Delivering for Scilly | Issue 9 | October 2022

Delivering for Scilly

Delivering for Scilly

Scillonian III

day

behindthe-scenes

board

to

Welcome to the autumn issue of Delivering for Scilly magazine, full of the latest company news. Summer has been a busy and eventful season for us

like to take this opportunity to thank you, as always, for

A selection of good news stories from around the company. (pg 4-5)

Behind-the-scenes with Land’s End fire service. (pg 6-7)

Celebrating our trusty freight ship - Lyonesse Lady. (pg 8-10)

A busy year for our freight ships and annual maintenance period. (pg 11-13)

and we

Committed to delivering for Scilly - our great customer feedback. (pg 14-15)

Investing in our peopleCadetships & apprenticeships. (pg 16-19)

Scillonian III open day for local schools, groups and fans. (pg 20-23)

What’s new at Island Carriers. (pg 24)

With

How our shares work

It is now the second anniversary of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group’s shares being traded on Asset Match, an online platform allowing investors to buy and sell shares in the company via quarterly online auctions.

The Steamship Group was admitted to Asset Match on 6th October 2020 and has an indicative market cap of £6.1 million. The Group has 1.4 million ordinary shares in issue and 870 shareholders, a third of which are islanders. The average share price is £4.32.

In the year to March 31st 2022, the business reported a pre-tax profit of £2.5m on a turnover of £17.2m and a net assets total of £13.5m.

Steamship Group Chief Executive Stuart Reid said: “Because of our history, most of our shareholders are on the islands or in the south west of England and many have inherited their shares over generations.

“Asset Match gives them an easy route to realise the value of their shares should they want to, while making it much easier for new investors to come on board, diversifying our shareholder base.

Well done James!

Firefighter James Murton from Land’s End Airport walked 90-miles from the Tamar Bridge to Land’s End on September 24th to raise awareness and funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association in memory of his mother, who passed away in July. To make it even harder, James walked in full uniform and breathing apparatus, adding an extra 30kg of weight to the challenge.

The Steamship Group’s shares are traded via the Asset Match website:

James was joined by his wife Milena on the walk, setting off at 5am on September 24th and reaching Land’s End at around 2pm the following day – 33 hours of constant walking. He has so far raised around £3,500 for the charity. To support James please visit: www.justgiving.com /fundraising/james-murton

Asset Match gives existing shareholders and potential new investors the opportunity to trade shares in a dynamic and transparent way, whereas before we relied on traditional stock transfer forms.

Charity flights

A 24-year-old pilot has completed a 4,000-mile charity flight around the UK in one go in a single engine aircraft.

Lyle Weir stopped at Land’s End Airport, where the Steamship Group supported his endeavour by waiving landing charges.

He set out from Gloucestershire Airport on September 1st, landing back at the airport having completed the journey in 35 hours over six days.

He is hoping to raise £10,000 for The Mix, a leading mental health charity providing support for under 25s.

Lyle made scheduled stops at 20 locations across the UK, from Land’s End to the Shetland Isles.

Scilly pre-schoolers visit Scillonian III

We are delighted to have hosted helicopter pleasure flight operator Adventure 001 at Land’s End Airport in August, helping to raise £50,000 for Cornwall Air Ambulance.

We supported the Cornwall Summer Special Event, which has been running for 12 years, with free landing fees at the airport. The flights operated from Land’s End on August 2nd and 9th and carried 178 passengers in total.

Jess Sadler from Adventure 001 said: “As a team we are continually inspired by the incredible work of Cornwall Air Ambulance and appreciate how vital it is in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

“This would not be possible without the huge support we receive from locals and businesses alike, including Land’s End Airport which has accommodated our flights over the summer.”

A group of excitable three and four-year-olds from Cherry Blossom Childcare on St Mary’s had the honour of being shown around Scillonian III by Master Victoria Bolitho over the summer.

Manager Anna Wild said the children from the Puffins class “absolutely loved” the visit.

“They were so, so excited and were talking about it for ages afterwards,” she said. “The crew on board were incredible with the children and we were so impressed by the visit. In fact, the children made a card for Vicky to say thank you.”

Master Victoria Bolitho added: “It was a pleasure to have the children from Cherry Blossom on board Scillonian III. I think they had as much fun as the ship’s crew! We are looking forward to future visits. It’s wonderful to get involved with the local community and show them what we do.”

Community Fund saving lives

In 2016 we awarded £1,000 from our Community Fund to the Ronnie Richards Memorial Charity, a public access defibrillator program. We are delighted to hear that the funding financed five defibrillator training units and has helped to train many thousands of people, including 8,000 secondary school students.

Dozens of lives of people who have had cardiac arrests out-of-hospital have been saved – seven in recent weeks alone. Cape Cornwall student Henry Snelson, 14, performed CPR on his father who had a cardiac arrest at home and is now making a full recovery.

Employee Engagement Survey

We are running our confidential 2022/23 employee engagement survey, which gives employees a chance to tell us about their experience working for the company.

We strongly encourage all employees to use the survey as an opportunity to make their opinions, ideas and feelings count.

The results will help shape how our company operates and develops in the future.

Happy Birthday Fee!

Fee, who lives in Somerset, has been visiting the islands since she was five and decided to spend her birthday travelling in style on Scillonian III.

She said: “My visit to the bridge was amazing and had me grinning from ear to ear. It was lovely to see behind the little door at last. It took my breath away, I couldn’t believe I was really there seeing it with my own eyes.

Steamship Group introduces Chat to website

As part of our commitment to excellent customer service, we have introduced a Chat function to our website, which will be available Monday to Friday.

Customers using the Chat function will be directed to an agent, who can answer questions and direct them to information on our website and the booking page. This service will be faster than email or a phone call.

Sign Language

Six crew members on Scillonian III are being trained in sign language so they can communicate more effectively with customers. They are currently undertaking their training and are wearing blue “I’m learning sign language” badges on board.

Wind energy

At the end of September, the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group was part of a trade delegation formed by Cornwall Trade and Investment and the Department for International Trade to attend Wind Energy Hamburg and H2 Expo and Conference.

George Farrington, the company’s Business Development Manager, attended the event, looking at how the Steamship Group could service offshore wind turbines in the Celtic Sea, using drones from Land’s End Airport.

He said: “Wind Energy Hamburg not only provided valuable context and insight into technology and requirements of the future floating offshore wind projects in the Celtic Sea, but also allowed further investigation into revenue opportunities through supporting the development and ongoing needs of the windfarms.

“Scilly is where I feel at my happiest and most alive. I beachcomb with my son Ethan, swim in the sea and visit the off-islands. It’s always a wrench to leave, but I know I will always come back.”

“Additionally, the H2 Expo provided context on existing hydrogen generation and storage projects, and enabled introductions with hydrogen technology providers to gain insight for the Group’s hydrogen future.”

Scillonian III superfan Fee Smart was treated to a trip to the bridge in August to celebrate her 45th birthday - and her 45th sailing on board Scillonian III.

Vicky showed me the ship’s instruments and charts and I was allowed to hold the wheel. Other people get giddy about pop stars, but I feel like that about Scillonian III.

Land’s End Airport’s Fire Service

At the heart of airport life

Our fire and rescue service plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of Land’s End Airport.

But as well as firefighting, the airport’s dedicated firefighters have a list of more than 200 different jobs to their name.

“Our primary role is as firefighters, but in reality we do so much more,” explained Fire Service Manager Jonathan Stephens, affectionately known to all as Jono. “At the last count, we were responsible for more than 200 jobs here at the airport.

“These range from loading and unloading 1,000 tonnes of baggage and 340 tonnes of freight each year, to refuelling the aircraft and clearing birds from the runway, maintaining all our vehicles and equipment and dealing with emergency situations.

“Working at an airport is unique and very different from working in the normal fire service. It’s a busy technical job and one we are very proud of.”

Land’s End Airport has 11 firefighters split into two crews of five, with Jono floating between them. The crews work

three days a week, up to 13 hours a day. Seven of the crew are also retained firefighters for Cornwall Fire and Rescue.

Situated at the heart of the airport, the firefighters are able to quickly respond to a wide range of incidents, whether on the airfield, in the terminal and outbuildings, or in the local community.

Under Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) rules, Land’s End Airport must have its own dedicated fire crew in order to allow Skybus and private aircraft to operate at the airport. Outside the airport’s boundaries, the

Land’s End Airport Fire Crew Statistics

crews cover 1,000 metres in all directions.

Constant training is a major part of the job, with all firefighters qualified to a high category firefighter level meaning they can work at any airport in the country.

The airport has two bespoke fire appliances – a £200,000 primary response vehicle, built to the company’s specifications in 2016, and a state-of-the-art Toyota Hilux fire truck which came into service earlier this year. The appliances provide

the airport with the latest technology tailored for the needs of the airport.

There are 70,000 litres of Jet A1 and 30,000 litres of Avgas fuel stored at the airport at any one time. Taking delivery of the fuel and refuelling the aircraft – up to 30 times on a busy day – is also in the fire crews’ remit.

“Our day is governed by the Skybus schedule, and when a plane lands, we’re a bit like a pit-stop team,” said Jono. “We’re straight into refuelling and dealing with baggage. It’s a real team effort.

days a week, up to 13

340 tonnes of Royal Mail

Annual fuel dispensed/ used: Avgas – 60,000 litres a year, Jet A1 –540,000 litres a year

Our trusty inter-island freight ship Lyonesse Lady has been serving the Isles of Scilly for more than 30 years – each year carrying more than 5,000 tonnes of freight to the offislands.

The Lyonesse, named after the legendary kingdom stretching between Land’s End and the Isles of Scilly, was purpose-built for the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group in 1991 by Lochaber Marine in Fort William.

She replaced the old wooden freight vessel Gugh, which was an ex Royal Navy motor launch, in order to further support the islanders with a dedicated year-round freight service.

Apart from post, anything that needs to go to, or from, an off-island is taken on Lyonesse Lady. More than half of the 5,000 tonnes of freight it carries every year is food and perishable goods, but other items include building supplies, vehicles, animals, flat pack buildings, heavy machinery, portable homes, Christmas trees, electric buses, flowers and waste.

least once a day – sometimes twice a day, depending on freight and tide - six days a week. Her schedule is entirely dependent on the tide, as she can only get to Bryher at high water.

The Lyonesse is estimated to travel between 5,000 and 6,000 nautical miles every year – equivalent to crossing the Atlantic Ocean twice. In her lifetime, she’s clocked up more than 155,000 miles.

Skipper Ben Jenkins, who joined the ship in 2018, said:

Agnes at any tide.

“Once we’ve unloaded the freight onto each off-island, we backload freight to carry back to St Mary’s or to the other islands. This includes all waste and recycling from the off-islands, plus things like Troytown Farm ice cream, flowers, gin and boat salvage.

“Our final trip of the day leaves St Mary’s Quay around 2.30pm, and we are back again by 5pm. It’s a busy operation and one the off-islanders are very appreciative of.”

Ben, who worked on the tripper boats before joining Lyonesse Lady, added: “I love my job and am extremely proud of the work we do. Every day is different and to get to go boating every day, especially through the winter, is a privilege.”

The Lyonesse is 15.5m long, can carry 13 tonnes of cargo and has a dedicated crew of just two – Skipper Ben Jenkins and Assistant Launch Skipper Connor Whitmore.

She visits each off-island at

“We start work at 7am helping to sort freight on St Mary’s Quay, then at 8am we start loading Lyonesse Lady. By 8.30am we’re ready for our first trip of the day.

“The order we visit the offislands depends on the tide, but generally when it’s high water in the morning we go to Tresco and Bryher first, then back to St Mary’s to reload for St Martin’s and St Agnes. If it’s low water in the morning, we tend to do St Agnes first as we can get to St

Lyonesse Lady in figures

Without a doubt, the Lyonesse is a lifeline for the off-islands. What the Gry is to St Mary’s, we are to the off-islands.

Our freight ships Gry Maritha and Lyonesse Lady have had another busy year delivering for Scilly. Here is a snapshot of what they’ve been up to.

Annual Maintenance

Annual Maintenance

Gry Maritha has continued operating as usual during September and October, despite the closure of Penzance Wet Dock for essential maintenance.

It has presented a new set of challenges for the Gry crew and Penzance Quay teams, who have had to find ways to work around the closure.

Cornwall Council has carried out

work on the lock gate, meaning the Gry has been loading from the outside North Arm. Part of the barrier has been removed to allow loading onto the pallet hoist.

Delivering

“The quay staff have had to work cargo around the pedestrian walkway, with limited space, and the freight team has had to work closely with customers, scheduling all the deck cargo around the limited time the vessel was afloat and able to do crane operations.”

specialised the Gry is to be able to carry out operations as normal on a berth that dries out completely. We are proud to have been able to maintain the lifeline link to the islands with minimal disruption for residents.”

Gry Maritha began a busy winter refit period when she returned to Penzance on October 15th.

In total there will be 20 contractors engaged with the work scope over a two-week period together with the ship’s crew of five.

Ships are subject to annual and periodic surveys. Similar to an MOT on a car, although more complex, they ensure that the vessel and its machinery are in good order, safety requirements are in place, working conditions are met and environmental impact is controlled.

during the winter months at St Mary’s.

The work process to install the new mooring bollards began with Gry’s captains submitting sketches of a proposal for the work.

The naval architect company

“This just highlights how

This winter’s work scope includes some steel repairs in the lower hold, upgrade of the ballast water system and the installation of three additional mooring bollards on the forward mooring deck.

Other works include planned repairs to the starboard main engine, servicing of the bow thruster (necessitating dry docking), service work on the steering units and various plumbing and pipework renewal, from 35mm copper pipe to 89mm steel pipe.

The installation of additional mooring bollards on the forward mooring deck will improve the mooring arrangement for Gry Maritha, of particular benefit

Pelagic Design was engaged to conduct a feasibility study and subsequently to prepare designs and structural calculations for the work.

These designs and calculations were submitted to the structural department at our classification society, Lloyds Register, for appraisal. Upon receiving approval from Lloyds for the work, certified structural materials were ordered and fabrication companies arranged to do the work.

The completed work will be subject to non-destructive testing of all welds and inspection to the satisfaction of the attending Lloyds surveyor.

Whilst Gry Maritha is out of service there is minimal requirement for Lyonesse Lady so the opportunity is taken to maintain this vessel at the same time.

Lyonesse Lady’s winter work scope includes servicing of both engines, installation of a new chart plotter, renewal of zinc anodes on the hull and general maintenance, cleaning and painting. Repairs are also planned for the hull of her tender together with service to the outboard engine.

Gry Master Tom Sexton said:

It is very unusual for us to load in this way. We’ve had to schedule work around the tides and when she’s dry, sit out alongside to make sure the ship is safe and doesn’t tip over.

Gry Master Jon Rundle added:

“ I have had the pleasure of being in contact with Debbie McGill. The service she has provided has been second to none. She has been so helpful, extremely professional and very approachable and friendly. I had every faith that my query would be dealt with efficiently by Debbie and she proved me 100% correct. She is a huge asset to Skybus. Too many people find it easy to moan these days but never to praise but it is worth a few minutes of my time to bring to your attention the excellence of this member of your staff. ”

“ I just wanted to contact you to let you know I had a great trip flying over to the Isles of Scilly the other week on Skybus from Land’s End. I was really well looked after and the flight was very smooth. As you can see in the picture, I was really well prepared for it! Would definitely use Skybus again. ”

“ Firstly, I apologise for the length of time it has taken me to get round to sending this email. My wife and I married on St Mary’s on May 29th this year. We had arranged for a number of members of our families to join us for the event, all flying from Exeter. My wife’s younger sister, who has MS, her partner and her partner’s daughter were due to fly out on the 3pm flight on Saturday May 28th, travelling down by car from Birmingham. Unfortunately, traffic on the M5 was particularly heavy and it looked like they might not make their flight. Your team phoned them, they explained the situation, and they arrived with just a couple of minutes to spare before the flight was due to depart. Your staff were brilliant in allowing them to make the flight and it meant everything to us having them there for our wedding. So, my wife and I would just like to say a big thank you to all your staff who helped them on that day. We had a fabulous wedding and, thanks to you, everyone got to and from the venue safely. ”

“ Two weeks ago we took the Scillonian. I had a complete mind fog and had no idea where our printed e-ticket was nor any evidence of having paid 12 days of parking. Your staff both at the dock and at the car park were so helpful, reassuring and organized that we wanted to thank them so much for being such pros when we got home. ”

Our customers are at the heart of everything share some of our recent comments with to all our employees for making these

everything we do and we’re delighted to with you here. A big thank you, as always, these comments so commonplace.

Feedback“ I would like to thank you for making our trip to the IOS so enjoyable. My partner’s family live on St Martin’s and we have not visited them around 10 years as, like most islanders, summer is their busiest time of the year and I have not wanted to incumber them.

“ Fantastic customer service. I had a booking issue, the fault was mine. Customer services resolved all issues, going above and beyond. Thanks. ”

Having seen that day trips were available with the early sailings, I saw this as an opportunity to catch up with them. We took the early boat and spent a brilliant day with them. However, we failed to note that the return boat was at 17.00, having convinced ourselves (and the family) that it was at 18.30.

We realised our mistake at 16.30 and reconciled ourselves to the fact that the 16.45 ferry from St Martin’s would not be in time but then received a phone call from the Scillonian.

“ I had a meet and assist booked for myself with my mobility scooter. I also had my wife and our dog, as well as the luggage. I just wanted to say thank you to David Brassett. He looked after us very well. He even coped when I used the lift and it broke down. Nobody could have helped us more. ”

We explained the situation and the crew was really helpful, stating that they would wait for the ferry if we caught it. There followed a frantic drive from Higher Town to Lower Town, dodging tractors, cars and visitors only to reach the quay at 16.43 and to watch the ferry casting off.

The Scillonian crew had done all it could to help and at this point was ready to sail so we booked return tickets for the following day. This gave me the opportunity to attend chapel with the family and to go swimming with my aunt (in shorts and t-shirt which I haven’t done since I was a teenager!). What started as a day trip ended up as a memorable adventure for all of us and will be talked about in the family for quite a while, so thank you. ”

Investing in our people

As part of our pledge to invest in our people – and encourage employees of the future – we are committed to nurturing, mentoring and training our colleagues.

Our people are at the heart of our company and everyone who works for the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group has an important part to play. We are investing in the long-term, to make sure our employees keep learning and moving forward in their careers.

As well as gaining the latest skills, we hope this will keep everyone motivated to give their best.

Our values

PEOPLE FOCUS

We nurture, mentor and train like-minded energetic people and promote a positive working environment.

Encouraging the next generation

The Steamship Group has always been a popular choice for work experience among our local schools. In 2023, we plan to offer a full programme of work experience during which the students involved will be able to see first-hand everything that goes on behind the scenes to support our operation – making

it truly memorable for the students involved.

We regularly attend careers events at schools across the county and on Scilly too, showcasing all we have to offer and with the hope students will be inspired to join us when they leave education. This year we

have attended careers fairs at Humphry Davy School, Mounts Bay Academy, Truro College, Penwith College and Five Islands Academy. At each careers fair we have a dedicated stand with promotional banners and literature, highlighting different careers within the company.

Cadetships

We currently sponsor four cadets – two deck cadets and two engineering cadets – who are managed by a training partnership with Clyde Marine Training.

The cadetships are a threeyear programme, which is funded by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group. They can be in one of three disciplines; deck, engineering or electro-technical and combine a mix of classroombased learning and time on board Merchant Navy vessels understudying officers.

Our cadets are completing their classroom learning in the UK, but may be on board a vessel anywhere in the world gaining valuable experience. We’ve recently had cadets on board the RSS James Cook in Bermuda, an offshore supply ship, a bulk

carrier and a general cargo vessel. Where possible, we prefer to have them training with us – as is currently the case with cadets Connor Norris and Elliot Pleven.

Once our cadets finish training, they will hold internationallyrecognised qualifications that will allow them to become a member of a vessel’s crew anywhere in the world. These cadets can then go on to study further and gain more time at sea, eventually becoming a vessel’s master, chief engineer or choosing to work shoreside in the maritime industry. Cadets have gone on to work as lawyers, surveyors, insurers, lecturers and in port/vessel management.

The Steamship Company receives funding back from the Government to help cover

some of the costs associated with training a cadet, in order to help increase the number of Merchant Navy officers being trained in the UK. This funding has just been raised from 30% to 50% of the training costs by the UK Government, which has been welcomed across the industry.

In completing our training commitment to cadets, we also get some corporation tax relief from the Government, making it worthwhile for the business to continue training UK cadets. In effect, training cadets costs us nothing, but actually saves us money.

If you happen to meet any of our cadets, please make sure they feel at home. We would like to take this opportunity to wish the best of luck to all our cadets.

22-year-old Connor started his engineering cadetship in September 2019. He is training at Humber Maritime College and has spent the last four months on board Scillonian III.

Connor, who comes from a naval family, said: “I missed out on a lot of my time as sea because of Covid, so I’m really pleased to be on Scillonian III now. I’m spending my time shadowing the

engineering team, helping out with watches, maintenance, daily jobs and bunkering operations.

“It’s a hands-on job and a fascinating learning environment as it’s a very manual ship. I’m also living on board, so I’m getting the full experience. When I qualify, I want to be a 3rd engineer and my ambition is to become chief engineer within 10 years.”

Elliot, 28, is just nine months into his course as a deck officer. He is training at Warsash Maritime Academy and is currently on board Scillonian III.

He spent five years as a submariner with the Royal Navy before deciding to change to a career in the Merchant Navy.

He said: “I decided I’d prefer to sail on the seas rather than underneath them, without any daylight or fresh air for months at a time.

“I’ve been with the Steamship Group for three months for the practical phase of my course, and I’ve been lucky enough to work on board Scillonian III and Gry Maritha. It’s been amazing and I’ve learned so much. The crews have been so welcoming and the general community feel and atmosphere has been brilliant. I definitely made the right decision.”

Our other two cadets, Wade Taylor and James Brown, started training in September 2022.

Connor Norris

Elliot Pleven

Congratulations Jono

Land’s End Airport’s Fire Services Manager Jonathan Stephens has been shortlisted for a “management apprentice of the year” award after recently completing a two-year apprenticeship.

Jono was nominated for the award by his course tutor at Truro and Penwith College and will find out if he’s won on November 18th.

He said: “To find out I was shortlisted was fantastic, something that I never expected. I just wanted to complete the course – I didn’t expect this.”

The 40-year-old began the qualification – a level three apprenticeship in management – in 2020, just as the country entered the pandemic.

With the support of the Steamship Group, he carried out the work alongside his normal duties at the airport, where he has been Fire Services Manager since 2018.

“I’d go to college for two days a month and had to allocate about eight hours a week to the course work,” explained Jono.

“It was tough at times to juggle it all, but it was worth it. I loved the course and learned so much from the tutors, who were both supportive and knowledgeable.

“The course was so relevant to my job, and I hope it will help me become a better manager. I learned about managing other people and managing myself, project management, finance, communication, self awareness and time management.

“The course has given me lots of tools which are useful and applicable to my job at Land’s End Airport.

“To anyone else thinking of doing an apprenticeship I’d say go for it. You’re never too old to learn and develop. It was an amazing opportunity.”

Apprenticeships

Jade Thomas

Jade Thomas, our marketing assistant, joined the Steamship Group two years ago with qualifications in graphic design and visual communications, and a working background in marketing. She has since enrolled in and is part-way through a Digital Marketer Level 3 apprenticeship, which covers both practical and strategic methods of effective digital marketing with a focus on helping businesses increase profitability.

She said: “I am always keen to develop my skills so was thrilled to be given this opportunity. I had experience in digital marketing practices, but no formal qualifications up until this point.

“I complete my normal work duties over four days, and one towards my apprenticeship. My day-to-day role includes content planning and creation, design work and web maintenance among other things.

“It’s never too late to start or learn something new, you can benefit from an apprenticeship wherever you are along your career path.”

Apprenticeships

Arthur Underwood

In October, Arthur Underwood started on a Workboat Crewmember Apprenticeship scheme with the Steamship Group. This involves him training with SeaRegs in Plymouth to obtain his RYA Yachtmaster Coastal (Power) certification. Once he achieves this qualification, he will be certified to take command of a workboat up to 20 miles from a safe haven, such as St Mary’s to Penzance. Arthur’s course is being supported by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group, as an apprenticeship levy company. The course is over the next two years and we hope to continue to provide progress updates on Arthur’s training.

Mental Health First Aiders

We are proud to have trained three employees as mental health first aiders. They each attended a three-day online workshop to train as mental health first aiders. This is part of our commitment to the mental health and wellbeing of our employees.

Scillonian III marks Maritime UK Week

Scillonian III superfans travelled from all over the country for a chance to look behind-thescenes on the passenger ship in October to mark Maritime UK Week.

People travelled from as far afield as Shropshire, Bristol, Taunton and Plymouth for the opportunity to go on board Scillonian III while the vessel was in Penzance on a non-sailing day.

Students from three West Cornwall secondary schools, Penzance Sea Cadets and some of the ship’s army of admirers were invited on board for the special, one-off event.

The tour included the ship’s bridge, cargo hold, aft deck, crew quarters and engine room – which was the highlight of the visit for many.

Some visitors were emotional, some bought gifts for the crew and others spent time reminiscing about their favourite seats and trips on board.

Lewis Hyatt’s first trip on Scillonian was in 1967 when he was just two months old. He’s been back year after year – first on family trips to St Agnes and later with his wife.

“My dad worked for the Natural History Museum and in 1957 he was asked to go to Scilly to check out the migrant birds,” said Lewis, who had travelled from Bristol for the open day.

“He set up a bird observatory on St Agnes with his colleagues and kept going back year after year.

“It was fascinating to get to see all the parts of the ship I’ve never seen before. It was quite odd in a way, and an experience I’ll never forget.”

Linda Himsworth and her family came from Shropshire for the event, saying “there was no way we were going to miss it”.

“It meant such a lot to us to see all the bits you never get to see,” she said. “There’s just something about Scillonian. We all love her.”

David Langsworthy worked for the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group for 20 years and did the initial drawings for the iconic Scillonian crest, which were later reproduced.

He said: “It was an honour to bring my family on board today and to share stories with other guests, and the crew, about old times.”

Patsy and Roger Manning travelled from Taunton for the experience. Patsy said: “We’ve been on board Scillonian III every year since 1979 at least once. It’s part of the excitement, the anticipation of our holiday.

“We love the boat and we came today because it reminds us of going on holiday. It’s made us feel a little bit closer to Scilly and has been a very special day.

“We put our lives in the crew’s hands on every trip, so it was lovely to meet them properly and thank them for all they do.”

Sally Mashford’s dad Henry Taylor worked for the Steamship Group for 50 years, many of them as manager of the workshop on St Mary’s.

“I used to live on the islands, and the day Scillonian III first arrived on the islands my dad brought me on board,” said Sally.

“It was his life. He knew this ship well, especially the engine room, so it’s been a privilege to see where he spent his days.”

One of the schools attending was Mounts Bay Academy. Careers Leader Lindsay Masters said: “This was a great opportunity for our students to learn about maritime careers and degree apprenticeship careers they could progress to from GCSEs or A level equivalent courses. It brought to life what is on offer in their local area, and the purpose of school work. Thank you for helping to

enlighten our students.”

Maritime UK Week (1016 October) aims to shine a spotlight on the latest developments in the maritime sector and engage people across the UK with the maritime world.

The Isles of Scilly Steamship Group’s Marine Superintendent Tom Weise said: “We were delighted to welcome both the local community and Scillonian III appreciation group on board and it was amazing to hear people’s stories.

“Being a part of the local community is important to us as a business. It’s what we do, delivering for Scilly.

“Maritime UK week is an important part of the maritime calendar; it is important that Cornwall and Isles of Scilly are represented as part of this, and this open day puts them on the map.”

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“ Thank you to you, the IOSSG and your professional staff for a really informative visit for our Year 9 students. Your staff were so helpful and knowledgeable of their specialisms and we thank you for your time and efforts. 55% of those who attended are now definitely considering marine careers, and 22% possibly – so thank you for helping to enlighten our students ” - Lindsay Masters, Careers

Leader, Mounts Bay Academy

I really enjoyed our trip to Scillonian because although it was fun, we also learned a lot about the boat - how it was made, when it was made, how many passengers it could hold at a time and the crew. It was a brilliant experience and I’m very happy I went. After talking to one of the engineering officers on board I’m really interested in it and considering becoming one myself. Safe to say I won’t forget the trip to Scillonian.”Amelia, Year 9, Mounts Bay Academy

Scillonian III open day Feedback & comments

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Just would like to share the biggest thank you to everyone involved with the “behind the scenes” visit we were treated to today. It was amazing to visit parts of Scillonian III we would never get to otherwise see. From the galley to the crew quarters, the bridge to the container hold, we were shown all around. The engine room was particularly fascinating! A very special thank you to Zoe and Tom and to Sam, who gave us a very informative tour and insight. ” - Linda Himsworth “ A big thank you to Second Engineer Sam and crew for the wonderful, behind the scenes tour of the fabulous Scillonian III. So informative, we were very impressed how every eventuality appears to be covered and how beautifully clean the engine room and ship is kept. ”

“ Thank you to everyone on the ship for the, (for me), very nostalgic tour of Scillonian III, and for looking after her so well.” - Charlie Cartwright

- Beryl Langsworthy

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“ Thank you Tom, Connor and the crew of Scillonian III for a very informative visit behind the scenes this afternoon. Very impressed - looking forward to our next sailing in early 2023. ” - Janet Hibberd

“ What a brilliant day we had yesterday when we were lucky enough to have a behind the scenes tour of Scillonian III. Special thanks to Sam who is clearly very passionate about his job. The engine room was particularly interesting, it’s immaculate and obviously very well maintained. My dad, Henry Taylor, who worked for the company for 50 years and ran the engineering workshop on St Mary’s would have been so pleased to know she’s in such good hands. No wonder she’s still running after 45 years.”

- Sally Mashford

I enjoyed learning about the careers available in the maritime industry ”- Dan, Year 9, Mounts Bay Academy

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Thank you to everyone involved in today’s tour it was very informative and interesting! Thoroughly enjoyed it! ”

- Mags Matthew

New mezzanine level at Island Carriers

The new mezzanine floor at Island Carriers has been completed and is now in use. This development was funded by Voucher Scheme funding via the Council of the Isles of Scilly. It is a mezzanine platform with four separate storage unit stalls underneath, which offers increased storage capacity to customers. It is already full and in constant use for storage. Island Carriers is already receiving revenue from customers such as South West Water by storing goods and equipment. There is a new 20ft chilled unit and freezer on site, which will help with storing goods over busy periods such as gig weekend and bank holidays.

Island Carriers has also received funding for a baler and polybox baler, which will not only help to reduce the amount of residual waste within the business, but also creates a recycling facility for the islands.

“ It’s been an exciting time at Island Carriers. We are delighted to be expanding the business, adding to our green credentials and assisting our customers with extra facilities. ”

Jeanette Ware - Manager