Menawethan in motion: Behind the scenes in Vietnam

4 February 2026

As we prepare to welcome Menawethan, our newest freight vessel, two members from our team travelled to Vietnam in January to see her in action. Technical Superintendent Luke Parnell and Gry Maritha Master, Tom Sexton journeyed to Ho Chi Minh City to take part in the ship’s sea trials and begin hands‑on familiarisation ahead of her arrival in the UK.

For both Luke and Tom, this was more than a technical visit; it was an opportunity to witness years of planning, design and collaboration brought to life on the water. From stepping aboard for the first time to watching Menawethan carve through open sea swells, their trip offered an early glimpse of what this new vessel will bring to the lifeline freight service between the Cornish mainland and the Isles of Scilly.

Tom shares his thoughts from this important trip.

What was it like observing Menawethan at sea for the first time?

The first thing that was really striking from stepping onto Menawethan for the first time to doing sea trials in some reasonable swells was the quality of the build. I’ve never been on a ship so well built. The quality of the workmanship is second to none and it just shines with quality. Having been very involved with the design it was really reassuring to step on-board and really feel that this ship is going to deliver on providing a service to Scilly for years to come. The wheelhouse and accommodation were beautifully fitted out and quiet at sea even when we were going full speed. It’s going to be a great place to work.

Was there anything about her handling, layout or bridge systems that stood out?

The vessel performed really well – it’s so much more powerful than the Gry that I think handling it is going to be a breeze, the conning position on the bridge wing has great visibility and all the controls there are really ergonomic. We’re so used to the antiquated equipment and bridge that I’ve been with for eight years now that it was a bit of a shock stepping into the modern wheelhouse but it really is a scaled down big ship!

How were the sea trials? Were there any moments during the trials that felt especially significant?

I was with the drone pilot whilst he was getting some footage and seeing the ship from the sky, it just looks amazing! The actual trials were a great success – we have to do certain manoeuvres like speed tests and turning circles and she performed so well. It’s going to be really useful having that bit of extra speed on our tide dictated run.

What are you most excited for when Menawethan joins the fleet?

Once we get over the initial hurdles of getting the Menawethan onto the run, I think it’s going to be a really special place to work. We always have an amazing team on the Gry Maritha and I think they really deserve a quality bit of kit to do their jobs with. Menawethan is just that. All the problems with the Gry that we work around daily have been designed out of this new ship so the operation should be much smoother.

What do you think islanders and local businesses will appreciate most once she’s in service?

I think the passenger lounge is going to be an absolute game changer for the islanders. It’s a really nice space, the chairs are really comfy, and the motion of the vessel is going to be so much better than the Gry – this is a real alternative to flying in the winter. It’s going to be so much more reliable and I hope it takes the stress out of travel to and from the mainland for the locals.

Tom talks through some photos from the trip:

Scillonian IV Passenger ferry in dry dock, Vietnam — “Scillonian IV passenger ferry, in the dry dock. They have nearly finished all the underwater work, and you can see the black lines being painted around the windows. It’s going to look amazing!”

Mrs Clean inside Menawethan with Luke and Tom — “This is Mrs Clean! She is an institution in the dry dock and goes around sweeping and tidying all day with a huge smile on her face.”

Tom assisting with paint inspection on Scillonian IV — “Paint inspection in a void space on Scillonian IV. This is me helping Chris and Peter out on one of their many inspections ensuring that all the surfaces are properly coated. The red-ish coat is a primer and the silver coat is called a stripe coat which just ensures that after being sprayed, all the edges and tucked away surfaces get an extra coat of paint.”

Luke and Tom looking at technical drawings — “Part of the reason for the trip was familiarising ourselves with the vessels for a smooth handover when they get back to Europe. This is Luke and I looking over a technical drawing of the bunker manifold system.”

Freight vessel, Menawethan, on the water

“Menawethan looking great!”

“This is Chris Lingham, New Vessel Project Manager (middle), Luke (left) and I (right) in the passenger lounge. You can see all the seats are covered, the windows are still covered as there is still painting and finishing off to do. The yard is really careful to cover everything to keep all the surfaces pristine for delivery.”

Menawethan's bridge wing manoeuvring console — “This is the bridge wing manoeuvring console. I’m testing the steering controls here. You can see the bow thruster controllers, telegraphs and I’m touching the steering controls. You can see the visibility from up there is great. In the background is the yard where all the ship blocks were fabricated.”

Tom and Chris eating Vietnamese street food

Tom eating Vietnamese street food — “This is the best kind of Vietnamese hospitality! Chris took me out one evening to a street food restaurant where we had the most amazing chilli prawns, clams in a lemongrass broth and you can see in the picture some grilled frog. It’s really interesting the French influence in Vietnam. They have amazing bread!”

Technical Superintendent, Luke Parnell, reflects on his visit to Vietnam:

“Menawethan is much like a Tonka Toy, with capabilities above her apparent size, with both speed and cargo capacity exceeding expectations, and the integration of modern hydraulic power systems from a local manufacturer here in Cornwall operating on the other side of the world, all on schedule and budget shows the skill of both designers and yard staff.

“The sea trials went really well with a low number of actions found during these, and with great success in the speed department. The most significant moment was proving how capable the Menawethan is by achieving an excellent speed despite pushing through a swell than was a multiple in size of the stated standard.

“Menawethan’s successful sea trials outshines previous projects with no inherent design issues discovered during a demanding day, and with continuous duty cycle marine engines operating without issue this is exactly what is needed for a hard-working cargo vessel for the Isles of Scilly.

“The highlight of the trip were the enormous smiles on everyone’s faces at the end of the long but successful day of sea trials, from the local yard staff to my colleagues and Piriou designers.”

The launching of the Fast Rescue Craft from Menawethan — “The launching of the Fast Rescue Craft (FRC) which had to be done with Menawethan at 7 knots to prove the capability to Lloyds Register (LR).”

The anchor trials on Menawethan — “The anchor trials demonstrating to LR that they can be dropped under gravity, and proving that the windlass is capable of recovering them at a speed above a minimum regulatory value.”

Watch Menawethan on water in our video below. Click here to keep up to date with all the latest news about our new vessels.

Tom Sexton and Luke Parnell on Scillonian IV

Menawethan Sea Trials January 2026