Steamship company bosses have made it clear that the Gry Maritha will stay on as a Cargo ship for the Islands despite the new vessel set to replace the Scillonian III.
All indications point to the idea that a new ship will carry both passengers and freight just as the Scillonian does now. The new vessel is to be commissioned soon with the help of Objective 1 money, obtained for the region from European funding. The new ship is set to cost 16m, 14m more that the current ‘Scillonian III cost when she was built in 1975.
It was thought recently that the idea for a ‘new’ ship had been shelved, at least for a while as the Scillonian III had a major refit and overhaul in 2000. It is required by maritime safety laws that a passenger vessel has to undergo a major refit or be replaced after 25 years of service. One of the more novel ideas to come up was the suggestion that the existing craft be cut in two and have another section put in.
Another suggestion put forward was that a new vessel should be a catamaran as they are stable sea boats. This report has now been withdrawn as mono-hulls often need to draw more water than is available in St. Marys harbour. A catamaran would also be impractical for carrying cargo.
It is reported that the new boat will reach previously unscaled speeds, smashing the old crossing time down by up to an hour. She will also be 10 meters longer and have a greater passenger capacity suitable for coping with growing demand for day trips.