As Scillonian III sails through her 50th season and prepares for retirement later this year, many people are finding their own ways to celebrate a vessel that has been at the heart of island life since 1977.
For Leicestershire singer-songwriter Joel Payne, that tribute has taken the form of a song.
Scillonian III is a poignant farewell to the ferry that has carried generations of islanders and visitors between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly for nearly five decades.
A family’s journey to Scilly
Joel’s connection with Scilly began in 2018, after his sister-in-law returned from a visit convinced the whole family would fall in love with the islands.
Joel’s first crossing in the summer of 2018 proved the beginning of a lasting relationship with the islands. Joel remembers meeting passengers on the crossing who had been visiting Scilly for more than 40 years and wondering why they kept returning to the same place.
“By the end of our first week here we were already making plans to return.”
Falling for the islands
“It’s the unspoilt beauty of the islands, the peace and sense of space, and those moments when a pristine beach feels entirely your own.
The appeal of the islands was clear from Joel’s first visit, when his son was just three years old.
“We could see then that this would be a wonderful place to return to as a family, a safe place for a little boy to run around and explore and make his own.”
In recent years, the islanders have become just as important. After stumbling across an acoustic night at Jack’s Bar in Hugh Town, Joel found himself welcomed into Scilly’s music community.
“The opportunity to meet up and make music with Barry, Ray, Lisbet from Jack’s Bar and others is something I spend all year looking forward to.”
Inspired by Scilly
The idea for Scillonian III first took shape after a Seth Lakeman gig at the Old Town Inn in 2025. Hearing songs inspired by the landscapes and stories of the South West made Joel wonder what he could write about Scilly.
The next day he wrote Scilly My Love, later performing it at Jack’s Bar and releasing it to a warm response from both islanders and visitors. He followed it with The Gig Shed Blues.
“While Scillonian III is a special part of the experience for visitors like me and my family, she is so much more for the islanders.
“She’s a genuine lifeline and a part of everyone’s story. Whole generations have passed while she has been faithfully serving the islands.
“There would be so many different ways to mark her retirement and I almost felt a responsibility to ensure I did my bit with a song.”
Writing the song
The writing process took Joel around a month from start to finish.
“’Scillonian III’ as the opening lyric has a natural rhythm and cadence which was the launch pad for the whole thing.
“It set the tone of a gentle, wistful song which would rise and fall like the swell of the sea on a calmer day. I wanted the verses to tell the story, with chorus to have a dream-like sense of exhaling, breathing out while releasing the Scillonian and all the memories she carries.
“My favourite lyrics are: “Make for the water / Your hand in mine / Sail with me out to the sun.
“I love the way the ship becomes personified by the song, and by the end it is more like a farewell to a loved one. This idea that there’s just one more adventure to be had before we say goodbye feels resonant.”
A lasting legacy
The response to the song has been overwhelmingly warm, particularly within the Scilly community online. But one comment stood out to Joel the most.
“When my wife Rhiannon, who also sings on the recording, first heard the song she said she closed her eyes during the instrumental and could feel herself being on the deck on the Scillonian riding the swell. That was probably my best comment.”
Scillonian III will soon hand the baton to Scillonian IV. Book your tickets to travel on this iconic vessel before she leaves operational service.
Listen to Scillonian III on Spotify.
Watch the music video on YouTube.
Follow Joel’s Instagram page.