arriving in the Isles of Scilly] is a celebrated indication that spring has sprung."
During her months of operation, the Scillonian follows a regular schedule. The ferry normally sails six days a week from Monday to Saturday, typically leaving Penzance at 09:15 am and arriving in Hugh Town around 12:00 noon, which means a sailing time of approximately 2 hours 40 minutes. This is the vessel's standard schedule, which only sees occasional variations on Saturdays.
On most days, when the Scillonian sails from the UK mainland
Mainland
Mainland is a name given to a large landmass in a region , or to the largest of a group of islands in an archipelago. Sometimes its residents are called "Mainlanders"...
at 09:15 am, she will stay in Hugh Town until 16:30 pm.
On some occasions, when changing tides or weather forecasts affect her sailings so that she has to leave Penzance at about 10:30, she will leave Hugh Town again around 15:00, and on the few days when she needs to sail from Penzance at about 08:30, she will depart Hugh Town at about 11:15. Times and dates may also change due to school holidays, special occasions and unexpected events. Two sailings a day, Sunday or night sailings are rare and usually only arranged by the Steamship Company when an exceptionally high number of passengers depend on the ferry service. This may be the case on busy weekends at the start of the summer season, around the World Pilot Gig Championships
World Pilot Gig Championships
The World Pilot Gig Championships are an annual gig racing event held on the Isles of Scilly during the May Day bank holiday weekend.The World Championships were first held in 1990, only attracting a few crews from Cornwall, but in the intervening years the amount of pilot gigs attending has...
, and more regularly during the year when the air services between the Isles of Scilly and the mainland are grounded due to poor visibility (see "Notable events" below).
Notable events
On 26 March 1997, when the 300-ft container vessel CitaMV Cita
On 26 March 1997, the 300-ft merchant vessel MV Cita pierced its hull when running aground on rocks off the south coast of the Isles of Scilly in gale-force winds en route from Southampton to Belfast...
hit rocks off the south coast of the Isles of Scilly, the crew of the stricken vessel were rescued by St Mary's Lifeboat
St Mary's Lifeboat
St Mary's Lifeboat Station is situated in St Mary's Habour, Isles of Scilly and has been an important station for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution since the service began in 1837, however without service between 1855 and 1874.-Lifeboats at St Mary's:...
with the support of a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
from RNAS Culdrose
RNAS Culdrose
Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose , based in Cornwall, near Helston, on the Lizard Peninsula, has three major roles: serving the Fleet Air Arm's front line Sea King and Merlin helicopter squadrons; providing search and rescue for the South West region; and training specialists for the Royal Navy...
. They returned to the UK mainland on board the Scillonian III later that afternoon. As air traffic to Scilly was suspended for the day due to poor visibility on the mainland, the government authorities chartered the Scillonian III to make a night sailing from Penzance to bring officials, shipwreck specialists as well as police reinforcements to St Mary's.
On Monday 12 August 2002, a technical fault meant that the Scillonian III could not sail, leaving hundreds of tourists temporarily stranded on St Mary's. The ferry had to remain docked in Penzance while engineers were working on the fault. Travellers booked in for the sailing were advised to make alternative arrangements, however British International
British International Helicopters
British International Helicopter Services Limited is an airline based at Penzance heliport, in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, with headquarters located at Sherborne, Dorset. It operates seasonal and year round domestic scheduled services to the Isles of Scilly. Its main base is Penzance...
and Skybus
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...
services were struggling to cope with the massive extra demand for seats, the problem further extended by the fact that one of British International’s two helicopters had to remain grounded. Cancellation of Scillonian III 's sailing mainly affected day trip passengers to Scilly as well as visitors staying in guesthouses, as in many cases they could not be re-accommodated in the same guesthouse. Freight services to St Mary's were also disrupted by the cancellation, so 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...
had to make a re-scheduled Monday night sailing to deliver fruit and vegetables to the Isles of Scilly.
On 17 June 2010, a Scilly shrew made headlines on BBC Cornwall when it stowed away
Stowaway
A stowaway is a person who secretly boards a vehicle, such as an aircraft, bus, ship, cargo truck or train, to travel without paying and without being detected....
from the Isles of Scilly on Scillonian III. The small 2 in (5 cm) mammal was only discovered in a corner of the Upper Deck as the ferry was about to arrive in Penzance and staff were clearing the area near the gangway. Paul Semmens, the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust
Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust
The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the Isles of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall, England, UK.The trust works in conjunction with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, and jointly produces a thrice yearly magazine called Wild Cornwall & Wild Scilly.It is dedicated to ensuring...
's onboard marine guide, identified the animal as a shrew which was about two months old and looked after it for the night. The next day, the shrew was flown back from Penzance to Scilly on a Skybus
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...
plane and released back into its natural environment. Managers at the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company said they thought it could have been the smallest passenger ever to travel on the Scillonian III and the Skybus.
On 21 April 2011, Scillonian III was issued with her new certificate by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is a UK executive agency working to prevent the loss of lives at sea and is responsible for implementing British and International maritime law and safety policy.This involves coordinating search and rescue at sea through Her Majesty's Coastguard , ensuring that...
so her carrying capacity of 600 passengers could be reinstated. This came in time for the start of the summer season on the Isles of Scilly and the World Pilot Gig Championships
World Pilot Gig Championships
The World Pilot Gig Championships are an annual gig racing event held on the Isles of Scilly during the May Day bank holiday weekend.The World Championships were first held in 1990, only attracting a few crews from Cornwall, but in the intervening years the amount of pilot gigs attending has...
.
On 2 May 2011, the cancellation of a Scillonian III sailing on the bank holiday
Bank Holiday
A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract...
after the World Pilot Gig Championships weekend
World Pilot Gig Championships
The World Pilot Gig Championships are an annual gig racing event held on the Isles of Scilly during the May Day bank holiday weekend.The World Championships were first held in 1990, only attracting a few crews from Cornwall, but in the intervening years the amount of pilot gigs attending has...
left visitors stranded on St Mary's. Two sailings were scheduled that day to take gig rowers home. Scillonian III departed for the first sailing as planned, but with weather conditions worsening in the strong Easterlies
Easterlies
The easterlies commonly refer to the low latitude trade winds near the equator . These winds carry tropical waves and cyclones from east to west in lower latitudes...
and waves crashing onto the pier in Penzance it became unsafe to berth
Berth (moorings)
A berth is a location in a port or harbour used specifically for mooring vessels while not at sea.-Locations in a port:Berth is the term used in ports and harbors to define a specific location where a vessel may be berthed, usually for the purposes of loading and unloading.Most berths will be...
and she had to spend three hours circling in Mount's Bay
Mount's Bay
Mount's Bay is a large, sweeping bay on the English Channel coast of Cornwall in the United Kingdom, stretching from the Lizard Point to Gwennap Head on the eastern side of the Land's End peninsula. Towards the middle of the bay is St Michael's Mount...
, waiting until high tide
High Tide
High Tide was a band formed in 1969 by Tony Hill , Simon House , Peter Pavli and Roger Hadden .-History:...
with 450 passengers on board. When the second sailing was then cancelled, council staff opened up emergency accommodation at their Carn Thomas offices and Town Hall to provide shelter for visitors stranded on St Mary's.
On 29 June 2011, a passenger had to be airlift
Airlift
Airlift is the act of transporting people or cargo from point to point using aircraft.Airlift may also refer to:*Airlift , a suction device for moving sand and silt underwater-See also:...
ed from Scillonian III by a rescue helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
from RNAS Culdrose
RNAS Culdrose
Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose , based in Cornwall, near Helston, on the Lizard Peninsula, has three major roles: serving the Fleet Air Arm's front line Sea King and Merlin helicopter squadrons; providing search and rescue for the South West region; and training specialists for the Royal Navy...
after complaining about severe chest pains. The day trip visitor had become unwell around 30 minutes out of Penzance, so the helicopter was requested by a doctor travelling on board. The ferry retreated to a more sheltered part of the coast, near Mousehole
Mousehole
Mousehole is a village and fishing port in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately 2½ miles south of Penzance on the shore of Mount's Bay.The village is in the civil parish of Penzance...
, so the patient could be winched up without having to deal with the strong winds.
Appearance
In 1977 Scillonian III went into service with her superstructure painted white, her craneCrane (machine)
A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of...
and funnel
Funnel
A funnel is a pipe with a wide, often conical mouth and a narrow stem. It is used to channel liquid or fine-grained substances into containers with a small opening. Without a funnel, spillage would occur....
were yellow without further markings. Some time after the 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...
was acquired, the Scillonian IIIs funnel and crane were painted blue to match the colours of the other ship. For much of the first decade of the 21st century, Scillonian III appeared with a yellow crane and funnel, the flag of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company (itself based on the design of the Cornish flag) painted on both sides of the latter. Shortly before the start of the 2010 season, the colours of the ferry's funnel were again changed, this time to white with a smaller badge of the Steamship Company.