Ferry - RMS Scillonian III - Isle of Scilly, postcard by Photo Precision c.1970s

• • Postcard

     

  • Picture / Image:  RMS Scillonoan III - built 1977 - [the ferry to Scilly]
  • Publisher: Photo Precision Ltd, St Ives [Cambs]
  • Postally used: no
  • Stamp:  n/a
  • Postmark(s): n/a
  • Sent to:  n/a
  • Notes / condition: 

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Text from the free encyclopedia WIKIPEDIA may appear below to give a little background information (internal links may not  work) :

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RMV Scillonian III is a passenger ship based at Penzance in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, run by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company. She operates the principal ferry service to the Isles of Scilly and is one of only three ships in the world still carrying the status of Royal Mail Ship (hence RMV – Royal Mail Vessel).

RMV Scillonian III was purpose built for the Steamship Company by Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd of Appledore in Devon and was christened by H.R.H. Prince Charles, Duke of Cornwall on 17 May 1977[3] 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 to St Mary's.[4] 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 in 1956).[5]

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 (28.06 km/h). Due to the number of tidal currents which meet off Land's End, and the need for a shallow draught to allow access to the Islands, the sea journey can be rough, causing sea sickness. For this reason the ship is fitted with a "Flume" antiroll stabiliser system. The ship is also designed to have a shallow draft and can sit on the seabed when there is insufficient water.[6]

Scillonian III is currently in service for passengers and cargo 8 months of the year, carrying up to 485 passengers (the current licensed limit)[6] 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 and St Mary's – often photographed by tourists and also featured in the BBC series, An Island Parish.

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 three new generators and a new bow thruster fitted. The cost was £1.7 million.[4] In early 2007, press reports indicated that Cornwall County Council was expected to approve 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.[7] The scheme subsequently collapsed.[8]

During the winter of 2012–13 the ship underwent a £2 million overhaul which refurbished the passenger accommodation and also extended the ship's service life to 2018.[6] The ship's 40th anniversary was in May 2017 and during that time she has made more than 9,000 return journeys, travelled more than 648,000 nautical miles (1,200,000 km) and carried more than 1,458,000 passengers.[9]

Schedule

From new in 1977 Scillonian III operated a year-round route through all weather conditions to service the cargo and passenger transport to and from Penzance and the island of St. Mary's, in the Isles of Scilly. At that time she would run a regular single daily service on weekdays leaving at 0915 from Penzance and then returning to Penzance from St. Mary's leaving at 1530. On Saturdays she was scheduled to run a double service leaving earlier in the morning and making a quick turnaround at lunchtime in St. Mary's and then performing a second return voyage in the afternoon. In 1990 it was decided to change the service and only run a seasonal operation. The Isles of Scilly Steamship Company Ltd. later purchased a smaller cargo vessel purely for freight and Scillonian III was put into maintenance and repair during the winter months.

Scillonian III now runs between Penzance and Hugh Town, St. Mary's for about eight months only, from early spring (March/April) until autumn (October/November).[2][10][11] 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 Gry Maritha.[12] The annual winter period is used to carry out a maintenance programme, during which Scillonian III is painted and undergoes technical inspections as well as surveys for passenger vessel certification by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.[13] The ferry's season thus largely coincides with the tourist season on the Isles of Scilly,[14] which normally runs from Easter to the first weekend in October. The ferry is in fact so closely associated 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."[11]

During her months of operation, Scillonian III follows a regular schedule. The ferry normally sails six days a week from Monday to Saturday,[2] 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.[11] This is the vessel's standard schedule, which only sees occasional variations on Saturdays.[15] On most days, when Scillonian III sails from the UK mainland at 09:15 am, she will stay in Hugh Town until 16:30 pm.[16]

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.[16] 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, 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).

Scillonian III is part of the emergency response and civil contingency for incidents occurring on the Isles of Scilly.