From Madeira to Porto Santo, aboard the ferry “Lobo Marinho”

A recent trip to the always appreciated and admired island of Madeira gave us the pleasant opportunity to visit for the first time the nearby island of Porto Santo, located 42 kilometers northeast of the tip of Sao Lourenço. Every day, in two and a half hours of travel, the ferry “Lobo Marinho,” owned by Porto Santo Line, makes the maritime connection between the ports of Funchal and Vila Baleira possible.

An enjoyable crossing that becomes the best option to reach Porto Santo, where 40 minutes of travel pleasantly pass under the shelter of the south of the island, during which one can admire the extraordinary engineering work of the expansion of the island airport, with the runway supported on impressive columns in land reclaimed from the sea. After an hour at sea, the ship reaches the shelter of Ilhéu da Cal and Caletha and docks at the small modern island port.

“Lobo Marinho” is a name deeply rooted in the maritime history of Madeira. The current one is the second to bear this name and the third of Porto Santo Line. On the main deck, on the port side, models of the ships that have covered the route are displayed, allowing us to learn about the evolution of inter-island maritime transport in Madeira.

The current “Lobo Marinho” is an elegant, charming ship, well-proportioned in its aesthetics and very well maintained. It is a mix of ferry and mini cruise ship, with carpeted floors, very clean in all its spaces, with three decks for passengers, of which the upper one, located above the bridge, corresponds to first class, which has a noble lounge, bar-cafeteria, and a panoramic terrace located at the bow that runs from side to side.

The other lounges pay tribute to emblematic spaces of Madeira, such as the Desertas Islands. The main deck has two spacious lounges with their original furniture and respective bars themed in different eras. In the case of the bow lounge and bar, it has reminiscences of American hotels from the sixties and reminds us of the Caracas Hilton hotel. Of the two lounges located at the stern, on different decks, one is available for smokers and the adjacent one has functional decor, as well as a seating area with television, while the second lounge is a functional self-service and an open terrace to the sea at a very wide visual angle where the flag of Portugal waves.

On the main deck, in addition to the respective lounges located at the bow and stern, there are two shops – one of them selling branded clothing – as well as an à la carte restaurant, which showcases regional cuisine and features a wine list entirely made up of Portuguese wines. There is a VIP area consisting of five cabins, located next to the bridge. On the lower deck, there is a cinema, a game room, and a spacious nursery. All the staff on board are very friendly, attentive, and cordial, which becomes another attraction of this ship, which has always caught our attention.

The hull of the “Lobo Marinho” was built at the Baltivskiy Zadov shipyard in St. Petersburg (Russia), between September 2001 and August 2002, when it was towed to the Viana do Castelo shipyard (Portugal), where it underwent final outfitting and entered service in May 2003 flying the Porto Santo Line flag.

It is a ship of 8,077 gross tons, 2,423 net tons, and 1,100 deadweight tons, with a hull measuring 120 m in length, 20 m in width, and 4.50 m in draft. It is powered by two Mak 12&32C engines, totaling 16,000 kW on independent shafts, allowing it to maintain a speed of 21 knots. It is authorized to carry 1,157 passengers, 50 crew members, and 145 vehicles. IMO Code 9267390.

Captain José Carrera maneuvering the ship 'Lobo Marinho' in the port of Funchal

Photos: Juan Carlos Díaz Lorenzo

Our gratitude to: Rui Albuquerque Gouveia, Norberto Abreu, Captain José Carrera, Marcia Freitas and Aurelio Quintal. And to all the crew on our journey aboard the ferry 'Lobo Marinho.'