Off the southwest of England, the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group (ISSG) has been enjoying the landing utility vessel (LUV) Gugh for over half a year now, writes Jehan Ashmore.
The LUV forms the Steamship Group’s freight quartet with the vessel name of Gugh, which made its debut last summer. It continues to deliver goods, notably its first Valentine's Day deliveries along with supplies from Penzance to the enchanting Isles of Scilly, located 28 miles off the Cornish coast.
The craft was tracked today operating within the scenic archipelago, where also the group's RIB Swift Lady is also the official dedicated post-boat.
Gugh's open deck is capable of handling 2.5 tonnes per m² (50 in total) and is where deck-mounted cranes are fitted to handle cargo handling operations in addition to the use of the bow’s vehicle ramp.
The 22m vessel, according to the ISSG, is an echo of the group’s former freight vessel of the same name, which for three decades served as the inter-island launch between 1961 and 1991. However, the new craft has been made with care by Coastal Workboats, Exeter, in neighbouring Devon, with the design specifications of the LUV 2208 from the renowned international shipbuilder, Damen.
This small yet sturdy vessel has been faithfully serving its mission, transporting a broad range of cargoes: laundry containers, wastepackers, skips, cars, lorries, a digger, and a cherry picker.
On its inaugural sailing last year, Afloat noted the day before the summer solstice, its first freight load consisted of building supplies and a boat, and in the first month, it transported 121.15 tonnes of cargo that included materials for a care facility building site.
Gugh is also licensed to carry up to 12 passengers, likewise of the much larger veteran Gry Maritha. The new landing craft is also versatile, given that, unlike the rest of the fleet, freight can be transported directly to shore and almost anywhere on any island.
The new build is the fourth freight-specific vessel of the ISSG fleet, working with previously mentioned Swift Lady and Lyonesse Lady on services from Hugh Town, St. Mary’s the largest island, to the off-islands of Bryher, St. Agnes, St. Martin’s, and Tresco.
While the main cargo vessel, Gry Maritha, which operates on the Penzance to Scilly route, is joined by the seasonally operated passenger freight ferry Scillonian III, which this week departed Penzance Dry-Dock following completion of its annual dry-docking with an extensive maintenance programme. Works also included a full repaint before the veteran vessel built in 1977 resumes its first sailing of the year on 17 March.
The introduction of Gugh represents part of the steamship group's new vessel replacement project, which last year saw the signing of contracts for the construction of two new builds. They are a passenger ferry to be named Scillonian IV and a freight vessel, both to enter service in 2026.
The Gry Maritha is to be replaced by the new freight vessel, which will be named Menawethan, after one of the 12 uninhabited Eastern Isles. It’s private financing provided by a long-term partner to ISSG, Lombard, part of NatWest Group.
