The First “Benchijigua”, 42 Years Later

Its maritime appearance has remained unchanged since it first set sail 42 years ago. It is now called “Saebjorg” and is a training ship owned by the Icelandic Maritime Safety and Survival Training Center, known in its native language as Slysavarnafelagid Landsbjorg. This is the first “Benchijigua”, the ship that began the journeys of Ferry Gomera in 1974 and marks the beginning of a significant turning point in the contemporary history of the Island of La Gomera.

Construction number 712 from the Trondelag A/S shipyard in Trondheim (Norway), it entered service on July 8, 1974, and its importation required an express authorization from the Council of Ministers during the time of Luis Carrero Blanco. We remember its arrival, adorned, at the beginning of that month, at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, under the command of Captain Miguel Ángel Sánchez Conejo and Chief Engineer José García Oliva, who was then and for a long time the first and oldest crew member of the newly founded company.

There was much discussion to decide the name of the new ship, with the express condition that it had to start with the consonant B, following the tradition of the Fred. Olsen fleet. This mission was partly entrusted to the so-called Gomero Group – mainly composed of “Admiral” Adolfo Trujillo, Domingo León, Lorenzo Cabeza, and José Manuel Noda – enthusiastic defenders of their land and the new project. They searched and searched in the island's toponymy – the possibility of it being called “Bejira” was noted – and finally proposed the name “Benchijigua”. Initially, due to its complicated pronunciation for outsiders, it did not seem so easy, but it eventually prevailed and became a reference as familiar as it was endearing.

With a gross tonnage of 998 tons, a net tonnage of 435 tons, and a deadweight of 482 tons, it measures 68.79 m in overall length – 63.15 m in length between perpendiculars – 11.51 m in beam, 4.50 m in depth, and 3.45 m in maximum draft. It could carry 399 passengers and 67 cars and was powered by two Noab & Polar diesel engines, with a power of 2,310 horsepower over two shafts and variable pitch propellers, allowing it to maintain a speed of 14 knots. IMO Code 7382938.

The inaugural trip of the “Benchijigua” ferry took place on Monday, July 8, 1974. Four days earlier, it had arrived at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife from Trondheim and La Coruña. The day after, it was presented to the media of the province of Tenerife, and over the weekend, it performed several maneuvers in the ports of San Sebastián de La Gomera and Los Cristianos. We must consider that at that time it was a novel ship and the ports were not prepared for its operation, so Ferry Gomera had to equip the docks with ramps made to meet its needs.

The new vessel had cost 172 million pesetas, and its importation was made possible under the Economic and Fiscal Regime (REF) of the Canary Islands of 1971, for ships under 900 gross tons, whose guidelines had been drawn up with undeniable success by the late Tenerife lawyer Antonio Carballo Cotanda.

The first “Benchijigua” offered a new concept of maritime transport in the Canary Islands, which was common in Nordic countries. It was a pure ferry, with a bow ramp and a stern ramp for the direct transit of cars, vans, trucks, buses, and trailers; restaurant services – it had a very cozy one below the garage deck – two bars, television, a solarium, and was equipped with stabilizers that made navigation between the two ports more pleasant, in an hour and a half of travel.

The fare was 280 pesetas for an adult (340 pesetas if it included bus transport from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, provided by the company, rented from Tenerife Bus). A car paid between 500 and 700 pesetas, depending on its size. Departures from San Sebastián de La Gomera – its naval registration port – were at 06:00, 11:00, and 19:00; and from Los Cristianos at 08:30, 13:00, and 20:00. It always overnighted in La Gomera, which allowed it to provide invaluable services at odd hours that are present in the collective imagination.

On July 8, 1974, at 11:00 AM, it set sail from the port of Los Cristianos on its inaugural journey. On board, among the present authorities, were the civil governor of the province, Rafael González Echegaray, a prominent naval historian from Santander, who had been deputy director of Compañía Trasatlántica Española; the military governor, General Rafael Facerías; the president of the Cabildos Federation, Rafael Clavijo García, and a broad representation from the business and social sector. Upon its arrival in La Gomera, it was welcomed with traditional music and drums, and the new ship was blessed by the bishop of the Nivariense Diocese, Luis Franco Cascón, with María Angélica Domingo, wife of the then vice president of the shipping company Álvaro Rodríguez-López Braun, acting as godmother.

Between 1984 and 1998 it sailed under the name “Akraborg”

In October 1980, replaced by the second “Benchijigua”, it was renamed “Betancuria” and opened the Corralejo-Playa Blanca line. There was no luck then in small and inadequate ports, and an accident led to its immobilization and export, being sold in 1984 to the Icelandic company Skallagrimur, which registered it under the new name “Akraborg”. For 14 years, it covered the Reykiavik-Akranes line and in July 1998 was sold to the aforementioned Maritime Safety and Survival Training Center, then called Slysavarnarfelag, and received the new name “Saebjörg”.

Since 1998 it has served as a training ship for rescue

It is a good time to remember the maritime appearance of this ship, the many extraordinary trips made to evacuate the injured and sick, and the maritime tributes to the Virgin of Guadalupe on the date of her feast day. A commitment from Fred. Olsen and those who then accompanied him in the shareholding of Ferry Gomera – Leopoldo Boado and Endeiza, Álvaro Rodríguez-López Braun, Cándido García-San Juan, and Antonio Carballo Fernández – and other professionals who, with their effort, dedication, and loyalty, made the consolidation of the line possible.

A memory of gratitude for Tomás Cerdeña Brito, Julio Mosquera Valeiras, Per Tonsager, Thor O. Lindberg, and Laly Hernando; the captains Miguel Ángel Sánchez Conejo, Tomás González Sánchez-Araña and Servando Peraza García, who were its masters and who made the shifts – José Manuel Pérez, Fernando Salvador Sánchez-Caro, José Luis Chinea López, José Ramón León Herrera, Maximiliano Plasencia Medel, Francisco Rodríguez Aguilar, José Chillón González, and José Jiménez Gutiérrez – as well as its chief engineer, José García Oliva, whom we have already mentioned, and his replacements José Carlos García Rodríguez (who was also at the Trondheim shipyard during the construction of the ship), Daniel Noda Mesa, José Yanes Griñán, and Juan Imeldo Gómez Gómez and the other crew members on deck, in the engine room, subordinates, and land staff. All of them, without exception, managed to turn their ship and their company into a legitimate pride of La Gomera.

Photos: archive of José García Oliva, Robbie Shaw and Barry Graham