Six months into the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group’s landmark project to bring two new vessels into service on the Penzance to Isles of Scilly route, notable progress has been made on both ships with about 40% of Scillonian IV’s hull structures and 70% of Menawethan’s hull structures being fabricated.
Building work officially began on Scillonian IV and Menawethan in June 2024, with the first steels being cut during a special ceremony at Piriou’s shipyard in Vietnam and keel laying taking place in November.
Scillonian IV and Menawethan are being built alongside each other, to our detailed specifications, by Piriou’s expert teams of engineers and fabricators.
The build is being overseen in Vietnam by ISSG project managers, Chris Lingham and Peter Broad, who relocated to Vietnam in June and will remain there until the vessels have left the shipyard.
It’s been a busy start to 2025 for several members of the project team who have been travelling around Europe visiting machinery suppliers for the new vessels.
Chris Lingham and Scillonian III marine engineer Sam Noye have been in Nantes, France, visiting Mecatlantic, to attend factory acceptance tests for some of the electrical generator sets for both Scillonian IV and Menawethan.
Chris then travelled to Ghent, Belgium, for the factory acceptance tests (FAT) of the first main engine for Scillonian IV at the ABC factory on Friday 10th January. He then went to Bergen, Norway, to attend FAT for the pallet hoist control system, manufactured by MacGregor, before returning to Ghent for FAT of the second main engine for Scillonian IV, on Friday 17th January.
Sam remained in Nantes to complete the FAT for the generators with Mecatlantic.
Scillonian III Master Dave Redgrave and Gry Maritha Master Tom Sexton have been in Poland visiting MacGregor, the factory making the pallet hoist and side door for Menawethan and witnessing the FAT.
The factory acceptance tests include testing of the machinery safety systems and performance of the equipment enabling any issues to be identified before the machinery is delivered to the shipyard. Our classification surveyors, Lloyd’s Register, will attend the FATs for the main engines, generators, electrical switchboards, gearboxes, etc and issue certificates on completion of satisfactory test.
Piriou and ISSG attend the factory acceptance tests to verify the performance of the machinery and confirm that it functions correctly and in accordance with specification. Should there be any issues, these can be addressed and resolved prior to the machinery being shipped from the factory.
Further FATs for Menawethan’s main switchboard and electrical system will be taking place in early February, and for Scillonian IV’s main switchboard and electrical system in late March.
