The shipping company Baleària has started on Wednesday, in Gijón, the navigation trials of the fast ferry ‘Mercedes Pinto’, the third catamaran with dual natural gas engines that is being finalized at the Armon shipyard and that the company expects to receive during May. According to a press release from the company, it is planned that this new vessel will operate on the routes to the Canary Islands, once the acquisition of the assets of Armas Trasmediterránea in the archipelago is completed.
The sea trials initiated on this day will continue over the next few days and include the validation of maneuverability, speed, stability, and engine behavior, as well as the performance of energy and navigation systems. In addition, these tests, which will be conducted using both natural gas and diesel, will also verify the correct operation of auxiliary, safety, and propulsion systems before entering service.
The new fast ferry, with a capacity for 1,200 passengers and 425 vehicles, will maintain the same line of innovation and comfort as its twin catamarans in the Baleària fleet: the ‘Eleanor Roosevelt’ and the ‘Margarita Salas.’
