isles of scilly steamship company industry passenger transportation freight transportation founded 1920 headquarters penzance cornwall key people rob goldsmith ceo andrew may chairman website www.islesofscilly travel.co.uk scillonian iii as seen from the air halfway between st mary s and penzance the steamship company s coat of arms as displayed on scillonian iii s bow the steamship company flag for a while also painted on scillonian iii s funnel the isles of scilly steamship company issc operates the principal shipping service from penzance in the english county of cornwall to the isles of scilly located 28 miles 45 km to the southwest . it provides a year round cargo service together with a seasonal passenger service in summer . the name of the company s principal ferry the scillonian iii is perhaps better known than that of the company itself . the company is based in the isles of scilly travel centre penzance . 1 it also owns isles of scilly skybus ltd an operator of fixed wing aircraft services to the isles of scilly and sight seeing flights . 2 in 2010 the company had close to 1 000 shareholders around half of whom live on the isles of scilly . 3 due to the isles of scilly s remote location the shipping service is often called a life line for the archipelago . 4 in addition to passengers 12 000 to 14 000 tonnes of cargo are normally carried by scillonian iii and gry maritha every year . 4 contents 1 history 2 fleet 2.1 currently in service 2.2 former issc vessels 3 services 4 future 5 references 6 external links history edit from 1858 services were provided by the scilly isles steam navigation company which was replaced in 1870 by the west cornwall steam ship company . this was wound up in 1907 and the services operated by john banfield until 1917 . for the rest of the first world war the services were operated by government vessels . at the end of the war a transport vacuum arose when the ministry of shipping withdrew the wartime service between st mary s and penzance . 5 on 26 march 1920 the current isles of scilly steamship company was founded with 20 000 equivalent to 720 000 in 2015 6 raised by selling shares mostly in the isles of scilly . the company was formed with the express purpose of securing a regular shipping service between the islands and the mainland . 5 it came into service when the company received its certificate of incorporation giving the right to commence business dated 27 march 1920 . 7 initially services were operated by the peninnis ex hms argus which the company purchased from the admiralty disposals for 8 000 equivalent to 290 000 in 2015 . 6 7 8 following the necessary alterations at a cost of 5 000 equivalent to 180 000 in 2015 6 7 this former fishery protection vessel served as the company s ship from 1920 until 1927 but it soon became clear that a purpose built new steamer was required . 5 during 1924 the directors of the steamship company began considering the purchase of a larger ship and at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders on 16 june 1925 the directors were empowered to place the order with ailsa shipbuilding company ltd of troon scotland . in order to keep their yard open during the economic slump this work was undertaken at cost the contract price was 24 500 equivalent to 1 260 000 in 2015 . 6 the new ferry built to carry 400 passengers and cargo was launched on 17 november 1925 and named scillonian by mrs. a.a. dorrien smith of tresco abbey . 7 at 11 pm on 25 january 1926 she completed her maiden voyage from troon and docked at st mary s. she made her first time tabled commercial trip from on thursday 2 february 1926 from st. mary s to penzance . it took her three and a quarter hours . 5 scillonian was grounded in the st marys annet area on 10 september 1951 9 but refloated the next day and kept in service until 1956 . following this ship scillonian ii entered into service in 1956 purpose built for the steamship company by john i. thornycroft & company of woolston southampton at a cost of 250 000 and was in service until 1977 . a second ship operated for a while named queen of the isles . at approx 500 tons she was smaller than scillonian ii and was used to augment the larger ship at busy times . she was also used to run charter services to the islands from other ports . on her sale she went to operate an inter island service in the pacific . the present scillonian iii was also purpose built for the steamship company and entered into service in may 1977 . scillonian iii is the third passenger ship of this name and currently in service for passengers and cargo 8 months of the year . due to the number of tidal currents which meet off lands end and the need for a shallow draught to allow access to the islands the sea journey to scilly can be rough . for this reason scillonian iii was fitted with a flume antiroll stabilizer system . on 1 september 2009 the steamship company took over the lease to operate and manage penzance dry dock . established in 1834 it is one of the uk s longest established dry docks and provides facilities for vessels requiring repair and conversion . it takes in 15 to 20 ships a year . 10 at the agm in september 2010 the following corporate figures were published during the previous fiscal year steamship company craft had carried 73 000 passengers to scilly by air and sea . this accounted for 61.4 % of the total passenger market on the route between scilly and the mainland . skybus ltd had a market share to 50.2 % of all passengers flying to st mary s. 3 in may 2011 the steamship company acquired nike engineering of the porthmellon industrial estate on st mary s which provides marine and mechanical engineering services to the isles of scilly . 11 in february 2015 the steamship company acquired island carriers also of the porthmellon industrial estate which provides haulage and courier services on the island . 12 fleet edit currently in service edit gry maritha in penzance harbour scillonian iii passenger and cargo vessel . purpose built in 1977 by appledore shipbuilders ltd devon . refitted in 2013 . gry maritha cargo vessel . built in norway acquired in 1989 . mali rose cargo vessel . built in norway in 1992 . acquired in 2016 . 13 lyonesse lady inter island launch . purpose built in 1991 by lochabar marine ltd. to replace mv gugh see below . swift lady inter island rib . purpose built in 2004 by redbay boats northern ireland . island lady cargo vessel . built in 1986 as a mod tank landing craft acquired by the issc in 2007 . is 90 ft long with a 22 ft beam and capable of carrying 100 tonnes of cargo . ivor b at new grimsby harbour tresco former issc vessels edit rms peninnis operated by the issc 1920 1927 . mv ganilly operated by the issc 1923 1932 . built in 1923 by h w dockyard plymouth . sold to coast lines ltd in 1932 and scrapped in 1937 . 14 ss gugh operated by the issc 1923 1951 . built in 1910 by philip and sons formerly the steamer dart . converted to diesel in 1927 . wrecked in 1951 . ss scillonian operated by the issc 1926 1956 . ss advance ss endeavour mv endeavour mv nornour tsmv lady of the isles operated by the issc 1947 1952 . sold to a french owner . gondolier operated by the issc 1967 . lyonesse operated by the issc 1967 . golden spray iii operated by the issc 1947 1968 . now operated by the st. mary s boatman s association . mv kittern operated by the issc 1949 . built in 1944 by fox and son ipswich . an ex royal navy motor launch . mv tean operated by the issc 1953 . an ex royal navy motor launch built at bangor in 1941 . 14 tsmv scillonian ii operated by the issc 1956 1977 . mv gugh operated by the issc 1961 1991 . an ex royal navy motor launch built at rowhedge . formerly mv fervent . was replaced by the current lyonesse lady . tsmv queen of the isles operated by the issc 1964 1966 . ivor b cargo vessel . acquired by the issc in 2010 formerly guedel and in french service formerly serving islands off the coast of brittany . is 32 metres long and capable of carrying around 280 tonnes of cargo . named after the late ivor bone a building contractor manager during the construction of the new five islands school . sold in 2012 and subsequently renamed evora . 4 services edit scillonian iii operates a return service from march to november monday to saturday and sundays during july august 2015 . she departs penzance at 9.15 am and returns from st. mary s at 16.30 pm although these times may differ on certain dates due to tidal conditions school holidays and other events . the sailing time is approximately 2 hours 45 minutes . during the winter when scillonian iii is out of service a cargo only service is provided by gry maritha . 15 future edit in early 2007 press reports indicated that cornwall county council was expected to approved plans for the construction of a new roll on roll off replacement ferry at a cost of 17.5 million . this vessel would be leased to the isles of scilly steamship company and would replace both scillonian iii and gry maritha . 15 references edit contact us . isles of scilly steamship company . retrieved on 5 july 2010 . https www.islesofscilly travel.co.uk scenic flights a b record results for ios steamship 26 august 2010 a b c media release by deborah clark associates on behalf of isles of scilly steamship company 14 june 2010 a b c d rms scillonian iii take a look above and below decks on the islands beloved steamer in the islander life on the isles of scilly spring 2009 pp. 30 34 a b c d uk cpi inflation numbers based on data available from gregory clark 2016 the annual rpi and average earnings for britain 1209 to present new series measuringworth . a b c d scillonian iii back in service after 1 700 000 refit in scilly up to date issue 120 april 1999 accessed 2011 08 16 ships monthly volume 10 1975 gives an acquisition price of 10 000 equivalent to 360 000 in 2015 holiday ship on the rocks . portsmouth evening news . british newspaper archive . 10 september 1951 . retrieved 2 october 2016 via british newspaper archive . subscription required help . steamship company takes dry dock lease 17 september 2009 steamship acquisition 26 may 2011 steamship co. isles of steamship group purchases island carriers scilly s steamship company announces replacement for gry maritha freight ship . scilly today . isles of scilly . 18 may 2016 . retrieved 21 may 2016 . a b farr graham 1967 . west country passenger steamers . prescot lancashire t. stephenson & sons . p. 158 . a b plummer russell february 2007 . ferry news . ships monthly . ipc country & leisure media . p. 6 . external links edit cornwall portal nautical portal companies portal isles of scilly travel scillonian iii v t e isles of scilly inhabited islands st mary s st agnes and gugh bryher tresco st martin s uninhabited islands annet