NEW FERRY LAUNCHED

The all-new Benchi Express at her launch yesterday (Image: Fred. Olsen Express)

Afloat and baptised !

The brand new ferry which will cover the so-called interior ferry line connecting the ports of Valle Gran Rey, Playa de Santiago, and San Sebastian de La Gomera was launched in Barcelona yesterday. The vessel was baptised Benchi Express with the customary bottle of bubbly during a ceremony with representatives of the Fred Olsen company. HOOOORAY and congratulations !

The purpose-built ferry will accommodate 250 passengers on two decks and there will be an open area on the upper deck available to passengers, while a cafeteria on the lower deck will offer drinks and snacks. The vessel will travel at an average speed of around 20 knots and being just under 90 ft long will be very easy to manoeuvre, which combined with the shortly to be installed floating jetties in the three ports will assure very fast turnaround times.

The reestablishment of a ferry service between the three southern ports of La Gomera will take some more time to become operational as the new vessel is not fully fitted out yet and will have to undergo lengthy sea trials, etc., before she'll obtain her seaworthiness and safety certificates while the ferry line will have to pass the usual  bureaucratic hurdles, but by the end of this summer the sorely missed connection should once again be a reality and its future assured. If you're planning a trip to southern La Gomera later this year, I'd recommend to wait with your ferry booking until the new service's schedule has been published. Find out more about the interior ferry line (click)...
+UPDATE: New ferry...  (click)

By the way, from midnight last night the ticket price for inter-island travel in the Canary Islands has decreased for residents as the subsidies from the Canarian government will now cover 75% of the regular price, leaving residents to pay just a quarter of the fare for travel by sea or air between the islands. Pity that I'm not a resident anymore...

Local police trained to deal with heart attacks

...before the ambulance arrives. (Archive image)

'The Canary Islander' recently reported:

''In La Gomera, there are many tourists who visit the island with serious health conditions, and island residents could also have health problems, but this island tourist destination has experienced increased incidents of heart attacks or emergency situations when an individual’s heart stops beating for various reasons. The 112-emergency service reacts very quickly by sending ambulances with trained medical staff, but often local police can be at the scene of a health incident more quickly. People who experience heart attacks on holiday are more likely to survive if they receive medical help quickly.

Therefore, the local police in San Sebastian de La Gomera has just received updated training sessions on the use of semi-automatic defibrillators and cardiorespiratory resuscitation methods that should be carried out in emergency situations. Also, cardio respiratory resuscitation equipment is now carried in all patrol cars.

The local police have portable defibrillators that mean that they can move these easily and use them in a wide range of situations. These new defibrillators are in addition to those already installed at three municipal sports centres. In addition, four out of six municipalities in La Gomera have semi-automatic defibrillators in public spaces. So faster responses by local police for emergency health incidents when waiting for ambulances and trained medical experts to arrive.''

Latest image of new ferry

The new Benchi Express vessel under construction for the Fred Olsen ferry company which is expected to come into service later this summer, connecting Valle Gran Rey, Playa de Santiago and San Sebastian de La Gomera three times daily in both directions. It is not clear when the above image was taken, but it appears to be some time ago. The Olsen company has also announced the installation of floating jetties and ramps in the three ports to facilitate the speedy berthing of the vessel which also will make it easier for passengers to board and disembark. (Image: Fred.Olsen)
+UPDATE: New ferry...  (click)

Bloomsday in La Gomera

Today is Bloomsday in honour of James Joyce, when celebrations take place in Ireland and around the world to celebrate Thursday 16 June 1904, which is the day depicted in the famous Irish writer's novel Ulysses. The day is named after Leopold Bloom, the central character in Ulysses. The novel follows the life and thoughts of Leopold Bloom and a host of other characters – real and fictional – from 8am on 16 June 1904 through to the early hours of the following morning.

This year a celebration will also take place in La Gomera, but not until Sunday, June 18th 2017, in the beautiful historic village of Agulo in La Gomera's north. The event starts at 7 pm in the Casa del Pintor Aguiar where excerpts of Ulysses will be be read in different languages as well as poems and other texts dedicated to Joyce's work, accompanied by music from Seamus Mac Aogain. 

The town of Agulo