From Ivan Rowe, Marine Design Engineer
Oct. 2008

When Will Common Sense Prevail?

As a resident of Penzance it is very concerning to read and see the proposals set out by the Route Partnership and the Isles of Scilly Link with regards to the much talked about new harbour development and a proposed replacement passenger/freight ship.

One of the easiest things to do in this life is to quite simply spend someone else’s money. That is precisely what Hyder Consulting Engineers and the Route Partnership Organisations have done. Of course the ratepayers will as usual foot the bills. With the world in financial turmoil including a reputed £5 million plus of Cornwall County Council’s investments lost in the collapse of an Icelandic Bank, then the powers that be would be wise to forget about this development or put this whole project on hold for the foreseeable future at least.

It is not necessary to expand the area between the lighthouse pier and the battery rocks either now or in the future.

Firstly, it is a recognised fact that reclamation of the sea does quite often, divert tidal flows which can lead to erosion and the deposition of mud, silt, aggregate and seaweed in other nearby places. Is this something that we would welcome in an area such as the battery rocks?

Secondly, feasibility studies in the past have shown that a larger or faster ship will not necessarily convey more passengers to Scilly. The majority of those that do travel to the Islands simply stay seated for the duration of the passage and just can’t wait to get off at the other end - this is a known fact.

The Scillies have also become so expensive that the majority of people now cannot afford the fares and the high cost of spending their leisure time on the Islands. So will passenger numbers ever increase to justify a bigger ship and a new terminal? The answer is simply no.

With reference to the much talked about replacement of the present Scillonian, may I first say that I was involved with the design of the present ship which was built at Appledore in 1977 at a cost of around £1.75million.

More recently, I personally prepared a working specification on behalf of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company for the Scillonian’s major refit at Devonport in 1998. It was during this refit that replacement steelwork to the hull and other major structures was carried out.

With many other technical, including safety improvements implemented; this resulted in the vessel being issued with a Lloyd’s certificate which in effect meant that she was equivalent to that of a ship being 5 years old. A replacement Scillonian of equivalent size today would cost probably in the region of £35 - 40 million - that is if it was possible to find a reputable shipbuilder in Western Europe that was prepared to undertake the work.

My own personal opinion is that the present Scillonian is capable of plying these waters for another twelve years. Yes twelve. The twin Mirrlees Blackstone engines and the ten year old Volvo generators will I’m sure, continue to give good service for many more years. Meanwhile, I would suggest that when the time comes in the very near future, it would be wise to spend funds (if there are still any available) on replacing the Gry Maritha with a freight vessel of equivalent size, but about 10 years old. It would still be prudent to continue to lay-up the Scillonian between the months of November through until March.

A former Steamship Company employee Charlie Cartwright, once the Company’s managing director and a chartered accountant; who also specialised in analyising marine systems, had in addition to these skills, a vast knowledge of naval architecture and marine engineering. He (apart from making the decision to once paint the Scillonian blue) spoke a lot of common sense and I am reiterating much of what this learned man has said in the past. Unfortunately no one listened to him.

In conclusion, changes can be a good thing but sometimes so called improvements are not. But to unnecessarily make changes especially to the detriment of the environment, is in my opinion foolish and something the residents of Penzance and indeed Penwith, may live to regret. It seems that those people who are responsible for this latest proposed development and who have already spent huge sums of money, are driven on by the same motives that have ultimately caused the collapse of our economy.

Ivan Rowe, Marine Design Engineer

Scillonian III - Good For 12 More Years