The new Scilly ferry was delayed because there was too much rain

A new ferry service from mainland Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly is being delayed again as rain hampered its paintwork. Atlantic Wolff is the new passenger ferry which aims to take over from Scillonian III, the historic service provider operating between Penzance and St Mary’s on the Isles of Scilly.

Announced by Belfast shipbuilder Harland & Wolff last year, the new ferry has been under construction for the past few months. The vessel, which will be operated by H&W’s new company Scilly Ferries, was due to enter service in May and will be cheaper and faster than the existing Isles of Scilly Steamship Group service.

However, it was hit by a few setbacks and the release date was pushed back to June. Now Harland & Wolff boss John Wood has revealed that the early June launch will also be delayed as the rain we’ve had in recent months has delayed painting.

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In a message on Scilly Ferries’ Facebook page, he said the Atlantic Wolff was coming to the end of its dry-docking period in Portsmouth and was wearing its new colors inside and out.

He added: “Unfortunately, the torrential rains we’ve been dealing with over the last few weeks have been very unkind to us, with most of our efforts hampered by the rain. With the specialist paints we have applied it is essential that there is a correct level of humidity and unfortunately for the last few weeks the conditions have been a struggle.

“This has had the unfortunate effect of pushing the next stage of our approval process into the water to obtain our passenger certificate, meaning we will not be able to start sailing in early June as we had envisioned .”

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Mr Wood said the work should be completed this week and the vessel should be back on the water on Wednesday, June 5, when H&W will carry out testing of the emergency evacuation system.

He added: “Although things have come together more slowly than we had hoped, we are really excited about what our new ferry has to offer and feel she will become part of the local community in no time as her bright yellow hull becomes a common sight. on the horizon, making travel between the mainland and the islands much more accessible for day trippers, tourists and residents alike.

“We fully understand that this delay and disruption is not ideal and we are working around the clock to make this happen. As we have done so far with existing bookings, we will take care of our customers and honor our guaranteed price for them. having made a booking, as alternative arrangements are being made, our team will be in touch shortly regarding this.”

The Atlantic Wolff fast ferry service is expected to begin operations later in June.