SCILLONIAN III

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Ferry suffered mechanical issue

Upon the return from St Mary’s on the evening of Aug 31, 2024, the 'Scillonian III' encountered a mechanical issue which requiredthe vessel to run at a reduced speed. As a result day trips have been cancelled. To assist with a prompt departure on Sep 1, passengers were requested to check in and embarkation at 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Evacuation from Isles of Scilly following ferry breakdown

An evacuation from the Isles of Scilly was underway as 18 emergency flights were scheduled to bring stranded holidaymakers back to the mainland after the "Scillonian III" broke down on Aug 28, experiencing a double engine failure while on its way from the mainland forcing it to turn back to Penzance. The only other way to get on and off the island 28 miles off of Land’s End was via small aircraft that seat a maximum of 18 people. The breakdown meant hotels were left overflowing and tourists stranded. In a bid to get 400 of the 1,300 ferry customers that were affected by the breakdown home, Isle of Scilly Travel scheduled 18 flights on Sep 1. The "Scillonian III" was also back in action, taking its first trip since the incident at 3.30 p.m. and was expected to do a double sailing on Sep 2 to cope with the backlog of customers. There were an additional 34 Skybus Islander and Twin Otter flights put on between Aug 29 and the evening of Aug 31. A further 700 passengers that were due to have sailed have been were transferred via scheduled or additional flights.

Scillonian remains sidelined

The "Scillonian III" remained sidelined in Penzance on Aug 29 after it suffered a technical failure at sea on Aug 28 and was forced to return to the port when both engines broke down. The Isles of Scilly Travel worked to get passengers booked to travel Wednesday on its flights from Land's End Airport but announced that the passengers' trips on Aug 29 and 30 would not take place. The company was aiming to be back on schedule on Aug 31, whilst the engineering team has been working relentlessly on fixing the fault. All passengers were avised not to make the journey down to Penzance by the travel teams.