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| Víctor Hernández Latest ship technology for La Gomera and La Palma
Fred Olsen is a Norwegian company located in the Canary Islands since 1904.
In 1974, the ferry boat “Ferry Gomera” marked the beginning of the first connection between Los Cristianos and San Sebastián de la Gomera.
Under the name “Benchijigua”, several ferries have transported millions of passengers and cars and, furthermore, have become the principal means of transport for cargo between the islands.
In the year 2000, with the arrival of the new fast ferry “Benchijigua Express” a new era started for this connection. The crossing time was reduced to half an hour and the comfort and capacity of the ship were highly praised by both local habitants as well as tourists.
Last week the latest ship technology arrived in La Gomera with the new “ Trimaran – Benchijigua Express”.
Constructed at the Austal shipyard in Australia, it is the largest and fastest ferry in the world. The 126-metre long ferry can accommodate 1350 passengers, 340 cars and over 400 lane metres
The hull is made of aluminium with special alloy. The 4 diesel engines are of great power which guarantees an average speed in service of 40 knots (approximately 74 kilometres per hour). The sophisticated computerised system allows good manoeuvrality in small ports with high winds, a common characteristic of Canary Islands ports.
“Trimaran – Benchijigua Express” connects Los Cristianos (Tenerife) with San Sebastián (La Gomera) and Santa Cruz (La Palma) on a daily basis. | |  | |  |
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