# Baja Ferries

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Mexican ferry company

Baja Ferries bajaferries S.A de C.V Type Private company Industry Transportation Area served Sea of Cortes Key people Ruano Brinqueiro (President) Services Ferry transportation Ro-on/Ro-off transportation Owner Mariano Ruano Boza (Chairman)[1] Parent Baja Ferries S.A de C.V Divisions Geos

**Baja Ferries** (also known as: **bajaferries S.A de C.V**) is a Mexican [shipping company](/source/Shipping_company) dedicated to ferry transportation across the [Sea of Cortes](/source/Sea_of_Cortes). Its headquarters are located in [La Paz, Baja California Sur](/source/La_Paz%2C_Baja_California_Sur).

The company was founded in 2003 by [Mariano Ruano Boza](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mariano_Ruano_Boza&action=edit&redlink=1) to transport [passengers](/source/Passenger) between the Mexican States of [Sinaloa](/source/Sinaloa) and [Baja California Sur](/source/Baja_California_Sur). The company included the subsidiary dedicated to [trucking](/source/Trucking) transportation company [Transportadora GEOS](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Transportadora_GEOS&action=edit&redlink=1).

## History

The origins of *Baja Ferries* date back to 1991 when the French shipowner [Daniel Berrebi](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daniel_Berrebi&action=edit&redlink=1) obtained [import](/source/Import)/[export](/source/Export) contracts for Mexico from [Alstom](/source/Alstom). In 1994 following the entry into force of the [North American Free Trade Agreement](/source/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](/source/La_Paz%2C_Baja_California_Sur) and [Topolobampo](/source/Topolobampo), [Sinaloa](/source/Sinaloa).

In 2003, Berrebi chartered a [mixed vessel](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mixed_vessel&action=edit&redlink=1) with a rolling capacity of 2,100 linear meters from the Italian [shipyard](/source/Shipyard) [Visentini](/source/Cantiere_Navale_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](/source/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](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Monte_Cinto_(ship)&action=edit&redlink=1), bought from [SNCM](/source/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](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=America_Cruise_Ferries&action=edit&redlink=1), another company owned by Daniel Berrebi operating lines in the [Caribbean](/source/Caribbean) between [Puerto Rico](/source/Puerto_Rico) and the [Dominican Republic](/source/Dominican_Republic).

A new [Ro-Ro](/source/Ro-Ro) carrier was put into service in 2013, the ex-[Strada Corsa](/source/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](/source/SNCM), placed in receivership by the Commercial Court of [Marseille](/source/Marseille). Based on a plan to reduce the company's scope of activity to [Marseille](/source/Marseille)-[Corsica](/source/Corsica) lines alone, subsidized under the public service delegation, and the development of lines with the [Maghreb](/source/Maghreb), with in particular the opening of a line to [Morocco](/source/Morocco), its offer will be modified several times as the deadline is pushed back.[2] Baja Ferries will in particular try to form a common front with the [STEF Group](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=STEF_Group&action=edit&redlink=1) before the latter decides to withdraw.[3] Its offer will finally be discarded in favor of that of the Corsican transporter *Rocca*.[2]

It is for this reason that, from January 2016, *Baja Ferries* joined the consortium of Corsican companies [Corsica Maritima](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Corsica_Maritima&action=edit&redlink=1), also a candidate for the takeover of *SNCM*, and participated in the launch of the company Corsica Linea by chartering the [ro-ro](/source/Ro-ro) ship to it. [Stena](/source/Stena_Line) Carrier, intended to compete with the new company succeeding *SNCM* between [Marseille](/source/Marseille) and [Corsica](/source/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](/source/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 [ACF](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=America_Cruise_Ferries&action=edit&redlink=1) under the name *Caribbean Fantasy*, suffered a fire in the [Caribbean](/source/Caribbean) in August.[4] 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 Ferries*](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rizhao_Haitong_Ferry&action=edit&redlink=1). 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

Ship Flag Type In service Period tonnage Length Width Passengers Vehicles Knots Status Image California Star Mixed vessel 2001 2003–2019 25,000 UMS 186.49 m 25.60 m 1000 75 22,5 knots Sold to Adria Ferries, currently in service in the Mediterranean under name of AF Claudia. Caribbean Fantasy Ferry 1989 2008–2017 27,362 UMS 187.13 m 27 m 950 550 23,5 knots Service from 2011 to 2016 and sold to America Cruise Ferries. Caught fire in 2016, Scrapped in Aliağa in 2017. La Paz Star Ro-Ro 1978 2013–2016 16,776 UMS 151.94 m 23.50 m 12 1650 m linéaires 17 knots Resold to Fabrilo Holdings, finally Scrapped in 2017. Mazatlan Star Mixed vessel 1984 2010–2014 14,798 UMS 136.04 m 22.52 m 111 35 18 knots Sold to Chilean company Navimag renamed Eden. Scrapped in 2019. Sinaloa Star Ferry 1973 2004–2008 7,234 UMS 108.70 m 17.20 m 650 220 16 knots Scrapped in Alang.

### Current fleet

Ship Flag Type In service Entry with fleet tonnage Length Width Capacity Knots Status Image Passengers Vehicles Trailers Baja Star[5] Fast Ferry 1992 2016 24,946 UMS 170 m 25 m 705 90 100 26 knots In service México Star Ro-Ro 2004 2018 21,089 UMS 182.60 m 25.50 m 12 – 2775 m 22 knots In service Cabo Star Ro-Ro 1988 2016 19,963 UMS 157.51 m 25.32 m 12 – 2100 20,5 knots Balandra Star[6] Ro-Ro 1990 2016 5,925 UMS 91,50 m ¿? m –

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Mariano Ruano Boza, empresario y personaje logístico del año"](http://t21.com.mx/maritimo/2020/03/13/mariano-ruano-boza-empresario-personaje-logistico-ano).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_2-1) Mari, Nichole (20 November 2015). ["SNCM : Le groupe Rocca est le nouveau repreneur, les syndicats entrent en grève illimitée !"](https://www.corsenetinfos.corsica/SNCM-Le-groupe-Rocca-est-le-nouveau-repreneur-les-syndicats-entrent-en-greve-illimitee-_a18295.html). *Corse Net Infos* (in French).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Dubessy, Frédéric (5 January 2016). ["Corsica Linea inaugure une ligne de fret entre Bastia et Marseille, l'ex-SNCM se met en grève"](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). *Econostrum* (in French). Archived from [the original](https://www.econostrum.info/Corsica-Linea-inaugure-une-ligne-de-fret-entre-Bastia-et-Marseille-l-ex-SNCM-se-met-en-greve_a21283.html) on 9 July 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["ÉTATS-UNIS. 512 personnes évacuées d'un ferry en feu au large de Porto Rico"](https://www.ledauphine.com/france-monde/2016/08/17/512-personnes-evacuees-d-un-ferry-en-feu-au-large-de-porto-rico). *[Le Dauphine Libere](/source/Le_Dauphine_Libere)* (in French). 17 August 2016. [Archived](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) from the original on 15 July 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Nuestra Flota – Baja Ferries"](https://web.archive.org/web/20240523015718/https://www.bajaferries.com.mx/nuestra-flota). *bajaferries*. Archived from [the original](https://www.bajaferries.com.mx/nuestra-flota) on 23 May 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Mex"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200224202623/http://www.histarmar.com.ar/MarinaMercanteExtr/MarinaMercanteMexico/Mercantes/Balandra_Star.htm). *www.histarmar.com*. Archived from [the original](http://www.histarmar.com.ar/MarinaMercanteExtr/MarinaMercanteMexico/Mercantes/Balandra_Star.htm) on 24 February 2020.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Baja Ferries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baja_Ferries) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baja_Ferries?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.