Baja Ferries

{{Short description|Mexican ferry company}} {{Infobox company | name = Baja Ferries <br> bajaferries S.A de C.V | logo = | image = | image_size = | image_caption = | former_name = | type = Private company | industry = Transportation | foundation = {{start date and age|2003}} | defunct = | fate = | successor = | location_city = Prof. Marcelo Rubio Ruiz 1025, Zona Central 23000, [[La Paz, Baja California Sur]] | location_country = Mexico | area_served = [[Sea of Cortes]] | key_people = Ruano Brinqueiro (President) | services = Ferry transportation<br/>[[Ro-Ro|Ro-on/Ro-off transportation]] | operating_income = | net_income = | owner = [[Mariano Ruano Boza]] (Chairman)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://t21.com.mx/maritimo/2020/03/13/mariano-ruano-boza-empresario-personaje-logistico-ano|title = Mariano Ruano Boza, empresario y personaje logístico del año}}</ref> | parent = Baja Ferries S.A de C.V | divisions = [[Transportadora GEOS|Geos]] | subsid = | homepage ={{url|https://www.bajaferries.com.mx/|}} }}

'''Baja Ferries''' (also known as: '''bajaferries S.A de C.V''') is a Mexican [[shipping company]] dedicated to ferry transportation across the [[Sea of Cortes]]. Its headquarters are located in [[La Paz, Baja California Sur]].

The company was founded in 2003 by [[Mariano Ruano Boza]] to transport [[passenger]]s between the Mexican States of [[Sinaloa]] and [[Baja California Sur]]. The company included the subsidiary dedicated to [[trucking]] transportation company [[Transportadora GEOS]].

== History ==

The origins of ''Baja Ferries'' date back to 1991 when the French shipowner [[Daniel Berrebi]] obtained [[import]]/[[export]] contracts for Mexico from [[Alstom]]. In 1994 following the entry into force of the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] (NAFTA), Berrebi opened a first freight line between Mexico and the US initially then on the Western Mexican Coast from 1996. In 2001 the shipowner began its passenger transport activities by commissioning a high-speed ship between [[La Paz, Baja California Sur|La Paz]] and [[Topolobampo]], [[Sinaloa]].

In 2003, Berrebi chartered a [[mixed vessel]] with a rolling capacity of 2,100 linear meters from the Italian [[shipyard]] [[Cantiere Navale Visentini|Visentini]]. Becoming the ''California Star'', it inaugurated the activities of the company ''Baja Ferries'', created for the occasion. The following year a second ship joined the fleet, the car ferry ''Coromuel'', renamed ''Sinaloa Star''.

In 2007, ''Baja Ferries'' bought the car ferry ''Victory'' from the Italian company [[Grandi Navi Veloci]] and put it into service under the name ''Chihuahua Star'', replacing the ''Sinaloa Star'', which was leaving the fleet.

In 2010, a new mixed vessel was integrated into the fleet, the [[Monte Cinto (ship)|Monte Cinto]], bought from [[SNCM]], which took the name of ''Mazatlan Star''. His arrival allows the transfer in 2011 of the ''Chihuahua Star'' within the company [[America Cruise Ferries]], another company owned by Daniel Berrebi operating lines in the [[Caribbean]] between [[Puerto Rico]] and the [[Dominican Republic]].

A new [[Ro-Ro]] carrier was put into service in 2013, the ex-[[Strada Corsa]], bought in Italy after the bankruptcy of its owner and put into service under the name ''La Paz Star''.

In November 2014, the company embarked on the race to take over [[SNCM]], placed in receivership by the Commercial Court of [[Marseille]]. Based on a plan to reduce the company's scope of activity to [[Marseille]]-[[Corsica]] lines alone, subsidized under the public service delegation, and the development of lines with the [[Maghreb]], with in particular the opening of a line to [[Morocco]], its offer will be modified several times as the deadline is pushed back.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.corsenetinfos.corsica/SNCM-Le-groupe-Rocca-est-le-nouveau-repreneur-les-syndicats-entrent-en-greve-illimitee-_a18295.html|title = SNCM : Le groupe Rocca est le nouveau repreneur, les syndicats entrent en grève illimitée !|website=Corse Net Infos|date=2015-11-20|last=Mari|first=Nichole|language=fr}}</ref> Baja Ferries will in particular try to form a common front with the [[STEF Group]] before the latter decides to withdraw.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.econostrum.info/Corsica-Linea-inaugure-une-ligne-de-fret-entre-Bastia-et-Marseille-l-ex-SNCM-se-met-en-greve_a21283.html|title=Corsica Linea inaugure une ligne de fret entre Bastia et Marseille, l'ex-SNCM se met en grève|website=Econostrum|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709184539/https://www.econostrum.info/Corsica-Linea-inaugure-une-ligne-de-fret-entre-Bastia-et-Marseille-l-ex-SNCM-se-met-en-greve_a21283.html|archive-date=2022-07-09|date=2016-01-05|last=Dubessy|first=Frédéric|language=fr}}</ref> Its offer will finally be discarded in favor of that of the Corsican transporter ''Rocca''.<ref name=":0" />

It is for this reason that, from January 2016, ''Baja Ferries'' joined the consortium of Corsican companies [[Corsica Maritima]], also a candidate for the takeover of ''SNCM'', and participated in the launch of the company Corsica Linea by chartering the [[ro-ro]] ship to it. [[Stena Line|Stena]] Carrier, intended to compete with the new company succeeding ''SNCM'' between [[Marseille]] and [[Corsica]]. However, the two companies merging in April 2016, ''Baja Ferries'' will withdraw from the project. The Stena Carrier will join the company's fleet in 2018 under the name of ''México Star'', as will another chartered ro-ro to serve [[Ajaccio]]. which would eventually join Baja Ferries in 2016 as ''Cabo Star'' before being chartered overseas.

That same year, 2016 his ship, the former ''Chihuahua Star'', chartered by [[America Cruise Ferries|ACF]] under the name ''Caribbean Fantasy'', suffered a fire in the [[Caribbean]] in August.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ledauphine.com/france-monde/2016/08/17/512-personnes-evacuees-d-un-ferry-en-feu-au-large-de-porto-rico|title=ÉTATS-UNIS. 512 personnes évacuées d'un ferry en feu au large de Porto Rico|website=[[Le Dauphine Libere]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250715082046/https://www.ledauphine.com/france-monde/2016/08/17/512-personnes-evacuees-d-un-ferry-en-feu-au-large-de-porto-rico|archive-date=2025-07-15|url-status=live|date=2016-08-17|url-access=subscription|language=fr}}</ref> The extent of the damage led to her being sold for scrap the following year.

This vessel was then replaced within the fleet by the ''Baja Star'', a 170-metre car ferry purchased from the Chinese company [[Rizhao Haitong Ferry|''Rizhao Ferries'']]. First placed on the charter market, she joined the lines of Baja Ferries at the end of 2019 after the sale of the ''California Star''.

== Fleet ==

=== Old Fleet ===

{| class="wikitable" !Ship !Flag !Type !In service !Period ![[tonnage]] !Length !Width !Passengers !Vehicles !Knots !Status !Image |- | align="center" |''California Star'' | align="Center" |[[File:Flag_of_Mexico.svg|border|25x25px]] | align="Center" |Mixed vessel | align="Center" |2001 | align="Center" |2003–2019 | align="Center" |{{formatnum:25000}} UMS | align="Center" |186.49 m | align="Center" |25.60 m | align="Center" |1000 | align="Center" |75 | align="Center" |22,5 knots | align="Center" |Sold to [[Adria Ferries]], currently in service in the [[Mediterranean]] under name of ''AF Claudia''. | |- | align="center" |''[[Caribbean Fantasy]]'' | align="Center" |[[File:Flag_of_Panama.svg|border|25x25px]] | align="Center" |Ferry | align="Center" |1989 | align="Center" |2008–2017 | align="Center" |{{formatnum:27362}} UMS | align="Center" |187.13 m | align="Center" |27 m | align="Center" |950 | align="Center" |550 | align="Center" |23,5 knots | align="Center" |Service from 2011 to 2016 and sold to [[America Cruise Ferries]]. Caught fire in 2016, Scrapped in [[Aliağa]] in 2017. |[[File:CaribbeanFantasy-2012.jpg|230px]] |- | align="Center" |''La Paz Star'' | align="Center" |[[File:Flag_of_Mexico.svg|border|25x25px]] | align="Center" |Ro-Ro | align="Center" |1978 | align="Center" |2013–2016 | align="Center" |{{formatnum:16776}} UMS | align="Center" |151.94 m | align="Center" |23.50 m | align="Center" |12 | align="Center" |1650 m linéaires | align="Center" |17 knots | align="Center" |Resold to Fabrilo Holdings, finally Scrapped in 2017. | |- | align="center" |''[[Monte Cinto (ship)|Mazatlan Star]]'' | align="Center" |[[File:Flag_of_Mexico.svg|border|25x25px]] | align="Center" |Mixed vessel | align="Center" |1984 | align="Center" |2010–2014 | align="Center" |{{formatnum:14798}} UMS | align="Center" |136.04 m | align="Center" |22.52 m | align="Center" |111 | align="Center" |35 | align="Center" |18 knots | align="Center" |Sold to Chilean company [[Navimag]] renamed ''Eden''. Scrapped in 2019. |[[File:Monte Cinto ILR.jpg|220px]] |- | align="Center" |''Sinaloa Star'' | align="Center" |[[File:Flag_of_Mexico.svg|border|25x25px]] | align="Center" |Ferry | align="Center" |1973 | align="Center" |2004–2008 | align="Center" |{{formatnum:7234}} UMS | align="Center" |108.70 m | align="Center" |17.20 m | align="Center" |650 | align="Center" |220 | align="Center" |16 knots | align="Center" |Scrapped in [[Alang]]. | |- |}

=== Current fleet ===

{| class="wikitable" |+ ! rowspan="2" |Ship ! rowspan="2" |Flag ! rowspan="2" |Type ! rowspan="2" |In service ! rowspan="2" |Entry with fleet ! rowspan="2" |[[tonnage]] ! rowspan="2" |Length ! rowspan="2" |Width ! colspan="3" class="unsortable" |Capacity ! rowspan="2" |Knots ! rowspan="2" |Status ! rowspan="2" |Image |- !Passengers !Vehicles !Trailers |- | align="Center" |''[[Baja Star]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bajaferries.com.mx/nuestra-flota|title = Nuestra Flota – Baja Ferries|website=bajaferries|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240523015718/https://www.bajaferries.com.mx/nuestra-flota|archive-date=2024-05-23}}</ref> | align="Center" |[[File:Flag_of_Mexico.svg|border|25x25px]] | align="Center" |Fast Ferry | align="Center" |1992 | align="Center" |2016 | align="Center" |{{formatnum:24946}} UMS | align="Center" |170 m | align="Center" |25 m | align="Center" |705 | align="Center" |90 | align="Center" |100 | align="Center" |26 knots | align="Center" |In service | align="Center" |[[File:Baja Star La Paz.jpg|220px]] |- | align="Center" |''México Star'' | align="Center" |[[File:Flag_of_Mexico.svg|border|25x25px]] | align="Center" |[[Ro-Ro]] | align="Center" |2004 | align="Center" |2018 | align="Center" |{{formatnum:21089}} UMS | align="Center" |182.60 m | align="Center" |25.50 m | align="Center" |12 | align="Center" | – | align="Center" |2775 m | align="Center" |22 knots | align="Center" |In service | aling="Center" | |- | align="Center" |''Cabo Star'' | align="Center" |[[File:Flag_of_Panama.svg|border|25x25px]] | align="Center" |Ro-Ro | align="Center" |1988 | align="Center" |2016 | align="Center" |{{formatnum:19963}} UMS | align="Center" |157.51 m | align="Center" |25.32 m | align="Center" |12 | align="Center" | – | align="Center" |2100 | align="Center" |20,5 knots | align="Center" | | align="Center" | |- | align="Center" |''[[Searoad Mersey (1991)|Balandra Star]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.histarmar.com.ar/MarinaMercanteExtr/MarinaMercanteMexico/Mercantes/Balandra_Star.htm|title = Mex|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224202623/http://www.histarmar.com.ar/MarinaMercanteExtr/MarinaMercanteMexico/Mercantes/Balandra_Star.htm|archive-date=2020-02-24|website=www.histarmar.com}}</ref> | align="Center" |[[File:Flag_of_Panama.svg|border|25x25px]] | align="Center" |Ro-Ro | align="Center" |1990 | align="Center" |2016 | align="Center" |{{formatnum:5925}} UMS | align="Center" |91,50 m | align="Center" |¿? m | align="Center" | | align="Center" | – | align="Center" | | align="Center" | | align="Center" | | aling="Center" | |- |}

== References ==

[[Category:Companies of Mexico]] [[Category:Transportation in Mexico]] [[Category:2003 establishments in Mexico]] [[Category:Ferries of Mexico]] [[Category:Privatized companies in Mexico]] [[Category:La Paz, Baja California Sur]] [[Category:Gulf of California]] [[Category:Transportation in Baja California Sur]]