Super-Fast Baleares in Barcelona, 9 August 2014

Super-Fast Baleares

IMO 9399325
Built 2010, Navantia S.A. Astilleros San Fernando Puerto Real, Spain
Tonnage 30 998 GT
Length 209,43 m
Width 26,50 m
Draught 7,10 m
12 passengers
12 berths
3 500 lanemeters
4 MAN diesels, combined 43 600 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Maximum speed 26 knots

As you know, I don't normally feature cargo ships in this blog, but I'm making an exception here for Trasmediterránea's Super-Fast Baleares.

The Super-Fast Baleares is Trasmediterránea's last newbuilt ship to date. She is the second of two roro cargo ships ordered by Acciona Trasmediterránea from the Navantia shipyard in Puerto Real in 2006. Initially Trasmediterránea had placed an order for two 160-metre ferries from Hijos de J. Barreas in Vigo, but the shipyard soon changed to Navantia and the size of the ships grew. Originally the order included options for two sister ships; a third ship was in fact ordered but cancelled later on.

The service speeds of the new ships had been optimized for the Spain-Canaries run, and on delivery the first ship, José-María Entrecanales, was placed on the long route from Barcelona to Gran Canaria via various ports in Spain and Morocco. After privatization, Trasmediterránea had named their cargo ships with a Super-Fast prefix (who this had not led to a legal conflict with Superfast Ferries I do not know); an exception was made with the José-María Entrecanales, which was named after the chairman of Acciona.

The second ship recieved the more traditional name Super-Fast Baleares, but despite the name placed on the Cadiz to Gran Canaria run. Sometime before 2014 she has been moved to services from Palma de Mallorca to Barcelona and Valencia. It is also possible that she has spent some time between her delivery and today laid up. An interesting detail is that today she carries no company names or logos on her hull.

The photographs below show the Super-Fast Baleares departing from Barcelona on the evening of 9 August 2014. Click on the images to see them in larger size.

Alas, the lighting was less than ideal here. Notice three ships from the recent blog entires in the background: Tenacia (left), Fortuny (behind the S-F Baleares' funnel) and Martín i Soler.

The tug Salvador Dali in the foreground.

No idea what's up with the soot in the funnel. It looks like there might have been a fire onboard, but if so why is there soor only on one side of the funnel?

And indeed, notice the fact that while the ship carries Trasmediterránea's livery, there are no company markings on the side.

Fortuny in Barcelona, 9 August 2014

Fortuny

IMO 9216585
Built 2001, Astilleros Españoles Puerto Real, Spain
Tonnage 28 275 GT
Length 172,60 m
Width 26,20 m
Draught 6,20 m
972 passengers
748 berths
350 cars
1 809 lanemeters
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 28 960 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Maximum speed 23,5 knots

The Fortuny was one of two "superferries" delivered to Compañia Trasmediterránea in summer 2001, shortly before the state-owned firm was privatized. The Fortuny and her slightly-older sister Sorolla remain Trasmediterránea's largest vessels to date.

Unusually for a pair of modern sister ships, the Sorolla and Fortuny were built at the same time by different yards: the Sorolla at Hijos de J. Barreras and the Fortuny at Astilleros Españoles. The former was delivered in May 2001, with the Fortuny following just one month later. It seems that initially both ships were placed in traffic from Palma de Mallorca to Valencia and Barcelona. In autumn 2002 the Fortuny also briefly sailed from Cadiz to the Canary Isles, before returning to the Palma de Mallorca run.

In autumn 2005 the Fortuny was, alongside with the rest of the Trasmediterránea fleet, repainted in new colours. The previous livery with blue and green stripes on a white background was replaced with a somewhat less adventurous white-and-red colour scheme. At the same time the name of the company on the ship's sides was amended into Acciona Trasmediterránea, with the name of the main owners written in large latters and Trasmediterránea redelegated into small print.

In spring 2006 the Fortuny was used to open a new passenger ferry service for Trasmediterránea, when she begun sailing between Bilbao and Portsmouth. The new service was a resounding failure, as it was closed down already in January 2007. After this the Fortuny was used on the long Cadiz-Canaries run, but seems to have been moved back to the Baleric island services by 2010 at latest. Like all Trasmediterránea ships, the Fortuny recieved an amendment to her livery in 2013, when the order of the company names was reversed on her side: now Trasmediterránea is again written in large type, while Acciona is in a smaller font.

The photographs below show the Fortuny arriving in Barcelona on the evening of 9 August 2014. I apologise for the similar points-of-view as on the previous shots, unfortunately the place did not offer too much in the way of variance. Click on the images to see them in larger size.

The open bridge wings are a rather unusual feature on a ship built during the 21st century - though I understand they are undoubtedly more practical in the Med than on the Baltic.

To be honest, I don't think this is the most successful ferry exterior design... although the forward open decks seem to be very popular, at least.

In keeping with our theme of featuring the subject of the next entry in the background, you can just glimpse at the (severely delayed) Cruise Barcelona in the horizon on the left.

One thing that must be said for the bulky exterior is that it makes the ship appear much bigger than she really is. The Fortuny is only marginally larger than the Martín i Soler, though the latter looks much smaller to my eyes.

The social ferry.

Turning towards the quay, with the Barcelona World Trade Center in the background. Also notice the aforementioned Martín i Soler at quay behind the WTC.

Next time: Cruise Barcelona.

Tenacia in Barcelona, 9 August 2014

Tenacia

IMO 9350707
Built 2008, Nuovi Canterie Apuani Marina di Carrara, Italy
Tonnage 24 950 GT
Length 199,14 m
Width 26,60 m
Draught 6,40 m
869 passengers
268 berths
600 cars
2 623 lanemeters
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 24 000 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Maximum speed 25 knots

The Estrella Damm - I mean the Tenacia - was completed in 2008 by the Nuovi Canterie Apuani shipyard in Italy for Grimaldi's Grandi Navi Veloci traffic. She was the third unit in a series of eight roro ferries ordered by Grimaldi. Some ships in the series were sold to other operations before completion, and thus only five units in the series actually entered service for Grimaldi.

On delivery the Tenacia was chartered by Grimaldi to Grandi Navi Veloci and entered service on Grandi Navi Veloci's Genoa-Barcelona service, on which she remained until late 2011. At that point the Tenacia was chartered to Acciona Trasmediterránea. She remained in service to and from Barcelona, sailing from Palma de Mallorca to Barcelona and Valencia. Initially she was painted in the standard Acciona Trasmediterránea livery, but in spring 2014 this was altered to colours advetising the Barcelonian beer Estrella Damm. In a particularly unfortunate move the name of the beer brand was painted on the ship's bow, at the location where the ship's own name is usually displayed.

Despite the confusing advertisement, the ship's name remains the Tenacia and she is still sailing on the same service for Trasmediterránea today, the company having largely dropped the name of their parent from their name. Reportedly Acciona aims to sell Trasmediterránea by the end of the year, so soon the Tenacia might be in for another livery change.

The photographs below show the Tenacia arriving at Barcelona on the evening of 9th August 2014. Click on the images to see them in larger size.

Doing a sharp turn just before sailing inside the harbour breakwater.

Now look at where the advertisement is painted and where the ship's name is. Is it any wonder I first thought she was named Estrella?

In the background the next ship of the day, Baleria's Martin i Soler, is nearing the harbour...

Some camera lens distortion from taking a photo on such a wide angle.

In the harbour basin. The Trasmediterránea funnel colours are a bit nonstandard in this ship, normally the white band is much narrower.

Barcelona World Trade Center on the left. Also notice the cables of the cable car across the harbour in the background.

Next time: Martin i Soler.