Delivering for Scilly | Issue 20 | March 2026

Delivering for Scilly

A milestone year for ISSG

Honouring our past as we welcome the next generation of vessels.

New vessels

Read about Luke Parnell and Tom Sexton’s trip to the Vietnam shipyard.

Skybus Engineering

Meet the newest members of the Skybus Engineering team.

Delivering for Scilly

Welcome to the latest issue of Delivering for Scilly magazine, full of the latest news from the Group. With an exciting year ahead, we’re delighted to bring you the first issue for 2026. As ever, we would like to say a huge thank you for your continued dedication and commitment to the Group.

Read about Luke Parnell and Tom Sexton’s trip to the Vietnam shipyard on pages 6-9.

Head to pages 10-11 to read about our newest Skybus Engineers.

Learn about some of our celebratory plans for this milestone year on pages 14-15.

On pages 22-23 we talk to St Mary’s Quay Manager, Ben Jenkins.

Updates from Land's End Airport

Daily passenger and freight operations are only part of what keeps Land’s End Airport (LEQ) moving. Behind the scenes, the teams are constantly expanding their skills and strengthening their expertise.

Since 2018, 120 ISSG employees have completed first aid training thanks to Crew Manager Ken Thomas who holds a First Aid Instructors qualification and has been instrumental in supporting employee development.

Congratulations to Jono Stephens who has been invited to join the Airport Fire Officers Association (AFOA) committee. The AFOA is a professional organisation dedicated to supporting and advancing the interests of airport fire officers and fire services within the UK and Ireland. This invitation is a fantastic recognition of Jono’s commitment to aviation safety, professional standards, knowledge sharing and operational excellence within the aviation fire and rescue sector.

Isles of Scilly Steamship Company Limited, Hugh Town, St Mary’s, Isles Of Scilly TR21 0LJ

Delivering for Scilly is produced by Isles of Scilly Steamship Group in-house communications team.

Airport Assistant, Roger Harvey, has begun his training as an Air Traffic Engineer. This highly specialised role involves maintaining crucial safety-critical systems such as aeronautical radios, sophisticated communication and control systems and software as well as installing and integrating new technologies. Air Traffic Engineers play a vital role in keeping the skies safe, overseeing routine maintenance servicing, technical support and fault rectification of a wide range of electrical, electromechanical, electronic, and airfield (AGL and ATE) systems and infrastructure within the airport.

Sam Wright, Air Traffic Control Officer, has completed a Wildlife Hazard Management course at Heathrow Airport, gaining insights into bird strike risks and other measures that help keep LEQ operating safely.

T +44 (0) 1736 334240

marketing@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk Editor Marketing Team

With grateful thanks to all team members who’ve helped contribute articles and photos. Opinions expressed are the authors’ and not necessarily those of the company. Whilst every effort is made to ensure total accuracy Isles of Scilly Steamship Group cannot be help responsible for any errors or omissions within this magazine.

Steamship Group passengers raise £200,000 for charity

More than £200,000 has been donated to charity thanks to the generosity of passengers using our voluntary donation scheme.

Since 2019, passengers travelling on Scillonian III or Skybus have chosen to donate between £5 and £25 when booking their journey, supporting Cornwall Air Ambulance, Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust and The Island Haven.

In 2025 alone, passengers donated £41,885, helping to strengthen essential services across the islands and wider region. The £200,000 milestone has been achieved thanks to the simple optional feature embedded in the online booking system, allowing travellers to easily add a contribution.

Connecting with the wider travel industry

Members of the marketing team are on the road this spring representing Isles of Scilly Travel and Skybus at events across the UK.

Chief Executive Stuart Reid, said: “Raising £200,000 is an incredible achievement and a testament to the kindness and generosity of the people who travel with us. What may feel like a small donation at the checkout has added up to a substantial amount that is making a real difference to our chosen charities. This initiative highlights the strong community spirit of our customers, who value the opportunity to give something back. We can’t thank them enough for helping us reach this landmark figure.”

Group Marketing Manager, Sharon Sandercock, and Zoe Bourdeaux, attended the IMM TravMedia summit in London, where they connected with leading journalists and travel influencers. These conversations help us broaden our audience reach, strengthen Scilly’s national profile and inspire future press coverage.

Members of the team will also travel to Birmingham for the

British Tourism and Travel Show to engage with tour operators and group travel specialists. This will be a valuable opportunity to showcase our offering, build new relationships and explore opportunities for future group bookings to the Isles of Scilly.

These events play a vital role in growing awareness and partnerships to ensure the Isles of Scilly remain firmly on the travel map.

Preparing for a milestone year

2026 marks an extraordinary year for the Group with three major milestones shaping the months ahead: the arrival of Menawethan, the departure of Gry Maritha and Scillonian III’s final season in service.

To mark this moment in our history, the marketing team is coordinating a series of campaigns and celebrations.

As Scillonian III enters her final year of service, a commemorative campaign will celebrate her heritage while we prepare for a new chapter with Scillonian IV.

Working alongside islanders, as well as past and present crew members, we will gather stories and memories to reflect her nearly 50 years of service.

Launch activities will include:

• Capturing and celebrating the start of her final season

• Onboard photo walls

• “Final salute” to Scillonian

• Videos across social channels

• A commemorative merchandise range including partnerships with a brewery, local artists, a clothing retailer and more

• A month-long celebration to mark the end of her final season

• An end of service blessing

Farewell to Gry Maritha

Welcoming Menawethan

With Menawethan’s arrival from Vietnam approaching, preparations are underway to bid a fitting farewell to Gry Maritha and welcome our newest member to the fleet.

A series of features, blogs, interviews and film content will capture memories from past and present crew members, islanders and others who have been part of Gry Maritha’s long-standing legacy – read more about her history on page 14-15.

Activities planned to mark Menawethan’s arrival include:

• Tours for stakeholders, the maritime community, community representatives, board members and employees in Penzance and the Isles of Scilly

• A sail-by of each island during her sea trials

• An official naming ceremony in July

Menawethan in motion: Behind the scenes in Vietnam

As we prepare to welcome Menawethan, Technical Superintendent Luke Parnell and Gry Maritha Master Tom Sexton journeyed to Ho Chi Minh City in January to take part in the ship’s sea trials and begin hands on familiarisation ahead of her arrival to the UK.

It was an opportunity to witness years of planning, design and collaboration brought to life on the water. From stepping aboard for the first time to watching Menawethan carve through open sea swells, their trip offered an early glimpse of what this new vessel will bring to the lifeline freight service between the mainland and the Isles of Scilly.

Tom shares his thoughts from this important trip.

What was it like observing Menawethan at sea for the first time?

The first thing that was really striking from stepping onto Menawethan for the first time to doing sea trials in some reasonable swells was the quality of the build. I've never been on a ship so well built. The quality of the workmanship is second to none and it just shines with quality. Having been very involved with the design it was really reassuring to step on board and really feel that this ship is going to deliver on providing a service to Scilly for years to come. The wheelhouse and accommodation were beautifully fitted out and quiet at sea even when we were going full speed. It's going to be a great place to work.

Chris Lingham, New Vessel Project Manager, said:

“It was great to have Tom and Luke out at the yard to see the progress first hand and provide valuable insight with aspects for both vessels. Menawethan is a great ship and I am immensely proud of all of the team at Piriou France and Vietnam, and the many stakeholders that have contributed to the success of this project.

“It is extremely satisfying to see the culmination of years of work through the design and building process, reach this stage, and to see her performing so well during sea trials. Menawethan is specifically designed to provide service for the Isles of Scilly, based on a century of experience from ISSG, together with consultations with many islanders, and I am certain that she will not only deliver for the islands for many years to come but will be held in affection by those that work and travel on her.”

Was there anything about her handling, layout or bridge systems that stood out?

The vessel performed really well - it's so much more powerful than the Gry that I think handling it is going to be a breeze, the conning position on the bridge wing has great visibility and all the controls there are really ergonomic. We're so used to the antiquated equipment and bridge that I've been with for eight years now that it was a bit of a shock stepping into the modern wheelhouse but it really is a scaled down big ship!

How were the sea trials? Were there any moments during the trials that felt especially significant?

I was with the drone pilot whilst he was getting some footage and seeing the ship from the sky, it just looks amazing! The actual trials were a great success - we have to do certain manoeuvres like speed tests and turning circles and she performed so well. It's going to be really useful having that bit of extra speed on our tide dictated run.

What are you most excited for when Menawethan joins the fleet?

Once we get over the initial hurdles of getting the Menawethan onto the run, I think it's going to be a really special place to work. We always have an amazing team on Gry Maritha and I think they really deserve a quality bit of kit to do their jobs with. Menawethan is just that. All the problems with the Gry that we work around daily have been designed out of this new ship so the operation should be much smoother.

What do you think islanders and local businesses will appreciate most once she’s in service?

I think the passenger lounge is going to be an absolute game changer for the islanders. It's a really nice space, the chairs are really comfy, and the motion of the vessel is going to be so much better than the Gry – this is a real alternative to flying in the winter. It's going to be so much more reliable and I hope it takes the stress out of travel to and from the mainland for the locals.

“Scillonian IV passenger ferry, in the dry dock. They have nearly finished all the underwater work, and you can see the black lines being painted around the windows. It's going to look amazing!”

“Paint inspection in a void space on Scillonian IV. This is me helping Chris and Peter out on one of their many inspections ensuring that all the surfaces are properly coated. The red-ish coat is a primer and the silver coat is called a stripe coat which just ensures that after being sprayed, all the edges and tucked away surfaces get an extra coat of paint.”

“Part of the reason for the trip was familiarising ourselves with the vessels for a smooth handover when they get back to Europe. This is Luke and I looking over a technical drawing of the bunker manifold system.”

Technical Superintendent, Luke Parnell, reflects on the visit:

“This was my second visit to the shipyard it was great to see the enormous progress that the yard has made in a few months with Menawethan now afloat and painted, and equipment like the crane being used to operate the vessel. The contrast from construction project mid-build to a sea-worthy vessel with all the vital systems operational in such a short time frame was highly impressive.

“Menawethan is much like a Tonka Toy, with capabilities above her apparent size, with both speed and cargo capacity exceeding expectations, and the integration of modern hydraulic power systems from a

“Chris Lingham, New Vessel Project Manager (middle), Luke (left) and I (right) in the passenger lounge. You can see all the seats are covered, the windows are still covered as there is still painting and finishing off to do. The yard is really careful to cover everything to keep all the surfaces pristine for delivery.”

“This is the bridge wing manoeuvring console. I'm testing the steering controls here. You can see the bow thruster controllers, telegraphs and I'm touching the steering controls. You can see the visibility from up there is great. In the background is the yard where all the ship blocks were fabricated.”

“This is the best kind of Vietnamese hospitality! Chris took me out one evening to a street food restaurant where we had the most amazing chilli prawns, clams in a lemongrass broth and you can see in the picture some grilled frog. It's really interesting the French influence in Vietnam. They have amazing bread!”

local manufacturer here in Cornwall operating on the other side of the world, all on schedule and budget shows the skill of both designers and yard staff.

“The sea trials went really well with a low number of actions found, and with great success in the speed department. The most significant moment was proving how capable the Menawethan is by achieving an excellent speed despite pushing through a swell than was a multiple in size of the stated standard.

“Menawethan’s successful sea trials outshines previous projects with no inherent design issues discovered during a demanding day, and with continuous duty cycle marine engines operating without issue this is exactly what is needed for a hard-working cargo vessel for the Isles of Scilly.

“The highlight of the trip was the enormous smile on everyone’s faces at the end of the long but successful day of sea trials, from the local yard staff to my colleagues and Piriou designers.”

The launching of the Fast Rescue Craft (FRC) which had to be done with Menawethan at 7 knots to prove the capability to Lloyds Register (LR).

The anchor trials demonstrating to LR that they can be dropped under gravity, and proving that the windlass is capable of recovering them at a speed above a minimum regulatory value.

Leah Knowles and Lauren

Carne-Mead are the newest members of the Skybus engineering team at Land’s End Airport, where they are working as Aircraft Mechanics.

The best friends met in 2020 on their first day of basic training in the Royal Navy, where they served as Aircraft Engineering Technicians and maintained Merlin Mk 2 helicopters, often working side by side.

Lauren said: “We have been very lucky to be able to work together throughout our career in various places like Portsmouth and Culdrose, and we have been best friends since the day we met!”

Their roles in the Royal Navy

involved carrying out in depth maintenance, fully stripping aircraft back to the shell and rebuilding them. They rotated between areas such as fuel tanks, flying controls, engines, and gearboxes, all skills that translate to the varied work within Skybus Engineering.

When asked what first sparked their interest in working for the Group, Lauren said, “We wanted to carry on our careers within aviation outside of the military and getting the opportunity to become Aircraft Mechanics for Skybus was a perfect step into civil aviation.”

Leah added: “What stood out to us was the people and the team environment. It came across as a place where everyone supports each other and takes

pride in their work.”

As they settle into their new roles, Leah and Lauren have been involved with the ongoing maintenance programmes. “No two days are the same. We don’t have specialised areas; we all do a bit of everything!” said Lauren.

Outside of work, Lauren enjoys walking George, her Staffordshire bull terrier, with her partner, spending time with her family and playing football.

In Leah’s downtime she likes to read and go for walks on the beach with Bree, her miniature dachshund. Her favourite beach to visit is Gwithian.

We are thrilled to welcome Leah and Lauren to the Skybus Engineering team.

Welcome Leah Knowles and Lauren Carne-Mead

A wildlife season on board Scillonian III

Our ongoing partnership with the RSPB continued to deliver valuable conservation insight throughout the 2025 season.

Last year, RSPB survey teams joined 23 Scillonian III sailings between 26th March and 29th October, supporting another year of wildlife monitoring.

Alongside their survey work, the team guided passengers by highlighting notable seabirds and the many cetaceans spotted throughout the crossings. Their presence sparked frequent conversations with passengers about the wildlife of the Isles of Scilly, the surrounding seas, and the unique role Scillonian III plays in supporting long term monitoring.

This year saw 27,958 individual birds recorded, an increase on 2024’s total of 21,539, although species diversity fell from 60 to 49. Cetacean numbers held steady at 344 individuals across five species. Sightings again included grey seal and ocean sunfish, while blue fin tuna numbers dropped significantly to just four, despite stronger coastal reports.

The season started slowly, with numbers improving from July onwards as bait fish moved into local waters. The Manx shearwater was the most frequently observed species at 15,299 individuals, present on every crossing until October. Puffins were recorded on 11 sailings, often early or late in the season.

Cetaceans were seen on all but three sailings. Common dolphin remained the most frequently sighted species, though numbers fell alongside those of risso’s dolphin. In contrast, bottlenose dolphin and harbour porpoise numbers increased, with harbour porpoises appearing on 11 crossings and minke whales were recorded on nine sailings.

Paul St Pierre, RSPB’s Conservation Officer for the Southwest said: “2025 was yet again a productive season, sharing our passion for wildlife with the passengers and highlighting how they can help support the ongoing biosecurity work to protect seabirds on Scilly. The continuous recording of our wildlife gives us a valuable database to see how things are changing in the long term as well as giving us a snapshot of each year. This will prove particularly important as we try to assess the impacts of climate change and the devastating effects of Avian Flu on our vulnerable seabird populations and hopefully track a bounce back to their original numbers.

“We are deeply indebted to the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group for allowing us to use Scillonian III for this important work and all the support from their staff. We wholeheartedly offer them our thanks and look forward to our partnership with them in 2026.”

Inspiring the next generation

Tom Weise, Marine Superintendent and Jonathan Stephens, Deputy Airport Manager and Fire Services Manager, proudly represented the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group at the Cape Cornwall School careers event, engaging with local students and showcasing the diverse opportunities within our industry. They spoke with students about the range of

roles involved in keeping Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly connected.

From marine operations and aviation to logistics and customer service, the event was a fantastic opportunity to highlight the career pathways available within transport and essential services and to inspire the next generation to consider a future in these fields.

Alverton Primary School visit to Land's End Airport

On 12th March, pupils from Alverton Primary School visited Land's End Airport for the day. Parents of the children expressed their thanks for 'arranging such lovely experiences'.

Celebrating Gry Maritha: A lifeline for the Isles of Scilly

We will soon bid farewell to Gry Maritha as she makes way for our newest freight vessel, Menawethan - marking the end of an era and the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Isles of Scilly Freight and the Steamship Group. But before we look ahead, let’s step back to the early 1980s.

It’s 1981 and Raiders of the Lost Ark has hit cinema screens, Bucks Fizz win the Eurovision song contest for the UK, Prince Charles and Lady Diana announce their engagement… and in Norway, a 123ft-long freight vessel is launched — a vessel that would soon become a vital service to the people of the Isles of Scilly for more than 35 years.

From Nordic fjords to the Cornish sea

Built by Moen Slip in the Norwegian town of Kolvereid, Gry Maritha operated from the Port of Namsos in Trøndelag county from 1981 until 1989, until she was acquired by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group.

Gry Maritha’s first captain, Tor Sevaldsen, named her after his young daughter. Pronounced “Gree Mareeta,” the vessel was designed as a mini pallet carrier with her own six-tonne crane — perfect for the varied goods the Isles of Scilly needed.

A workhorse for the islands

For generations, Gry Maritha has been a lifeline for Scillonians, delivering everything from milk and machinery to building materials and Christmas trees. Through sunshine, rain and even a global pandemic, she has kept the islands connected to the mainland.

Since joining the Isles of Scilly Freight fleet, Gry Maritha has sailed around 400,000 miles, the equivalent of circling the earth 16 times or traveling to the moon and back – twice!

She has transported 542,000 tonnes of freight, the same weight as 90,000 London buses or 5,400 blue whales.

What did she carry?

Since her first voyage across the Celtic seas, the range of items transported has always been as varied as the community she served. An early price list offers a glimpse into the variety of goods shipped to the Isles of Scilly during Gry Maritha’s initial years of service, with some items not too dissimilar from what is still transported today.

• Sewing machines

• A box of flowers

• Potato crisps

• Video cassette recorders

• Pool tables

• Prams and pushchairs

• Eggs

• Typewriters

• Radios, stereos, tape recorders

• Gaming machines

• Fireworks

Daphne Chudleigh, who served as the Steamship Group’s Secretary for 35 years, wrote in her book ‘Bridge over Lyonesse’ that Gry Maritha brought “a new commercial edge to the service in the face of rising competition.” Sailing under the British flag, she was one of the few commercial ships added to the British register in 1989, crewed by local men steeped in Cornish seafaring tradition.

Paul Stevens, now retired, spent more than 185,000 miles on board the Gry Maritha and was Senior Master from 2010 to 2022.

He said: “The Gry, and her crew, are committed to the community on Scilly. It’s a big responsibility and it’s no exaggeration to say she is a lifeline to the islands, especially

in the winter.

“There have been a few memorable, stormy journeys – I remember one eight-hour passage in an easterly gale. The Gry has been through it all. She’s a real workhorse, built for the Norwegian fjords, and has been a reliable and loyal servant to the islands.”

Skybus update

It’s been a challenging start to the year for Skybus but thanks to the team’s hard work, we’ve still been able to achieve some great things.

Record level of bookings

• The number of flights booked to the Isles of Scilly this summer is at a record level, following the earlier-than-usual release of our 2026 schedule.

• Bookings for the Newquay-St Mary’s route are already higher than at this point in 2025.

• To safeguard customer journeys within the Group, Skybus also transferred more than 200 passengers to Scillonian III.

New hangar base

• Skybus now also has a new hangar and operating base at Cornwall Airport Newquay, following significant investment in services there.

Air freight

• In February, Skybus carried 24.5 tonnes of freight and mail.

Skybus Managing Director, Jonathan Hinkles reflects on other recent Skybus achievements:

“Our winter has, by and large, been driven by efforts to establish our new Alderney operation on behalf of Aurigny. And, with huge effort by everyone in Skybus, we have. Service reliability for Alderney’s population of 2,000 has improved, with flight cancellations for technical, crewing and operational reasons cut by 60% since we began flying in November. This winter’s ghastly weather means that customers might not have seen the full benefit of this performance, but it’s a strong start.”

Skybus is also nearing a major milestone as there has been strong progress on bringing additional Twin Otters into service.

Jonathan said: “We’re nearing the winning post of our fifth Twin Otter entering service, once an arduous process to certificate all of the new modifications including avionics, a simpler and lighter flight-deck fit-out and a new power supply has been completed by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. A sixth Twin Otter will be with us before long: the fact it has the very same next-generation modifications should make it far simpler and faster for it to take up service to deliver for Aurigny's customers.”

I used to live on the Scillies and know the value of a good service, something that Skybus does so well. I shall continue to follow via the website, Flightradar24 and also the Newquay to Gatwick operation plus Aurigny details, Skybus seems to be going from strength to strength, long may it continue.

Customer

Island Carriers showed real commitment during recent storms, adapting quickly to changing schedules and continuing to

Following Storm Goretti, Island Carriers went above and beyond to help the islands recover, assisting with clear-up work free of charge. This support was hugely appreciated by the local community.

I would like very much to thank the very hard-working employees of the Steamship Group. Their hard work in at times dangerous conditions to maintain a vital link with the mainland is in difficult and dangerous circumstances extraordinary devotion to not only the Isles but also the Steamship Group. The CEO is one lucky person to have such staff flying the company flag in this glorious manner.

Today we had contact with Jenny. I have taken the unusual step of composing this email in order to commend Jenny for her polite, friendly manner in resolving my concerns. Your company is fortunate to have staff such as this. We look forward to our flights!

Thank you very much for your flexibility and excellent customer service.

Went last weekend, excellent service ������

Our customers are at the heart delighted to share some of our recent A big thank you, as always, to all comments so commonplace.

Feedback

of everything we do and we’re recent comments with you here. our employees for making these commonplace.

The team’s willingness to help with storm recovery work, without charge, speaks volumes about their dedication to the islands and the people who live there.

Just to say how marvellous your chap at the desk, John, was. It was bad weather, heavy fog both at LEQ and IOS, and flights were delayed, delayed, delayed, cancelled, cancelled… He kept us all informed, found out our situations and offered sensible advice, found me some writing paper and somewhere to sit so that I could do some letter writing to use the time (much appreciated!) and kept everyone’s spirits up in circumstances that no one could control. He is an asset to the airport, and you are very lucky to have staff like him that make all the difference to a journey that can’t go to plan. He was just as charming, friendly and professional on our return flight. Left us with an excellent impression – well done John!

Ben is amazing and a great asset to St Mary’s Quay.

The crew are all heroes.

Jeanette is absolutely FANTASTIC. She is so helpful, friendly, and always goes above and beyond.

Thank you to all the guys that work on that quay in all weathers. Shifting goods at all hours. You all need medals.

Despite boat schedules being very changeable due to poor weather, Island Carriers kept us fully informed and did everything possible to minimise disruption. Their communication during difficult conditions was excellent.

Strengthening Island Carriers

Island Carriers Manager, Emma Squire, has received her Transport Manager Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) in Road Haulage (Goods Vehicles), adding to her existing skills and helping to strengthen Island Carriers’ operational capability.

The Transport Manager CPC is a legally recognised qualification and is essential for businesses operating goods vehicles under an operator’s licence. It ensures that transport operations are safe, compliant, financially sound and professionally managed. It underpins regulatory compliance and supports efficient, responsible transport operations.

The course covers a range of topics including:

• operator licensing and compliance;

• vehicle weights, loading, and road safety;

• financial management and cost control;

• business and company law;

• environmental and operational responsibilities

• and marketing.

Emma said: “The qualification was undertaken to formally meet the professional competence requirements for managing road haulage operations. As Island Carriers continues to develop and operate within a highly regulated transport environment, gaining the CPC was a natural step to strengthen compliance, operational understanding and long-term resilience within the business.

“I’ve gained a much deeper understanding of compliance, risk management and transport law, along with improved analytical and decision-making skills. The qualification has also strengthened my ability to interpret regulations, plan operations effectively, and ensure systems are in place to meet both legal and practical requirements.

“This strengthens my ability to support Island Carriers by ensuring our operations remain compliant, efficient, and well managed. One key takeaway is how interconnected transport operations are - compliance, safety, financial control, and people management all rely on robust systems and proactive planning. The qualification really reinforces the importance of getting the basics right to support safe, reliable, and sustainable transport services.”

Emma Squire, Island Carriers manager, said:

“The response from the community has been encouraging and we’re grateful for the support we’ve received so far. I’d also like to say a big thank you to our staff, who have been working extremely hard during this transition. Their positive attitude and commitment have made a real difference.

“Looking ahead, our focus is on settling into fuel sales, kerosene deliveries, and refining our processes as we find our rhythm. It’s been a learning curve, but a positive one.”

Logs have been the most popular product, closely followed by coal.

In two weeks in February, 11,000 litres of kerosene, 7,000 litres of DERV and 3.500 litres of petrol had been sold.

Island Carriers take on Sibley’s Fuel for St Mary’s

In our last issue of Delivering for Scilly, we announced that we had acquired part of Sibley’s Fuel. We’re pleased to confirm that completion took place on Wednesday 28th January.

The deal sees ISSG acquiring Sibley’s Fuel supplies to St Mary’s, with Sibley’s retaining marine sales and fuel supplies to St Agnes, Bryher, Tresco and St Martin’s.

Island Carriers has already enjoyed welcoming residents and businesses on St Mary’s to purchase fuel.

Customers can now purchase propane gas bottles, coal, logs and kerosene (heating oil), alongside existing fuel supplies. In addition, a pay at pump facility is now available, offering greater convenience and flexibility.

This investment reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting the islands with reliable, resilient services, and we are delighted to be expanding our role in serving the St Mary’s community.

Behind-the-scenes with newly appointed Quay Manager Ben Jenkins

Newly appointed quay manager Ben Jenkins, who also serves as senior skipper of our workboats, gives us a glimpse into his world. From Merchant Navy cadet to leading the daily operations at St Mary’s Quay, Ben has built a career shaped by practical skills and a deep connection to the Isles of Scilly.

How long have you been part of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group (ISSG)?

I joined ISSG in November 2018 as an Assistant Launch Skipper, before progressing to launch skipper the following year. As our fleet expanded with the introduction of our landing craft Gugh, I was promoted to Senior Workboat Skipper in June 2024. Most recently, I’ve also taken on the management of St Mary’s Quay in addition to my skippering role.

What experience did you have before joining?

I was working on local passenger vessels around the islands, after returning from my time as a cadet in the Merchant Navy.

During this time, I travelled all over the northern hemisphere

from Europe to Asia and across the Pacific to the west coast of America. I learnt good foundations in navigation and seamanship. I left the Merchant Navy and returned to the Isles of Scilly because the work on the larger vessels wasn’t as interesting as working on small workboats. You have to be a lot more hands on with workboats which requires practical skills, which I enjoy.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I love skippering the workboat. There’s something incredibly satisfying about being out on the water, especially on a flat summer’s day, delivering freight between the islands. Those calm days remind you why you do the job - it’s hard to beat the scenery.

It’s also satisfying being out in the winter when the conditions are more challenging. You can put your boat handling and vessel crane operation skills to the test.

What do you find the most challenging aspect of your role?

There are so many moving parts in the freight system across the islands and trying to make them all work together smoothly can be a real challenge. Plans often need to change at short notice because of external factors, especially the weather — winter can be particularly unpredictable.

Could you share a memorable moment?

One of my memorable moments was collecting Gugh from Dartmouth and skippering

her on her maiden voyage to Penzance and then on to the Isles of Scilly. It took around 12 hours and the conditions were perfect. Bringing a new vessel home and being responsible for her first passage was a proud moment.

What does a typical day look like for you?

No two days are the same, but generally it’s a mix of managing operations from the office, being hands on with freight operations on the quay or heading out on the water delivering freight on one of our workboats. It’s a role that keeps me active, involved, and constantly switching between practical work and coordination.

SCILLONIAN III MERCHANDISE

From locally designed artwork to island-inspired keepsakes, each item has been thoughtfully developed to celebrate Scillonian III, the vessel that has connected the mainland and the Isles of Scilly for generations.

Merchandise includes Ingart pin badges, Tamarisk Gallery tote bags, SC Dogs Distillery special edition rum, IOS Clothing caps, Zephyr & Zawn keyrings and Phoenix stained glass coasters. All items will be available to purchase on board Scillonian III.

PRINTED T-SHIRTS

EMBROIDERED CAPS

ILLUSTRATED KEYRINGS

ILLUSTRATED PINS AND MAGNETS

HANDMADE GLASS COASTERS

SPECIAL EDITION SC DOGS RUM

PRINTED MUG

ILLUSTRATED BAGS AND TEA TOWELS

TEDDY BEARS