Hearts of Oak
Isles of
Scilly
The Penzance /
Isles of Scilly Mail Packets
[ 26th
March 1920 Isles of Scilly Steamship Company formed ]
1917- 1920 LAPWING ON 115771 ( Captain Neil McAlister )
A Chartered vessel, with a gun mounted aft..
Penzance was a WWI temporary Naval base, for repairs,
etc.,.
Steel screw steamer.
Built 1903 by Scott & Sons, Bowling
194 GRT
135.2ft L, 21.2ft B, 9.4ft D.
Compound ( two cyl) steam engine and one single ended
boiler supplied by Hutson & Sons , Glasgow
One deck
Owners : MacBrayne & Co
Port of Registration : Glasgow.
Glasgow
Herald, newspaper writes
"
..........This year ( 1903) ornithological names were
revived when
the new screw steamer LAPWING entered
service .
She is
utilitarian without any of the gilt apparent in the
older vessels
and reputed to be economical but hardy"
1903 She took over from STAFFA on the islands run from
Oban.
1917. January.
Ran aground at Oban. Insurance was paid out in full and she became the
property of the Underwriters. Sold to Clyde Cargo Steamers Ltd she was
reconditioned and converted into a cargo only vessel. One mast was removed and
independent cranes were fitted fore and aft in place of the original derrick on
the forward mast. After approximately six weeks service for her new owners she
was requisitioned by the Government and placed on the mail run Penzance/Scilly
Isles.
( 5th February 1920 - PENINNIS came into
service on the Isles of Scilly ).
1920 February Moved to Plymouth/Channel Islands for nine
months.
1920 December LAPWING Returned to tramp cargo work from
the Clyde.
She is reported to have had a severe accident, arriving
at Strachur Pier ( Loch Fynne ) and damaging both herself and the pier, gaining
herself the title “Accursed ship”, whilst en route from Inverary to Glasgow.
1926 Renamed
COWAL Same owners.
1932. Broken up at Troon
( Lloyds
Register, Lloyds List, "Royal Road to the Isles" Ian McRorie,
"Clyde
River and Other Steamers", and thanks to John D Stevenson )
~~~~~oo~~oo~~~~~
1920 PENINNIS steamer built Paisley, formerly ARGUS
The Isles of
Scilly Steamship Co.; Ltd's first ship, was originally the "ARGUS", a
Fishery Protection Vessel and was purchased from the Admiralty Disposals for
£8,000. Following the necessary alterations at a cost of £5,000 she was renamed
"PENINNIS" and came into service when the Company received its
Certificate of Incorporation, giving the right to commence business (dated 27th
March, 1920)
ARGUS Steel screw steamer,
Built by Bow McLachlan Co Ltd., Paisley.
Launched as Yard No 173; 6th
December 1904 for Coast Guard Service .
Handed over March 1905.
224 GRT. 130.0ft L, 23.2ft B, 11.5ft D.
Triple expansion steam engine and one single ended boiler operating at
180lbs/sqin pressure supplied by the shipbuilders.
65RHP (650IHP), Design speed 12.5K.
Bunkers 55 tons
One deck.
Owners : Royal Navy. C 75
Shipbuilders Archive lists her as a "store ship" ,
"Janes" of 1914 has her as a "Coastguard
Cruiser"
1917 ARGON January Royal Navy.
1914/18. Examination vessel Borehaven
1920 PENINNIS ON 144466. 5th February. Isles of Scilly
S.S. Co., Ltd.
( E.N.V Moyle, managers)
The official registered owner of PENINNIS in 1921 Mercantile Navy List (ie
at 31/12/1920) was William H Ward of Woodford, Essex.
Port of Reg Scilly. Cost to buy £8000 plus £6000 to
refit.
Sold 5 February 1920 and renamed Peninnis (British
Warships 1914-19 - Dittmar & Colledge).
Vessel now 380 tons, 130 x 23 x 9ft
fitted with triple expansion producing 600 ihp giving
12 knots and armed with 2 x 6pdr's.
This information corresponds with that given in Ships of
the Royal Navy An Historical Index Volume 1: Major Ships (Colledge).
Commenced service 25th March 1920.
1926. February 1926 PENINNIS was sold to Alderney Steam Packet Co and
renamed RIDUNA.
1931 Sold for Break-up at Plymouth.
From Loyds
Register of Shipping, "Janes"
1912/14/19 ,
Ditmar & Colledge, Shipyard Archive, Glasgow newspapers
~~~~~~~~o~o~~~~~~~~~
There was an
earlier SCILLONIAN on the far side of the world
SCILLONIAN Schooner
New Zealand
37
tons built at Williamstown Victoria in 1863, lost
after
sailing from Napier on June 25th 1867 bound for
Christchurch. Captain Thorburn in command.
~~~~~~~~o~o~~~~~~~~~
1926 SCILLONIAN
First purpose built ship for the route;
Read F McFarland’s poem
“Her First Voyage”
and
“Her Arrival at Scilly”
Was to be named Queen of the Isles, but that name was
already in registered use.
The much more appropriate and succinct name of SCILLONIAN
was chosen.
Built 1926 Ailsa
Shipbuilding Co Ltd in Troon Nr 396
Steel Screw Propulsion
429 gross ton 179 ton net
170 ft 7 ins length
28 ft 7 in breadth
10 ft 8 in depth
triple expansion 3 cylinders
12 knots
400 day passengers
15000 cu ft cargo 215 ton dead weight
She was lively on the water, Captain McAlister soon got
the feel of her capabilities.
She could carry a maximum of three hundred and ninety
passengers
and served the Islands for 30 years.
170ft 325t ( Captained by Neil McAlister and Joe Reseigh
).
Grounded twice in fog.
R.M.S "Scillonian" also served as troop carrier
WWII;
40,000 troop movements being recorded
1956 Renamed Peninnis; sold off and broken up at Ghent
June 1957
During 1924
the Directors began considering the purchase of a larger ship and at an
Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders on the 16th June, 1925, the
Directors were empowered to place the order with Ailsa Shipbuilding Co; Ltd. In
order to keep their yard open during the slump this work was undertaken at
cost, the contract price was £24,500. She was launched and named
"SCILLONIAN" by Mrs. A.A. Dorrien-Smith on 17th November, 1925 and
made her first trip to Scilly on the 25th January, 1926, sheltering on the way
( at Belfast and Kingstown ) due to bad weather. At 429 gross tons she was
considered, by some, as too big and unsuitable for our seas, however she proved
to be a wonderful sea boat and a tremendous improvement.
11th
January 1950 The Times
Known to many
holiday-makers, the Royal Mail ship Scillonian of 435 tons, which for the last
24 years has been employed in a regular service between Penzance and the Scilly Isles is to be replaced by a bigger
and faster vessel. Her captain, Captain J. Reseigh holds the M.B.E. for his
long command of the ship,
which is the
islands’ chief link with the mainland.
26th
April 1954 The Times
The Isles of
Scilly Steamship Company have ordered from John I Thorneycroft & Co., Ltd.
of Southampton, a passenger and cargo vessel to operate between Penzance and
the Isles of Scilly. The new ship which will replace the Scillonian, in service
since 1926, will be about 900 tons gross.
~~~~~~~~o~o~~~~~~~~~
1956 SCILLONIAN II steamer built Southampton Thorneycroft
1956; 920t 15knots.
~~~~~~~~o~o~~~~~~~~~
QUEEN OF THE ISLES, O N 6501783
Built 1964 Albion Boatyard, Bristol by Charles Hill &
Son's Ltd.
Could take 300 passengers and 60 ton's load,
Launched by HRH Duchess of Gloucester 16th
November 1964
Handed over after her trials in April 1965.
Length 156 ft 3 ins. 30 ft W x 9ft 6ins draught ; 515
tons gross; 214 t net
Two 6 cyl. Ruston
Hornsby diesels 1.146 shp., twin screws, speed 13 knots.
Planned to operate as a support ship for the SCILLONIAN (
II ).
The seas between the mainland and the Islands proved to
be too much for her and it soon became apparent that she was not a viable
solution to their needs.
1966 Laid up.
1967 On charter to
the
Mersey Docks Board,
1968 Chartered to P&A Campbell which had acquired the
L&NWSSCo.
1970 Operated for Norwest Hovercraft between Douglas IOM
and Fleetwood.
1970 Sold to the British Government, and subsequently
given to Tonga.
1971 She sailed via Panama Canal to Tonga where she was
renamed OLOVAHA for the Tonga Shipping Agency, Nuku’alofa.
She operated within the Tongan group with the occasional
voyage to Fiji.
1977 She sailed from Tongatapu ( largest of the Tonga
Islands ) heading for the Ha’pai group, a distance of 100 km, an 8 hour voyage.
Leaving port, she was listing alarmingly. After a few hours, the engines
stopped, she was taking in water, baling operations were undertaken, as she was
taking in water badly, and the bilge pump was not working. One of the engines
was re-started and the voyage continued to Vava’u. Reaching Tofua, the engine
shuddered to a halt and the ship drifted. The radio was not working, there were
only two lifeboats. The ship listed even more, the wind and waves were rising.
The Tongan Navy at Pangai had recorded her as missing and so had sent a ship to
find the OLOVAHA, but with no radio communication this would have been
difficult to say the least. A Tongan freighter came upon them by chance, and the
300 passengers were rescued in very high seas, several metres high. The OLOVAHA
sank in shallow waters and was later salvaged.
1980 Sold to G.L.Wright at Tonga. The same year sold by
G.L.Wright, Tonga, to Trans Tours Gray Line - Morgan Shipping Corporation, New Zealand. Arrived at Whangarei on
27 December 1980 as OLOVAHA, towed by the tug PACIFIC SALVOR.
1982 She underwent an overhaul, refit and a long lay-up
at Whangarei.
Renamed GULF EXPLORER.
Tonnage now given:
529 gross; Length 47.78; Width 9.17; Depth 2.89 metres.
Hired by Trans Tours, New Zealand, for 84 passengers, for
short cruises around the Hauraki Gulf, but this was unsuccessful.
1985 Operated gambling cruises out of Whangarei, until
2nd/3rd August 1986. She was arrested with several large debts and was sold to
an Australian company.
1987 Renamed QUEEN OF THE ISLES, she entered service on 4
October 1987, reported Queensland for Barrier reef work; Operating 7 day
cruises out of Cairns.
1994 Renamed ISLAND PRINCESS by unspecified owners in
Australia.
1996 Sold by unspecified Australian owners to Western
Development Corp., Solomon Islands and renamed WESTERN QUEEN.
1997 Stranded on the beach at Honiara, Solomon Islands.
Owners : Malaita Shipping Company.
Marine News 1983/317. 1996/676.
Merchant Ships World Built Vol. XIV 1966.
New Zealand Ships Illustrated 1988-1989.
Navicula. Marine News 2004/566
Thanks to Auke Palmhof ( Ships on Stamps Database )
for further information 1987, 1994 & 1996
~~~~~~~~o~o~~~~~~~~~
R.M.V. SCILLONIAN III – Our Current Vessel.
Built Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd. in 1977
Named by H.R.H. Prince Charles, Duke of Cornwall 17th
May, 1977.
68 metres Length; 11.25m Width; 2.98m Depth
Weight 1255.25 tonnes
Cargo 100 tonnes
Passengers 600
Engines : 2 x Mirrlees Blackstone ESL 8 Diesels : 1200
BHP each.
Electrical Generators giving 375kW
Speed 15.5 knots
1.8m Bronze propellers : 1,000 revs per mile.
Bow propeller / thruster : In a tube for manoeuvring and
docking.
The purchase
of Scillonian III in 1977 left the Company with financial burdens
which were
resolved when the Government agreed to make a substantial loan.
In 1998, faced
with the immense cost of building a new ship,
the Company
formed a contract with Devonport Dockyard
which gave
Scillonian III a major refit at a cost £1,700,000.
On Saturday 27 March, the refitted RMV SCILLONIAN III re-entered
service. The SCILLONIAN III regained its buff funnel carried until 1992 when it
was replaced by a blue/white funnel with house flag logo and for 1992, the hull
was also painted blue. SCILLONIAN III's deck life raft and gangway cranes were
buff again. The open deck plastic seats were replaced with wooden seating. The
galley was moved to the lower passenger deck, which was considered to offer
less roll in rough seas. The old galley kiosk was replaced by a full shop. The
bar was refurbished with new seating and tables and wooden bar with brass trim.
New bow thrusters and generators were fitted.
Plans are
still on the table for a new ship, at 20 knots this would bring the voyage down
to less than 2 hours, allowing more than the one trip per day. These plans are,
of necessity, dependant upon the facilities at Penzance harbour being greatly
enhanced. These enhancements are dependant upon European Funding being made
available.
~~~~~~~~o~o~~~~~~~~~
Mention should be made, to close this page, of the
GRY MARITHA
Purchased in 1989
She was a Norwegian coastal ship ( pronounced “Gree
Mareeta” ).
This is a highly manoeuvrable ship
37.6 m long, breadth 9.82 m and depth 3.63 m,
590 BRT
Cargo on two decks, with a fuel bunker, and cold stores.
As well as a limited capacity for passengers.
List
mainly compiled from one made
by
my great grandfather Archibald Thompson
and
continued ( up to the first Scillonian )
by
my grandfather Francis Orlando Thompson
of
St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly
My
Thanks for
The
kind help of the Captain and Crew of the ship, Mariners-L;
Thanks
too for material and help from
Chris
Marrow ( of the Syllingar )
and
Mike Tedstone
for
his kind permission to use his article
“The
Ship with Five Lives”
as
well as The Isles of Scilly Steamship Company,
Roger
Banfield and the Isles of Scilly Museum
Other
material from
West
Country Passenger Steamers by Grahame Farr
Raymond
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