Baja Ferries
bajaferries S.A de C.V
TypePrivate company
IndustryTransportation
Founded2003 (2003)
Headquarters
Prof. Marcelo Rubio Ruiz 1025, Zona Central 23000, La Paz, Baja California Sur
,
Mexico
Area served
Sea of Cortes
Key people
Ruano Brinqueiro (President)
ServicesFerry transportation
Ro-on/Ro-off transportation
OwnerMariano Ruano Boza (Chairman)[1]
ParentBaja Ferries S.A de C.V
DivisionsGeos
Websitewww.bajaferries.com.mx

Baja Ferries (also known as: bajaferries S.A de C.V) is a Mexican shipping company dedicated to Ferry transportation across the Sea of Cortes, its headquarters are located in La Paz, Baja California Sur.

The company was founded in 2003 by Mariano Ruano Boza and which would transport passengers between the Mexican States of Sinaloa and Baja California Sur, The company included the subsidiary dedicated to Trucking transportation company Transportadora GEOS.

History

The origins of Baja Ferries date back to 1991 when the French shipowner Daniel Berrebi obtained import/export contracts for Mexico from Alstom. In 1994 following the entry into force of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Berrebi opened a first freight line between Mexico and the US initially then on the Western Mexican Coast from 1996. In 2001 the shipowner began its passenger transport activities by commissioning a high-speed ship between La Paz and Topolobampo, Sinaloa.

In 2003, Berrebi chartered a mixed vessel with a rolling capacity of 2,100 linear meters from the Italian shipyard Visentini. Becoming the California Star, it inaugurates the activities of the company Baja Ferries, created for the occasion. The following year a second ship joined the fleet, the car ferry Coromuel, renamed Sinaloa Star.

In 2007, Baja Ferries bought the car ferry Victory from the Italian company Grandi Navi Veloci and put it into service under the name Chihuahua Star, replacing the Sinaloa Star, which was leaving the fleet.

In 2010, a new mixed vessel was integrated into the fleet, the Monte Cinto, bought from SNCM, which took the name of Mazatlan Star. His arrival allows the transfer in 2011 of the Chihuahua Star within the company America Cruise Ferries, another company owned by Daniel Berrebi operating lines in the Caribbean between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

A new Ro-Ro carrier was put into service in 2013, the ex-Strada Corsa, bought in Italy after the bankruptcy of its owner and put into service under the name La Paz Star.

In November 2014, the company embarked on the race to take over SNCM, placed in receivership by the Commercial Court of Marseille. Based on a plan to reduce the company's scope of activity to Marseille-Corsica lines alone, subsidized under the public service delegation, and the development of lines with the Maghreb, with in particular the opening of a line to Morocco, its offer will be modified several times as the deadline is pushed back.[2] Baja Ferries will in particular try to form a common front with the STEF Group before the latter decides to withdraw.[3] Its offer will finally be discarded in favor of that of the Corsican transporter Rocca.[4]

It is for this reason that, from January 2016, Baja Ferries joined the consortium of Corsican companies Corsica Maritima, also a candidate for the takeover of SNCM, and participated in the launch of the company Corsica Linea by chartering the ro-ro ship to it. Stena Carrier, intended to compete with the new company succeeding SNCM between Marseille and Corsica. However, the two companies merging in April 2016, Baja Ferries will withdraw from the project. The Stena Carrier will join the company's fleet in 2018 under the name of México Star, as will another chartered ro-ro to serve Ajaccio. which would eventually join Baja Ferries in 2016 as Cabo Star before being chartered overseas.

That same year, 2016 his ship, the former Chihuahua Star, chartered by ACF under the name Caribbean Fantasy, suffered a fire in the Caribbean in August.[5] The extent of the damage led to her being sold for scrap the following year.

This vessel was then replaced within the fleet by the Baja Star, a 170-metre car ferry purchased from the Chinese company Rizhao Ferries. First placed on the charter market, she joined the lines of Baja Ferries at the end of 2019 after the sale of the California Star.

Fleet

Old Fleet

Ship Flag Type In Service Period tonnage Length Width Passengers Vehicles Knots Status Image
California Star Mixed vessel 2001 2003–2019 25,000 UMS 186.49 m 25.60 m 1000 75 22,5 knots Sold to Adria Ferries, currently in service in the Mediterranean under name of AF Claudia.
Caribbean Fantasy Ferry 1989 2008–2017 27,362 UMS 187.13 m 27 m 950 550 23,5 knots Service from 2011 to 2016 and sold to America Cruise Ferries. Caught fire in 2016, Scrapped in Aliağa in 2017.
La Paz Star Ro-Ro 1978 2013–2016 16,776 UMS 151.94 m 23.50 m 12 1650 m linéaires 17 knots Resold to Fabrilo Holdings, finally Scrapped in 2017.
Mazatlan Star Mixed vessel 1984 2010–2014 14,798 UMS 136.04 m 22.52 m 111 35 18 knots Sold to Chilean company Navimag renamed Eden. Scrapped in 2019.
Sinaloa Star Ferry 1973 2004–2008 7,234 UMS 108.70 m 17.20 m 650 220 16 knots Scrapped in Alang.

Current Fleet

Ship Flag Type In service Entry with fleet tonnage Length Width Capacity Knots Status Image
Passagers Vehicles Trailers
Baja Star[6] Fast Ferry 1992 2016 24,946 UMS 170 m 25 m 705 90 100 26 knots In service
México Star Ro-Ro 2004 2018 21,089 UMS 182.60 m 25.50 m 12 2775 m 22 knots In service
Cabo Star Ro-Ro 1988 2016 19,963 UMS 157.51 m 25.32 m 12 2100 20,5 knots
Balandra Star[7] Ro-Ro 1990 2016 5,925 UMS 91,50 m ¿? m

References

  1. "Mariano Ruano Boza, empresario y personaje logístico del año".
  2. "SNCM : Le groupe Rocca est le nouveau repreneur, les syndicats entrent en grève illimitée !".
  3. "Corsica Linea inaugure une ligne de fret entre Bastia et Marseille, l'ex-SNCM se met en grève".
  4. "SNCM : Le groupe Rocca est le nouveau repreneur, les syndicats entrent en grève illimitée !".
  5. "ÉTATS-UNIS. 512 personnes évacuées d'un ferry en feu au large de Porto Rico".
  6. "Nuestra Flota – Baja Ferries".
  7. "Mex".
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