Supporting island business and tourism
We are working hand-in-hand with the community of the Isles of Scilly to develop future vessels that will provide essential life-line travel and freight services to the island for years to come.
We are working hand-in-hand with the community of the Isles of Scilly to develop future vessels that will provide essential life-line travel and freight services to the island for years to come.
We will be optimising the designs to meet the islands' future requirements and meet the expanding needs of the local communities, businesses, and visitors to increase tourism and attract a new generation of visitors.
The contract, awarded by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group (ISSG), will see us provide vessel design and consultancy services for a flexible vessel design solution that will run between the harbours of Penzance and St Mary's. An additional onward freight supply chain from St Mary's to the off islands of St Martins, Tresco, Bryher and St Agnes is also required.
Our Business Development Director, Noel Tomlinson, commented, "Our highly-skilled team are thrilled to be working with ISSG on greener, more efficient vessel designs. Our proven passenger and freight ferry designs ensure that we are best placed to support lifeline ferry operators such as ISSG.
“The designs will maximise passenger and crew comfort, will be capable of operating in the challenging conditions of the Atlantic ocean route, whilst meeting all existing and known future regulatory requirements. In addition, the new designs will be optimised to meet the unique requirements of the UK mainland and island ports.”
Stuart Reid, Chief Executive of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group, said:
“BMT has world-class naval architecture and engineering experience and we’re delighted to have them on board as we start to shape our asset replacement programme to meet the needs of the islands’ community and visitors to Scilly.
“We are consulting islanders and key stakeholders about what sort of marine service they would like to see in the future, and BMT are working with us on translating this into concept designs.”
ISSG plans to replace the iconic 'Scillonian III', purpose-built for the ISSG, and entered into service in May 1977, making it the longest-running passenger ferry to date. With a unique heritage, the first Scillonian was built and completed her maiden voyage in 1926; she has been an integral part of the islanders' lives, providing vital transportation to and from the island and boosting tourism and the economy.
We have pioneered the design and development of purpose-built passenger ferries since the early 1980s. This latest partnership with the ISSG will be an essential step in bringing communities together and promoting wider opportunities for travel and tourism within the area.