Merchant Navy Day
We asked a variety of our seafarers about their experience working in the marine industry.
Chris Lingham
Find out about a typical day for our New Vessels Project Manager in Vietnam.
In August, we celebrated 40 years of our very own airline.
Welcome to the autumn issue of Delivering for Scilly magazine, full of the latest Group news. It has been a busy, eventful and, at times, challenging year so far. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you, as always, for your continued commitment.
Read some of our latest customer feedback we have received over on pages 8 and 9.
Head to page 10 to find out how we helped Steven Webb with his Cornwall 500 challenge for charity.
On 1st August and 20th September 2024
Land’s End Airport welcomed Adventure 001, which hosted its annual scenic charity helicopter flights from the airport. The pleasure flights raise money for Cornwall Air Ambulance, with all proceeds going directly to the charity.
On August 1st as many as 20 flights took off, transporting 78 passengers, with a further 18 flights, carrying 66 passengers, carried out on 20th September.
The flights ranged from a five-minute helicopter experience to a 30-minute route, with each one covering different viewpoints depending on the length of time – with some flying past Sennen beach and Land’s End Airport and others flying past the Minack Theatre, St Michael’s Mount and St Ives.
Isles of Scilly Steamship Company Limited, Hugh Town, St Mary’s, Isles Of Scilly TR21 0LJ
Delivering for Scilly is produced by Isles of Scilly Steamship Group inhouse communications team.
Turn to page 20 to discover how we made 12-year-old Harry's dream come true over the summer.
Find out on page 22 what Barrie Brown thought when he saw Scillonian III engines in action, 48 years after he helped design them.
Over the course of the summer, Adventure 001 has donated an impressive £50,000 to Cornwall Air Ambulance from its summer programme, which Land’s End Airport has been a core part of.
Thanking the Steamship Group, the team at Cornwall Air Ambulance said: “On behalf of everyone at the charity, I’d like to pass on my sincere thanks and heart-felt gratitude for your support and involvement with these events that have culminated in this incredible and truly lifesaving donation.”
T +44 (0) 1736 334240
marketing@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk Editor Marketing Team
With grateful thanks to all team members who’ve helped contribute articles and photos. Opinions expressed are the authors’ and not necessarily those of the company. Whilst every effort is made to ensure total accuracy Isles of Scilly Steamship Group cannot be help responsible for any errors or omissions within this magazine.
On Wednesday, 9th October we held our 104th AGM at On the Quay, St Mary’s, which was attended by around 50 people both in person and online, and was followed by a community update event on our vessel replacement project.
We would like to thank everyone involved in the preparation, communications, and delivery on the day. It was all handled professionally and with exceptional care. The feedback from attendees of both events has been excellent.
Congratulations to Emily Bliss, our new Deputy Chief Skybus Pilot; two of our new fire crew at Land’s End Airport, Jenny Defriez and Toby Pharoah-Green, who successfully passed their Teeside training courses and Air Traffic Controller Simon Crumley who passed his Met Focal Refresher course in September.
As part of our commitment to continual improvement, earlier this year we introduced customer surveys to passengers seven days after the completion of their journey, in order to capture feedback and benchmark our services.
We are delighted to say the results so far have been excellent.
Customer surveys will be continuing to capture important feedback and to ensure we don’t lose sight of our People Focus and Excellence values.
We thank all our employees for their efforts so far this season and for their attention to detail in delivering this.
The latest results, for the last three months, show:
88% of passengers rated our overall service as “excellent” or “pretty good”
95% of passengers rated our communications prior to travel on Scillonian III as 4/5 or 5/5
92% of passengers rated our communications prior to travel on Skybus as 4/5 or 5/5
We have already had a lot of interest in the Christmas parties, and spcaes are filling up quickly. Please RSVP as soon as you can to avoid disappointment. Scan the QR code to open the mainland RSVP form.
At the very end of August, Scillonian III experienced an unexpected mechanical issue requiring her to operate with reduced engine power until the issue was resolved. Journeys took longer than expected, resulting in day trips being cancelled. The disruption lasted for four days.
Despite our best efforts, things don’t always go to plan. But what this situation did highlight was how we dealt with it – and the exceptional teamwork that followed.
We’d like to give a special mention to our passenger relations team in Penzance and St Mary’s, as well as our finance department, who
worked tirelessly to contact all passengers who were affected, and of course to the crew of Scillonian III and quay hands in Penzance and St Mary’s, for their dedication and hard work during this time.
Transparency is one of our key Group values. We strive to be open and honest in our communication, earning trust by explaining our decisions clearly, and did our utmost to keep both passengers and staff regularly informed with the latest updates during this time.
Our approach in dealing with the matter has received a great deal of praise from affected passengers. Here is a selection of the feedback we received:
Lovely day yesterday. A little longer journey back but it was really pleasant as it was calm - lots of happy friendly people on board and the staff were friendly and helpful too!
She’s a senior darling who always tries her best and works so hard. She’ll be back to fighting fit in no time, give her a break, she’s awesome!
No apology needed. You have kept everyone informed and you didn't miss a sailing, getting residents and holidaymakers to and from the islands. A huge well done to your team and the entire crew. See you a week today! ����
Four-hour cruise on that lovely ship, any time for me.
It was lovely on Monday! As someone said, it is what it is! Saw dolphins! Great cafe, nice coffee! Lovely sandwich! All good ��
Still does what she does best. Gets everyone there safe.
Excellence
Thank you guys for getting us home today on the ship. David and Ian in the Travel Centre were so helpful – and also empathetic, which counts for a lot. All the staff on the ship were as helpful and friendly as ever, too.
Huge thanks to Debbie for making the process of embarking on this morning’s Scillonian III so calm. You don’t know how much that helped.
We had three tickets booked for a day trip to St Mary’s on Sunday 1st September. Early in the morning I received an email and text stating that the day tickets were cancelled due to engine problems. We drove over from our home in Falmouth, to plead to be allowed to travel as we planned to scatter my ex-partner’s ashes off St Mary’s, as per his wishes. We were extremely pleased to be allowed to travel as planned. We asked if it would be possible to scatter the ashes from the stern as we entered St Mary’s harbour. This was agreed by the Captain and it was arranged to be done when we were at Peninnis Head. The Chief Officer duly carried this out while we watched, we were given a certificate stating the details and co-ordinates, signed by both the Chief Officer and the Captain (who was at school with my husband!). We cannot thank everyone enough for making our trip such a memorable experience. All of the crew were amazing - Gail the purser plus Jenny and Isaac in the cafe were exceptional in their care of us.
Yesterday we travelled on Scillonian for a day trip. We had such an amazing day and were wondering if you could pass our thanks on to the Captain who spotted a fin whale and chatted to us about it and what he’d seen. It was such an incredible experience we are very grateful to him for also pointing out tuna too. It made our day.
Thank you for your phone call this morning to check that I had realised that I had booked a short trip today and a refund for the trip I had booked in error. Your customer service is excellent, and I will not hesitate to book with you in future.
I wanted to write for two reasons. To thank all of the staff at Land’s End Airport (particularly the chap on check-in) who tried to help my son to travel this afternoon. Oliver has autism and although he has flown before, had some concerns which we had tried to address - it would appear not entirely successfully! The lady who transferred us to Scillonian was kind, as was the driver who took us to our hotel. I also wanted to offer the most humble apology to your staff and the passengers whose journey we delayed. Please accept my apologies and gratitude. You are a canny bunch of folk.
Thank you so much for providing the information concerning our re-arranged flight on 4th July. I can't believe how quickly you sourced this for us. So prompt and efficient! Thank you once more and we hope to fly with Skybus again soon.
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.
We were a party of three, booked to fly to St Mary's on Friday 5th July and return to Land’s End on Friday 19th July. Due to poor weather on both dates, we were transferred to Scillonian III. We have travelled to Scilly many times via Skybus and this was the first time we have experienced weather disruption. I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved for their help regarding the transfer from Skybus to Scillonian. It was seamless and we were kept updated at all times. Although it wasn't the way we wished to travel, we were glad to have the option meaning our holiday plans and journey home were not too disrupted. We appreciate bad weather causes major issues, making it an extremely busy period for Isles of Scilly Travel, however nothing was too much trouble for the staff and everyone was so helpful, professional and kind. Thank you and we look forward to travelling with Isles of Scilly Travel again.
I travelled on Scillonian recently for a week’s holiday, thank you for the friendly excellent service throughout.
My grandchildren will be pleased as I'd promised to take them out for the day. Once again, thank you very much. Superb service and fantastic customer relations.
I was speaking with my grandson, Nick Standley, recently, and he was so full of enthusiasm about the week he spent with you on work experience that I had to write and thank you for giving these young people such a thorough and interesting insight into the world of work. It was obviously a fun week, but they learned so much that they could never get from school. A big thank you to the company for providing this opportunity for local young people and a big thank you to all involved for giving of your time.
I just wanted to send a quick e-mail to thank you and everyone involved in supporting our volunteers to visit and aid us in our work. I hope you can forward this to the right team members if you felt they'd like to see it. Annabelle, Steve, Rob and Chris were full of praise about everyone they came into contact with at Penzance, on the ship and at St Mary's. They spoke highly of the freight teams on either side and the staff they witnessed helping passengers during the boarding, the crossing and disembarkation. All of the group were grateful to be able to be on deck for the duration, too. I know you all used a lot of your time at the busiest time of year, and we are all very grateful at the Trust for your help and time.
A big thank you to the team at Land’s End Airport who helped us get our flight to St Mary’s yesterday, after we were delayed getting to the airport by the road closure in Penzance. We really appreciate the kindness and flexibility of the team!
In September, former Truro mayor Steven Webb took a day trip on board Scillonian III as part of a 500-mile journey around Cornwall in his electric wheelchair to raise funds for Cornwall Air Ambulance.
Steven, who was left tetraplegic following a diving accident when he was 18-years-old, thanked the crew “for literally moving heaven and earth” to get him to the Isles of Scilly as part of the charity challenge.
He said: “We can not thank Isles of Scilly Travel enough for their support and assistance. Every member of staff, whatever their role, were simply amazing.”
Up until the day before he travelled, Steven and his team believed it would be unfeasible for him to make the journey in his electric wheelchair, but with a little extra effort we came together to make it happen.
Steven said: “As someone who has lived in Cornwall all my life, I had never ventured to the Isles of Scilly until now. Being paralysed, I was a little anxious about the journey, particularly about boarding Scillonian III. For some reason, I thought it would be a somewhat difficult adventure. However, it turned out to be the opposite - a seamless and enjoyable day.
“From the moment I arrived, the crew made boarding and disembarking effortless. I have to thank the whole crew for their help and understanding of my situation. Their assistance transformed what could have been a stressful experience into a truly memorable one.
“While the weather was on our side, making the crossing smooth, it was the kindness and professionalism of the team that truly stood out. The islands themselves felt like a calm and peaceful mini version of Cornwall, with all the best bits in one place. Even though my visit was brief, I got to see most of the island on a flying tour.
“This journey has opened up a new place for day trips that I previously thought inaccessible. It's wonderful to welcome the Isles of Scilly to the Cornwall 500, as they are very much a part of Cornwall. It became very clear how cherished the Cornwall Air Ambulance is by the islanders and visitors. It's an incredibly important resource for them to be within 28 minutes of a service that can deliver more than just a paramedic.”
Stuart Reid, Chief Executive of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group, said: “We are proud to have played a small part in Steven’s epic journey around the county and are delighted he made it across to St Mary’s.
“Making our services accessible to all is extremely important to us. We will do everything we can to assist anyone travelling with us, by sea or air, who needs a little extra help.”
The airline launched on August 9th 1984 when we began offering an alternative to ferry travel to the islands.
Since then, Skybus has carried more than two million passengers and thousands of tonnes of freight to the islands.
Stuart Reid said: “Over the past four decades Skybus has become an integral part of island life, and one we are exceptionally proud of. It’s no exaggeration to say that it is a lifeline to the islands.
“Skybus has outlasted more than 50 other UK airlines which have come and gone over the same period, which is no mean feat.
“We are very grateful to the whole Skybus team for their dedication and hard work over the past 40 years, and of course to the thousands of passengers who fly with us each year.”
Skybus launched with just one 8-seater BrittenNorman Islander and has expanded to a fleet of seven aircraft – four DH6 Twin Otters and three Britten-Norman Islanders.
It carries in excess of 70,000 passengers annually from Land’s End, Newquay and Exeter airports to the Isles of Scilly. Skybus has been flying from Newquay and Exeter for more than 30 years and is Newquay’s longest serving airline.
Skybus also transports approximately one tonne of freight per day including urgent medical supplies.
The airline employs over 50 skilled local people consisting of pilots, aircraft engineers, operational and ground handing staff.
It is often hailed as “real flying”, where passengers meet their pilot and watch them at work.
Building work on our new passenger and freight vessels is now well underway. Scillonian IV and the new freight vessel are being built alongside each other in Vietnam and remain on track for delivery in 2026. The ships are being constructed to ISSG’s detailed specifications, by Piriou’s expert teams of engineers and fabricators.
The build is being overseen in Vietnam by ISSG project managers, Chris Lingham and Peter Broad, who have relocated to Vietnam for the duration of the build. Here, we speak to Chris and find out what a typical day looks like for him in Ho Chi Minh City.
Can you tell us about where you live?
I live in a comfortable two-bedroom apartment on the 22nd floor of a complex in District 7. It’s perfect as it’s a residential area just 8.5km from the shipyard. Ho Chi Minh has a population of 12 million and is split up into 24 districts. There are lots of expats living in the area of my apartment, about 80% of which are Korean; it’s packed with
shops, bars and restaurants.
Within a five-minute walk there are a huge variety of restaurants, including Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, American and Italian – like any major city. In the evenings, families are outside in the communal areas, with kids on bikes & scooters, playing badminton, etc. It’s got a lovely feel to it.
What is your daily routine?
My commute is minimum 20 minutes, and depending on traffic can be at least double that. I use an app called Grab, which is like Uber, to order a taxi. Sometimes it’s a car and
sometimes a motorbike, if I can’t get a car. Road discipline is unusual with vehicles, particularly mopeds, weaving in, around and cutting in front of each other. The traffic is typically moving at up to 25km/ hr so it doesn’t feel particularly dangerous.
I start work at 8am and finish anywhere between 5pm and 6.30pm, five or six days a week depending on work
commitments. After work, I often use one of the four gyms in my apartment complex. Keeping fit is important as the job can be physically demanding – I’m often climbing around in tight spaces conducting quality inspections.
In the evenings I generally go out to eat, have a walk and deal with some work emails.
I’ve become pretty cautious with what I eat here, especially when it comes to street food, after a few stomach upsets. So, I tend to play it safe and buy a sandwich for lunch, but I love spicy Asian food like tom yum soup. I’ve recently discovered a really good Indian restaurant within district 7, too.
What does a typical day involve at the shipyard?
The yard operates from 7.30am to 4.30pm on a five day, then six day, rotation. So, they work every other Saturday. Having said that, to push ahead with
our extremely tight schedule, quite a few of the work force have been working 7-day weeks and evening overtime.
Our site office is fabricated from 2 x 40ft shipping containers, welded together and outfitted to provide a very comfortable environment for us to work. It looks out over the building dock, where I can currently see two of the passenger vessel units under construction, and has views of the Nha Be River. It’s just Peter and me in the office currently, although our team will increase, later in the project. The yard is a military facility owned by the Vietnamese
government with one building dock, a synchrolift numerous construction workshops and several outfitting berths. To walk around, it is comparable in size to A&P Falmouth.
It’s pretty hot outside, typical low 30’s, so we wear cargo trousers and polo shirts designed for hot climates, whilst in the office. Out in the yard we wear boiler suits and normal PPE. A typical day involves routine inspections and meetings, plan approval work, a daily walk around the yard, inspecting the quality of workmanship and how the project is progressing. Vessels are constructed as individual
blocks or units as they are referred to at this yard. These blocks are then integrated together in the building dock, manoeuvred by the 240-ton gantry crane that spans the building dock and dock-side.
Days are varied, but today I’ve done some plan approval, had a 3D detailed design meeting with Design Project Leader and done an initial inspection of unit six of the passenger vessel together with the welding supervisor. This week, units four and five are being integrated with unit 3 of the cargo vessel; once the units are lifted into place the steel workers proceed
to trim the excess steel, aligning the units together and preparing for welding. This week has also included vacuum box testing on butt welds of the bottom shell plate, and reviewing x-ray slides for some of the critical welds.
Are there any challenges?
It’s constantly very hot and humid – and it’s rainy season – which can be challenging. Climbing around to do inspections of the units is very tough due to the small, cramped spaces and the heat.
We are six hours ahead of Europe which impacts our ability to stay in contact. Most
meetings with the teams in the UK and Europe are early morning, and staying in contact with family and friends is at the weekends only due to the time difference.
Due to the tight schedule here, work is all encompassing and it’s very busy. I am familiar with working abroad though, having spent 30 years of my career working all over the world, both on ships at sea and with periods ashore, as site team with a previous new build and a vessel conversion.
I am very impressed with the standard of workmanship and the work ethic of the staff at the yard. I have found the Vietnamese people lovely to work with and live amongst and I am not surprised to hear that the crime rate in Ho Chi Minh City is very low.
Can you tell us anything else about your time in Vietnam?
All in all, expat life is very interesting. There isn’t a lot of spare time, but I have managed to explore the city a bit, including the zoo & botanical gardens, Buddhist temples, shopping malls and the humbling War Remnants Museum. When I had a bit of
leave, I visited Vung Tau for a couple of days, which is a seaside resort a two hour drive away. During my visit I climbed the statue of Christ the King, situated at the top of a hill, a climb of 831 steps to the base and a further 133 once inside. The statue is similar to Christ the Redeemer in Rio but 2 metres taller.
I’ve learned about 40 words of Vietnamese since I moved here in June, which helps with things like giving directions to a taxi driver and communicating with shop staff. Getting the pronunciation right is tricky, as there are lots of tonal variations – which I can’t even hear!
We are delighted to announce our new freight vessel will be named Menawethan, after one of the 12 uninhabited Eastern Isles.
Menawethan will replace Gry Maritha in 2026 and will continue the extremely important work of delivering freight to and from the Isles of Scilly.
The islands bring to mind exquisite natural beauty, history and wildlife, and we wanted a name that encapsulates these elements.
Three names were then put to the island community to vote, with Menawethan coming out on top.
Menawethan is home to seals and seabirds
and is a favourite spot for kayakers, divers and wildlife spotters. It is a steep sided island, known in Cornish as Men an Wedhen, meaning the tree stone.
Stuart Reid said: “We’d like to say thank you to the Isles of Scilly community in helping us name our new freight vessel. Such an important vessel to the islands deserves a name chosen by islanders, and I can’t think of a more fitting name than Menawethan.
“We can’t wait to welcome both Menawethan and Scillonian IV into service in 2026.”
In August we opened a new warehouse in Hayle to provide a modern and secure solution for the consolidation, sorting and storage of goods destined to and from the Isles of Scilly.
The latest venture from Isles of Scilly Freight, which has created two new jobs.
We check and organise deliveries into islandspecific pallets and containers, ready for daily shipping on the Scillonian III during her operational season, and the Gry Maritha yearround.
Our warehouse, at North Quay, accommodates a wide range of goods. For customers needing to ship multiple items, our container loading service offers a convenient solution, allowing us to store parcels until all deliveries have arrived and are ready for shipment.
We also offer secure storage options for goods destined for the Isles of Scilly, ensuring flexibility and peace of mind for any logistical needs.
The new storage facility will be open on Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 4.30pm and goods will be accepted at any time between these hours.
For more information visit www.islesofscillyfreight.co.uk
To mark Merchant Navy Day in September, we asked a variety of our seafarers about their experience of working within the marine industry.
From engineers and deck officers to captains and support staff, we are immensely proud of all our seafarers who continue to serve our communities and deliver for the Isles of Scilly.
Arthur has just completed a two-year apprenticeship with Isles of Scilly Steamship Group, working as a workboat crew member apprentice which has provided Arthur with a strong base knowledge for his role and setting the professional standards that are expected for the industry.
Speaking of his role, he said: “I have great job satisfaction in this role as providing for the off- islands, a place that I used to holiday on as a kid, with a lifeline service is simply unparalleled. I am also grateful for the skills that have been provided by my ongoing apprenticeship to help make this possible. I have the Group to thank for that.”
Scillonian III Master
David Redgrave has been an integral part of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group since 2003, when he joined as mate/master for Gry Maritha and progressed to master in 2006. In 2010, David switched from Gry Maritha to Scillonian III and has been master of our passenger vessel for 14 years and counting.
Speaking of his time working for ISSG, he said: “After all these years I still love being at work on a ship. What really makes it for me is the camaraderie with my fellow seafarers, the challenges and variation that comes with no two days being the same, problem solving and the ability to build on my experiences and skills. The joy of being out at sea and experiencing the everchanging scenery is something I savour.”
Prior to working for ISSG, David, at just age 17, started his marine career as a deckhand at Crescent Shipping until he gained a first certificate of competency and a second mate placement. Through self-funding, David continued to work hard to attain higher certificates of competency until achieving his master’s certificate of competency. He then worked for Falmouth Oil Services for 15 years – starting as a mate and progressing to a mate/master. This career growth gave him the confidence to take on new challenges and end up working as the much-loved master on Scillonian III.
Jono Jackman joined the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group in 2006 as a steward on Scillonian III where he developed an interest in engineering. The chief engineer at the time, Ramsay Haxton, encouraged Jono’s interest and put him in contact with Maersk to work as a cadet on Emma Maersk.
Leaving ISSG to start his cadetship with Maersk in 2007, he then qualified as an engineer in 2010 where he sailed on large anchor handlers working in the Falkland Islands, West Africa and Brazil where he stayed for several years before moving on.
Jono left Maersk Supply during the 2015/16 downturn of the oil industry and eventually began working at the British Antarctic Survey. After a year at BAS he was offered the chance to join the new build project RRS Sir David Attenborough (SDA).
In July 2023 Jono left the Sir David Attenborough and British Antarctic Survey to take up a position with ISSG on Gry Maritha – back where it all began.
Jono said: “I’m hugely privileged with the career I have had; it has shown me so much of the world that I would not have otherwise seen. It is a career where you get to fix things and use your mind and your hands. I love my career path.”
12-year-old Harry Clark’s dream became reality this summer when he took to the skies above his home in the cockpit of a Skybus plane.
Harry, who lives near St Mary’s Airport on the Isles of Scilly, is obsessed with aviation and dreams of becoming a Skybus pilot one day.
On August 20th, he was given the chance to fly in the cockpit of a Skybus Islander during a freighter flight and watch Chief Pilot Ben Woodward at work.
They flew from St Mary’s to Land’s End Airport, where Harry was met by his dad Dale, and the pair were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the airport.
As he stepped off the plane, a beaming Harry
said: “That was so much fun!”
Dale said: “This has been a dream of Harry’s for such a long time. When we get home, he won’t stop talking about it. Thank you so much – it has been amazing to see behind-the-scenes of everything that goes on and all the work that happens here.”
In 2020, Harry wrote a letter to Stuart Reid asking to see inside the cockpit of Skybus. We’ve been working hard to make his dream come true, ensuring his safety was our top priority.
Originally planned to take place in late May, yet postponed to August due to weather conditions, Harry finally flew off his home island in the Skybus cockpit and it was a touching moment for all involved.
In September students from Falmouth Marine School were welcomed on board Scillonian III to learn more about the ship as part of their induction to their Professional Super Yacht Engineer course.
The group got the chance to visit the bridge and meet Captain Victoria Bolitho, where she and the first officer gave the students a tour and explanation of the bridge. This was followed by a trip to the engine room, an experience that was invaluable to the students who are studying engineering.
Martin Peart, who attended the trip with the students, said: “Many thanks for arranging the trip with us and also to the weather for being so considerate; we all had a wonderful day and were well looked after; all of the
crew on-board were very professional in dealing with your customers.”
We would like to thank everyone who took part in organising and being a part of this event that has been both an informative
On Friday 11th October, passenger Barrie Brown got the chance to see Scillonian III’s engines in action - 48 years after being a part of the team who originally draughted and designed them.
Barrie began his draughtsman career in 1966 at Blackstones as an apprentice, where he eventually trained as a draughtsman and worked on the engines for Scillonian III.
Working in the applications drawing office at the time, Barrie draughted drawings for the installation, including the engine’s layout, details, and connections in 1976.
He said: “I remember thinking at the time that it would be great to take a trip one day but never imagined it would be 48 years later.”
Barrie booked a trip on board Scillonian III and
asked if he could see the engines, which he was able to visit once he arrived on St Mary’s.
Speaking of his visit to the engine room, he added: “What a great treat. The staff on the ferry were so helpful, and I must mention Chief Engineer Chris Henderson and his engine room crew who not only showed me the engine room but also let me start up the engines, which bought back memories of my time in the Blackstones test shop as an apprentice.
“I would also like to thank the purser who took time out of her busy schedule to take me to the bridge to meet the Captain.
“It is a real credit to the Company that they should take the trouble and time to make a request like mine become a reality.”
Just a few times a year you can walk the normally ocean covered sand bar between Tresco and Bryher. We follow photographer Nick Walker as he took photos of this unique event for the marketing team to use in next year's campaign.
Early Years, Council of the Isles of Scilly 10 September at 16:18
From boarding to disembarking, our Scillonian experience today was above and beyond all of our wildest dreams.
The crew who make every single passage as comfortable for their passengers as possible, embraced our request for a "Sing-a-long" and it was clear to see how much they were all enjoying being a part of something very special.
Brendan here. When we moved to Bryher in the late 90's our eldest lad, Ben aged about 8, flew for the first time on Skybus & decided he was going to be a pilot. Forward a number of years & he is now a Captain flying the 737! ������
16 September at 16:22
This week saw another successful survey for our team of ORCA Marine Mammal Surveyors on board the Isles of Scilly Travel Scillonian III, pictured here with Captain Victoria Bolitho ���� The team recorded common dolphins, tuna and a mauve stinger jellyfish during the crossing from Penzance to St Mary's. It is through these distance sampling surveys that ORCA are able to actively protect whales, dolphins, porpoises and their marine habitats. Spaces are still available on our next Marine Mammal Surveyor training course in October. Book today by visiting www.orca.org.uk/train ����
Congratulations to Skybus! Our favourite airline! Land's End and St Mary's are the ONLY airports we actually look forward to visiting! The staff are friendly and efficient and the cafes are excellent. In our 30+ years of flying Skybus we've only had to transfer to the Scillonian twice - the sea fog is fickle and Skybus does an amazing job of dealing with weather-related issues.
We don't think of the staff as "staff"! More like friends and family. I am guessing a lot of islanders and mainlanders agree. Many a tale we all could tell and many more memories to make. Thank you for all you do x
To all the members of the crew today, we cannot say a big enough "Thank You," everyone came away with the biggest smilest and happiest memories.
We will see you again next year Captain Victoria, if not before.
Thank you to all our families who shared this amazing experience and sang their little hearts out.
Enjoy the videos of all the wonderful singing��⛴�� Isles of Scilly Travel 29
I would like to say a massive thank you to Isles of Scilly Travel for looking after me and my support crew and getting us over to the Isles Of Scilly for the final leg of my Country Across The Country tour. Monday I will be cycling around the Scillies and finishing off with a show at the one and only Jack's Micro Bar on Monday evening on St Mary’s from 8:30pm - all for Cornwall Air Ambulance and the #heli2 appeal. Come along and show your support in style!
