Benchijigua Express (ship, 2005)
 Fast ferry Benchijigua Express in front of Puerto de Los Cristianos (Tenerife)
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The Benchijigua Express is a trimaran - fast ferry , which by the shipping company Fred. Olsen Express is used between the Canary Islands of Tenerife , La Gomera and La Palma in the Atlantic . She was named after a small town in the south of the island of La Gomera and has been the third ship to bear this name since 1999.
The first Benchijigua Express (IMO 9206712) was put into service in 1999 and renamed Bentayga Express in the same year . It has been called Bencomo Express since 2004 . In January 2000, the second Benchijigua Express (IMO: 9213337) started the liner service between Los Cristianos and San Sebastián de La Gomera . In November 2004 it was renamed Bentago Express to free the name for the new Benchijigua Express , which was assigned IMO number 9299056.
With a length of 126 meters, the Benchijigua Express is the second largest trimaran in the world after the USS Independence .
history
Construction and commissioning
In June 2003 the Spanish shipping company Fred. Olsen Express and the Australian shipyard Austal Ships Pty. Ltd. in Santa Cruz de Tenerife the contract for the construction of a new high-speed ferry, which should be used in the regular service between the Canary Islands.
The Benchijigua Express was on 11 November 2003 at the shipyard in Henderson ( Western Australia ) on down Kiel . At that time, the trimaran with hull number H260 was the largest aluminum ship in the world. The launch took place on September 25, 2004. After completion, the ship was christened on November 5, 2004 by Juana Hernández Cabrera, the wife of Guillermo van de Waal ( CEO of Fred. Olsen SA) . After the delivery of the Benchijigua Express , it was transferred across the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic to the home port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife .
commitment
The Benchijigua Express has been running liner services between the Canary Islands Tenerife , La Gomera and La Palma since May 2005 . The driving time to La Gomera is about 50 minutes, the driving time to La Palma is given as about two hours.
technology
hull
The trimaran hull of the Benchijigua Express is made of an aluminum alloy and has a special surface coating to protect it against algae infestation . Inside there are two ballast and two trim tanks each, which can be filled within five minutes of reaching the port at low speed in order to stabilize the ship.
Machine system and drive
The powerful machinery of the Benchijigua Express is installed in the middle of the three hulls. It consists of four 20-cylinder MTU 8000M70 diesel engines , which are arranged one behind the other in pairs in separate engine rooms. At a speed of 1,150 rpm, the engines develop an output of 8,200 kW (approx. 11,150 hp ) each when the ship is delivered . In 2006, the output of the main diesel engines was increased to 9,100 kW (approx.12,370 hp ) each during a six-week maintenance and conversion period (series: MTU 20V8000M71). The exhaust gases from the rear engines are discharged via the bridge deck and a chimney, while the exhaust pipes from the front engines open as a wet system between the hulls.
The two rear motors act via Renk ASL65 gears on two controllable water jet drives of the KaMeWa 125 SII- type. The front motors drive another permanently installed water jet drive of the type KaMeWa 180 BII, which is designed as an additional drive ("booster") via a gearbox (Renk ASL2 × 80) and a long shaft system. The electrical energy is generated by four MTU 12V 2000 M40 diesel generators with 575 kW each.
The Benchijigua Express is controlled via the swiveling water jet drives, which are supported at low speed by two Ulstein Aquamaster UL601 propeller pods. These can either be used independently of the main drive or together with it in a special operating mode.
To dampen the rolling movements , the ship is equipped with a pair of stabilizers on the long sides. A T-shaped fin ("T-Foil") in the bow area reduces pounding .
The ship can hold up to 155,000 liters of fuel.
Furnishing
The Benchijigua Express can accommodate up to 1,291 passengers on two decks. Because of the short crossing times, there are no passenger cabins. For vehicle transport, 450 meters of truck track length and 123 car spaces or, alternatively, 341 car spaces are available in the loading deck. The car deck can be loaded and unloaded in 30 minutes.
Web links
- Benchijigua Express (project brochure). (pdf; 1.8 MB) AUSTAL, pp. 1–36 , accessed in 2013 (English).
- Website of the shipping company Fred. Olsen Express
- Austal Ships Pty. Ltd. (engl.)
- Video recordings of the ship (Austal)
Footnotes
- ↑ a b c d e f register online. BENCHIJIGUA EXPRESS. (No longer available online.) Germanischer Lloyd, archived from the original on December 29, 2013 ; accessed on December 29, 2010 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b Fred. Olsen, SA and Austal Celebrate a Christening. (No longer available online.) AUSTAL, November 8, 2004, archived from the original on December 28, 2013 ; accessed on December 27, 2013 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c d e f g Roberto Forti: Bencomo Express. (pdf, 342 kB) (No longer available online.) Mondialbroker.net, archived from the original on December 30, 2013 ; accessed on December 30, 2013 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Trimaran to Dominate High Speed Sea Transport. (No longer available online.) AUSTAL, April 13, 2005, archived from the original on December 30, 2013 ; accessed on December 29, 2010 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c d e Benchijigua Express. Specifications (data sheet). Fred Olsen Express, accessed December 27, 2013 .
- ^ Austal Launches World's Largest Aluminum Ship. (No longer available online.) AUSTAL, September 26, 2004, archived from the original on December 28, 2013 ; accessed on December 29, 2010 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c d e Benchijigua Express - Trimaran Vehicle / Passenger. Ship Technology, accessed December 29, 2010 .
