A new ferry built in a shipyard in Vietnam for the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group’s passenger service, Scillonian IV, has carried out trials, writes Jehan Ashmore
The group's long-running ferry, Scillonian III, a veteran dating to 1977, operating its final season, is to be replaced by the newbuild constructed by the French Piriou group’s yard in Asia when it enters service next year.
As Afloat reported, the new freight ferry Menawethan, also built by the same yard, which was recently named, has replaced Gry Maritha on the Penzance, Cornwall-Isles of Scilly route.
Its passenger counterpart to be, Scillonian IV, headed downriver along the Nhà Bè from the yard in Ho Chi Minh City and entered the South China Sea last week for sea trials off the coast of Vung Tua.
Trials were carried out by staff from Piriou and their commissioning engineers, along with Lloyd's Register surveyors and representatives from the Steamship Group to verify compliance. These trials represented a step towards the vessel receiving class certification and validating performance.
Testing included assessments of the Scillonian IV's manoeuvring, and propulsion systems, including steering, main propulsion, bow thrusters, auxiliary electric propulsion, and electrical power generation from both diesel generators and power take-out from the main propulsion gearboxes.
In addition, the trials also evaluated maneuverability, endurance, and regulatory compliance, while further testing covered the vessel's dynamic fin stabilisers, anchoring system, rescue boat launch and recovery procedures, and noise and vibration levels.
A familiarisation process for Scillonian IV will commence by the group’s operator of the larger 600 passenger newbuild, which is just shy of a 25 percent increase in capacity of the almost 50-year-old ferry.
Since the vessel replacement programme began, the company has invested over £40m in the new passenger and cargo vessels to maintain lifeline links with the archipelago off south-west England.
