An engineer’s first impression of Scillonian IV

As Scillonian IV moves another step closer to entering service, a team from the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group travelled to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to see the vessel’s progress at the shipyard.

Among them was second engineer Jono Jackman, who joined technical superintendent Luke Parnell and Scillonian III master Joe Whetton for Scillonian IV’s sea trials. The trip offered an invaluable opportunity to become familiar with the ship and see first-hand how she performed at sea.

Jono shares his first impressions of Scillonian IV, and what it means to be part of the team preparing the new vessel for service.

How did it feel when you saw Scillonian IV for the first time?

I was struck by the size. Scillonian IV is much larger than Scillonian III with a wholly different outline – she has a very modern shape.  

When I stepped in through the boarding door onto deck four on the first day of trials, I think I muttered to myself “wow”. I’m not sure if I was shocked by the progress, the aesthetics or by just setting foot on what will be our new ship – or a combination of everything.

What do you think of the interior?

I was blown away when I first stepped on board. It looks amazing. I love the use of wood and glass throughout. It’s clean, bright, and welcoming. The amount of light in the passenger areas is going to catch people off guard when they see it.  

I would also say that some of the layout feels very familiar, so the designers have clearly given a nod to Scillonian III.  

How does Scillonian IV compare technically with Scillonian III?

I would say there is little to no technical comparison with Scillonian III, the two are separated by 50 years of advances in technology.  

Scillonian IV is a modern vessel with modern systems for control and monitoring all aspects of the ship. She sits a world apart from Scillonian III in terms of the information available to the engineers and the options we have to configure the power plant to suit different requirements.  

Another interesting point to consider when comparing the two vessels is the implementation of the hybrid propulsion system. This gives a huge level of redundancy and flexibility that simply wasn’t possible when Scillonian III was built.

Were there any results in particular that impressed you during sea trials?

I was particularly impressed with the fin stabilisers. Seeing them in use and being more than familiar with the stretch of water between Scilly and the mainland, I can imagine it’s one of the things passengers are going to benefit from and appreciate the most, even if they don’t know they are being used.

What was the highlight of your trip?

The power management system and the hybrid propulsion was cool to see. This specific hybrid system is a different take on how to make the power plant more flexible and efficient. I found this particularly interesting because it’s a method of implementation I haven’t worked with yet. Seeing it function by taking power from one main engine using the gearbox mounted PTO/PTI (Power Take Out/Power Take In) motor-generator to then input that power using the PTI motor-generator on the opposite gearbox was awesome. This feature allows us to supply power to both prop shafts using a single main engine, or go full diesel electric and cruise along using the auxiliary engines alone. The two V12s main engines do sound fantastic at high load though!  

During down time, eating Vietnamese food every day was something I loved – I don’t think I’ve stopped raving about it since getting home. It was also special to share the experience with my colleagues, Joe and Luke.

What does it mean to you to be involved in bringing Scillonian IV into service?

I joined the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group in July 2023, with a clear view to the future and working on the new vessels, so seeing Scillonian IV in the flesh really brought home one of the reasons I started here. 

It’s a huge relief and a privilege to know the long awaited new ship is very nearly here and I am part of the team bringing it into service.

There is the wow factor and the excitement attached to a new ship, however the engineer in me knows that there will be a huge amount of work to learn the new systems, gain experience with the machinery and become familiar with Scillonian IV before she enters service.  

Having this all-important familiarisation allows us to solve problems in real time when we are running to a schedule, and the reality it is that this is going to be hard earned knowledge that doesn’t come from reading a manual.  

It’s exciting to see just how close Scillonian IV is to joining the fleet, and I’m looking forward to continuing the familiarisation process as we prepare her for service.

All photos by Jono Jackman.