The iconic ferry “Juan J. Sister” celebrates thirty years

These days mark the 30th anniversary of the incorporation of the vessel “Juan J. Sister” (IMO 9039391) to the Cádiz-Canary Islands line. In our opinion, it remains one of the best ships that Trasmediterránea has, and certainly, at the time, it was the pinnacle of the renewal of the passenger fleet of the Spanish merchant navy and the shipping company itself, which that year also incorporated the vessel “Las Palmas de Gran Canaria”, followed by its twin “Santa Cruz de Tenerife” in January 1994.

This vessel originated from the strategic plan of Compañía Trasmediterránea in 1990, during the presidency of Luis Delso Heras, which set the objectives for the company's development over a decade. Among them was the adaptation of the company's activities to provide National Interest Services, included in the contract with the State, considering the future development of such activity within the context of the EU.

In the study of services related to the line with the Canary Islands, the need for a newly built vessel whose characteristics adapted to the needs of the line became evident, which required a ship capable of transporting rolling cargo and that, during holidays and other specific dates, could transport passengers with all the required services.

There was controversy when in July 1991 it was announced that the contract for the future vessel would be awarded to the Finnish shipyard Kvaerner Masa-Yards Inc., with the commitment that it would be delivered in the spring of 1993, so that it would be operational for the summer campaign of that year. In the specifications from Trasmediterránea's technical management, it was requested that it maintain a speed of 18 knots, as indeed happened, a limitation regretted years later.

The construction of the vessel, named “Juan J. Sister”, took place at the large shipyard in Turku, where it was construction number 1,319. Its launching, which we attended, occurred on November 24, 1992, at -15º C, with Mrs. Amalia Montes del Pino, wife of Javier Gómez Navarro, a Trasmediterránea board member, serving as the godmother of the ceremony. For the hull design, Kvaerner Masa relied on the experience gained from construction number 1,315, which corresponds to the vessel “Normandie”, delivered in 1992 to Brittany Ferries, and which proved to be a notable success in naval engineering.

The delivery of the vessel was verified on May 12, 1993, in the presence of the Spanish ambassador, Eduardo Aranda y Carranza, and, as the Finnish flag was lowered, the Spanish flag was raised to the tune of the national anthem. That same afternoon, it set sail from the port of Turku bound for Cádiz, arriving on the 19th and docking at the Alfonso XIII quay. For the command of the vessel, Trasmediterránea appointed Captain Alejandro Mínguez Escolano and Chief Engineer José Cornejo.

More than two hundred people gathered on May 21 to attend the presentation of the vessel, which entered service the following day on the Cádiz-Canary Islands line. In the garage, a demonstration of the new technologies and processes that had been incorporated for the loading and/or unloading operations of trucks was made, with the operation of the “seasaw” ramp, a double-hinged structure that allows mobility to tilt in both directions, thus facilitating operations and avoiding the need for the trailer to maneuver in the hold. The operation of the heavy cargo elevator connecting the main garage deck with the lower hold was also demonstrated.

Subsequently, the vessel set sail for a tour of the Cádiz bay, escorted by the tugboat “Hispania” from the General Directorate of the Merchant Navy, which paid honors by launching powerful jets of water as a sign of welcome. The ships that were docked in the Cádiz port that day saluted by sounding their horns, the echoes of which enveloped the city. During the tour, attendees were treated to a meal, and at dessert, the classic toast was accompanied by the Tuna de Derecho from Jerez de la Frontera. After a journey of about 30 miles in the Gulf of Cádiz, it turned and headed back to the port. During the docking maneuver, it suffered an incident when it struck the quay on the port side, causing some damage.

At noon on May 24, 1993, it arrived at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife on its first stop, and at night it reached Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, its home port, becoming part of the weekly circuit.

Given the success achieved in the operation of the vessel and the evidence that it needed some improvements, it was decided to expand some of its facilities. First, a preferred dining room was installed to improve the quality of dining at a level higher than self-service, and during the 1995 dry-docking, modifications were made to the cargo hold to create a special category space for the boarding of trucks and self-propelled cars, and the recreational areas for passengers were increased, closing off the aft area of the open decks 7 and 8, with the addition of two multi-purpose verandas and a bar-disco, and the layout of the commercial shop area was also modified.

These modifications allowed passengers to finally have access to a reading lounge, a board game room, a buffet that complemented the previous lounges dedicated to onboard dining – à la carte and self-service – a large boutique shop operating on a self-service basis, and a grand two-level disco. Additionally, there were bar-pool and solarium services, a room with a bar, television, and video, a boutique shop, gaming and recreational machines, medical and nursing services, a 24-hour vending service area, a children's zone, an atrium disco with dual tracks, a convention room, and an outdoor jogging circuit, which the vessel originally had.

The contract for the execution of these works was awarded to the Unión Naval de Levante shipyard, and on October 14, 1995, the vessel arrived in Valencia to proceed with the work, which lasted until November 10. The next day, it entered the dry dock of Talleres Nuevo Vulcano in Barcelona, and on November 23, it left the Catalan city bound for Cádiz to rejoin the Cádiz-Canary Islands line, which during this time was served by the vessel “Ciudad de Badajoz”.

A special mention deserves, con the aim of optimizing the operation of the vessel, taking advantage of the weekly weekend stop in the port of Cádiz, Compañía Trasmediterránea, under the slogan “It’s time to enjoy the Juan J. Sister”, offered the general public the recreational areas of the vessel as well as restaurant service for company meals, associations, etc., turning the vessel “Juan J. Sister” into one of the most frequented leisure venues on Friday nights in Cádiz.

In early 1996, the vessel “Juan J. Sister” expanded its schedule in the Canary Islands, incorporating stops in Arrecife, Lanzarote starting January 3 of that year and in Santa Cruz de La Palma from July 1, 1997. And thus it remained until its withdrawal from the Cádiz-Canary Islands line, a decision that was highly contested at the time. Until the closure of this stage, we fondly remember Captains Francisco Font Betanzos, Antonio Díaz-Llanos González, and Gonzalo Cotelo; Chief Engineers Manuel Márquez and José Juan Martínez Olivera, as well as the purser Ignacio Escarda Salgado, from whom we received teachings and shared journeys of pleasant memory.

In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, painted with the corporate image of the presidency of Luis Delso

Photos: Arjan Elmendorp and Jotabe (shipspotting.com)