Two Canary Island Captains Lead the New Stage of the Trimaran “Pepita Castellví” on the Route Between Los Cristianos, La Gomera, and La Palma

Baleària Canarias launches the trimaran “Pepita Castellví” this morning on the Santa Cruz de La Palma-Los Cristianos route, with its first departure at 07:00 hours. After a direct journey of two hours and 45 minutes, it will arrive at the port of Los Cristianos. The departure from Los Cristianos, also direct, is scheduled for 18:15 hours, arriving at Santa Cruz de La Palma at 20:45 hours.

The service to La Gomera consists of four departures from Los Cristianos at 09:00 hours, 12:45 hours (“Pepita Castellví”), 15:00 hours, and 19:30 hours. In the opposite direction, it will leave San Sebastián at 07:15 hours, 12:00 hours, 16:00 hours (“Pepita Castellví”), and 18:00 hours. The journey duration will be 50 minutes.

On these routes, except for the indicated ones, the catamaran “Volcán de Teno” will be in charge, which will be provisional while the catamaran “Volcán de Tirajana” remains docked at ASTICAN for a week to resolve engine issues and other work on board.

On board the trimaran “Pepita Castellví,” passengers will experience a new chapter in the history of maritime transport in the Canary Islands. The vessel has been completely remodeled in Cernaval, Cádiz, and is equipped with high-quality seating in various environments, as well as a cafeteria, self-service, shop, nursery, PMR access, rear terrace, wifi, and VIP spaces.

According to Baleària Canarias, on Tuesday, June 16 at 20:00 hours, it will be presented at the port of Santa Cruz de La Palma in the presence of the first island authorities, businesspeople, clients, travel agencies, and media.

The following day, Wednesday 17, at 13:00 hours, it will be presented in a similar event at the port of San Sebastián de La Gomera and that same day, at 17:00 hours, at the port of Los Cristianos.

At the end of this month, the mentioned vessel will make a daily triangulation in conjunction with the catamaran “Volcán de Tirajana,” with two daily services to La Palma and four or five trips to La Gomera. Details will be provided by the company president, Adolfo Utor, at the planned events.

This is a vessel of 6,307 gross tons with a hull length of 102 m and a beam of 29.75 m, with capacity for 800 passengers, 250 cars, and 190 linear meters of rolling cargo, powered by three MTU engines with 20 cylinders each, totaling 12,200 horsepower and driving three water jets that allowed it to reach a speed of 38 knots during recent sea trials.

For the command of the vessel, Baleària Canarias has appointed two Canary Island captains: Antonio Dorta Barroso —the chief captain— and Eduardo Cañizares Morales. Of a crew of 25, twelve are Spanish, five from the European Union, and eight Latin Americans with extensive professional experience in the company.

Antonio Dorta Barroso (Valle Gran Rey, 1986), grandson of the fisherman Nino Abreu, who would decisively influence his professional life, studied at Luther King Sur School and graduated in Nautical Science and Maritime Transport from the Higher School of Nautical Science, Machines, and Naval Radioelectronics in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which is part of the University of La Laguna, where he also holds a diploma in Maritime Navigation.

After his time as a student on the catamarans “Garajonay,” “Orone,” “Benchi Express,” trimaran “Benchijigua Express,” and the ferries “Volcán de Tejeda” and “Volcán de Tamadaba,” in 2012 he began his professional journey as a second officer on the ferries “Volcán de Tamadaba,” “Volcán de Tijarafe,” “Volcán de Tindaya,” and “Volcán de Tamasite.”

In 2014, he began his relationship with Baleària as a first officer on the ferries “Passió per Formentera” and “Nixe,” where he made his debut as captain in 2016 and on the former in 2017. He later became captain of the catamarans “Jaume II” and “Pinar del Río,” and that year he began his relationship with Naviera Armas as captain of the catamarans “Volcán de Teno,” “Volcán de Tirajana,” “Volcán de Tagoro,” and “Volcán de Taidía,” until 2024 when he returned to Baleària as captain of the ferry “Bahama Mama” and the catamaran “Eleanor Roosevelt.”

Eduardo Cañizares Morales (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1981). He studied at Luther King School in La Laguna and graduated in Nautical Science and Maritime Transport from the Higher School of Nautical Science, Machines, and Naval Radioelectronics in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which is part of the University of La Laguna. In 2006, he started as a student in Flota Suardíaz and later sailed as a second officer until 2016, when he began his relationship with high-speed vessels, serving as a first officer on the catamaran “Jaume I,” making the Port Everglades-Freeport route for Baleària Caribbean.

From April 2018, he became captain of the catamaran “Volcán de Teno,” where he remained until April 2018, until the arrival of the “Volcán de Taidía” in the Canary Islands, where he did a couple of campaigns, later becoming captain of the “Volcán de Tagoro,” to return again to the “Volcán de Teno” on the La Gomera-Los Cristianos route, where he has remained for the last four years.

Photos: Juan Carlos Díaz Lorenzo