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Frequently asked questions
General
Please adher to the guidance of your transport provider e.g. Scillonian, Helicopter, Skybus, etc. Also please rember that you and our crew should be able to carry each bag safely up and down the quay steps. Do not pack each bag more than you could carry yourself. We have no equipment to assist us. Scillonian luggage will usually go from the container to the boat directly from the hold. But again this is all handled by hand and then has to be stacked on our smaller vessels.
The Spirit has been designed for easy access but the quay steps on St Mary's and Tresco New Grimbsy are problematic. If you can manage a few steps it is best to travel at high tide when there are fewer steps to negotiate. There are mobility scooters for hire on St Mary's and each off island has mobility scooters to hire - please ask your accommodation provider for details as. you must book in advance.
Yes of course. All dogs (and harnessed cats) are welcome but please bear in mind that they must be kept on a lead or harness or their safety and those of other passengers. Animals can often get distressed with boat travel, with the motion and the noise and vibration of the engines. Please make them as comfortable as possible with their favourite treats or blankets.
Yes if it can be folded and carried down the steps by one person. St Mary's Bike Hire hire scooters for all islands and can be hired for the day on St Mary's. Scilly Carts also hire our golf carts for the day, only on St Mary's. Off islands have mobility scooters for hire - please ask your accommodation provider for details. They tend to book up very quickly.
When you arrive at St Mary's quay there are different steps that boating operators use depending on the tide and other boat activity. Please stay alert to calls for St Agnes from the boat crew and look out for our two boats. The Spirit of St Agnes is very distinctive - the only catamaran passenger ferry on the islands. The Enterprise has a bright orange roof - again very distinctive. Have a look at the photos on our webpage too. St. Agnes only has one quay! With very few steps, the quay is gently shelving but do take care of anything with wheels! Bryher has two quays, similar to St Agnes. Tresco has three quays. Please note New Grimsby has steep uneven steps. On the rare occasion that we use Old Grimsby please be aware this a long narrow quay and may be unsuitable if you have mobility issues, St. Martin's has two quays, one at either end of the island. Please make sure you pay attention to which quay you are to be collected from. They often differ to the one you are dropped off at because of the tide. St Martin's is a long island so it can be quite a walk between the quays if you have mobility issues.
You do not need to book to use any of our scheduled services unless stipulated on the timetable. In quiet spells we often ask you to book to avoid running the boat with no one on it! But this will be clear on the timetable. Likewise we sometimes ask you to book on gig races but again it will be clear on our timetable, For any of our sea taxi trips please book in advance, at least a day before. If you book on the day we might not be able to fit you in alongside our other trips but do ring us just in case.
Weekly passes are a great way to save money. Pay for four days boating and get four days free ! Buy on the boat when you arrive. This pass does not include Circular, Wildlife trips or Sea-Taxi services, but does include gig races. This pass is non transferable and is non refundable. A form of photo id must be shown, as well as the pass on all trips.Please do not buy a weekly pass if the weather for the week looks doubtful - we can advise you when you arrive.
All the ferry operators in the islands work independently and their tickets are not interchangeable. St Agnes Boating serves the community of St Agnes residents and visitors staying on the island. St. Mary's Boatman Association serves the community of St Mary's and St Martin's and are a cooperative of 12 vessels. Tresco Boats serve Tresco and Bryher.
Sometimes things happen. We can offer you a sea taxi if you miss the boat but only in daylight hours. For this reason we encourage you to keep in touch with us as soon as you realise you are running late. If you are travelling on Skybus or the helicopter, please let us know if there are any delays and you think you will need a sea taxi. If you tell us the flight number we can monitor the flight from our end and make sure we are there to meet you and support your onward travel.
Living 28 miles out at sea we are very much at the whim of the weather and sea conditions. We issue advice in advance if boats are unikely to run. Please keep track of our social media channels: Facebook and Instagram. Our boat skippers are very experienced and if they say it is not fit, it really isn't. Please don't ask us to do you a favour or contact another operator thinking they will be able to do it. St. Agnes quay can become unsafe very qucikly in bad weather. We need to be able to land you safely.
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