Isles of Scilly Steamship Company
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| Industry | Passenger transportation Freight transportation |
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| Founded | 1920 |
| Headquarters | Penzance, Cornwall |
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Key people
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Rob Goldsmith (CEO), Andrew May (Chairman) |
| Website | www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk |
The Isles of Scilly Steamship Company (ISSC) operates the principal shipping service from Penzance, in the English county of Cornwall, to the Isles of Scilly, located 28 miles (45 km) to the southwest. It provides a year-round cargo service together with a seasonal passenger service in summer. The name of the company's principal ferry, the Scillonian III, is perhaps better known than that of the company itself.
The company is based in the Isles of Scilly Travel Centre Penzance. It also owns Isles of Scilly Skybus Ltd, an operator of fixed-wing aircraft services to the Isles of Scilly, and sight seeing flights.
In 2010, the company had close to 1,000 shareholders, around half of whom live on the Isles of Scilly. Due to the Isles of Scilly's remote location, the shipping service is often called 'a life line' for the archipelago.
In addition to passengers, 12,000 to 14,000 tonnes of cargo are normally carried by Scillonian III and Gry Maritha every year.
From 1858 services were provided by the Scilly Isles Steam Navigation Company which was replaced in 1870 by the West Cornwall Steam Ship Company. This was wound up in 1907 and the services operated by John Banfield until 1917. For the rest of the First World War the services were operated by Government vessels. At the end of the war, a transport vacuum arose when the Ministry of Shipping withdrew the wartime service between St Mary's and Penzance.
On 26 March 1920 the current Isles of Scilly Steamship Company was founded with £20,000 (equivalent to £720,000 in 2015) raised by selling shares, mostly in the Isles of Scilly. The company was formed with the express purpose of securing a regular shipping service between the islands and the mainland. It came into service when the company received its Certificate of Incorporation, giving the right to commence business, dated 27 March 1920.
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Wikipedia