Trimaran - Detailed Interior Review

Immediately apparent to passengers onboard as they relax in one of the many lounges will be the higher comfort levels and excellent stability afforded by the vessel's three hulls while sailing at a cruising speed in excess of 40 knots.

From the vehicle deck, passenger access to the Upper Deck is by way of staircases aft, amidships and forward on both the port and starboard sides of the vessel while foot passengers enter the ship through shell doors in the vessel's hull. A lift ensures passengers who may require assistance enjoy equal access to and from all areas of the vessel.

The main passenger facilities on board "Benchijigua Express" are located on one deck, the Upper Deck, which is split into three distinctive lounge areas along its length, each featuring its own style of seating, colour scheme and facilities as well as extensive use of glass to ensure a sea view for all. Above this, on the Observation Deck, a VIP lounge is provided for up to 134 passengers.

From the aft staircases the embarking passenger crosses the external viewing deck, which provides 112 Ocean Steamer canvas outdoor seats, and enters the vessel through automatic doors to the aft Upper Deck lounge. Each sliding door is equipped with an opening sensor for automatic operation and a manual override system for a dead ship condition. Hard timber-style flooring from the aft doors, port and starboard, leads the passenger along the length of the vessel through the various carpeted lounges.

The aft lounge is tastefully finished with blues and reds containing a mix of Ocean Tub seats with tables and Ocean recliner style seats surrounding the forward facing bar which provides facilities to serve a wide variety of beverages and snacks, including Cappuccino, Espresso, American and French style coffees. The bar is flanked by Ocean Tub seats with tables for 134 passengers while outboard of these on both sides of the vessel a total of 264 passengers are seated in Ocean Club reclining seats. For passenger entertainment a large plasma screen TV monitor is installed. A characteristic of "Benchijigua Express" is the extensive use of natural light through floor to ceiling windows which feature in each of the vessel’s main lounges. The aft lounge is further enhanced by a skylight through which sunlight highlights the central area of the cabin.

Separating the aft lounge from the midships area is a facilities block containing male and female toilets, unisex disability toilet/baby change room and a 400 kg passenger lift to and from the Vehicle Deck, and Observation Deck.

The midship lounge is the focal point for many onboard activities and is bordered by an impressive glass fronted shop/kiosk, outboard seating areas and a café servery area. As with the aft lounge perhaps the most striking feature of the central area is the sloped skylight directing natural light onto the centre square where 78 passengers may sit in tub style seats around circular tables. Outboard of the hard flooring passageways, on both sides of the vessel, a further 45 passengers may also sit in tub seating around circular tables while taking in sea views through the large floor to ceiling windows.

Tastefully decorated with large expanses of glass the shop is arranged to display a wide selection of souvenirs, newspapers, books and magazines. Hidden racks in the shop house amplifiers for speaker loading, a VCR, an MP3 music player, a dual cassette deck and AM/FM tuner, a digitised memory bank to pre-record up to five announcements, a music monitor and selector panel, a preview TV monitor, a PA announcement panel and a general alarm/fire alarm push button panel.

A must on every ferry is a children's play area and "Benchijigua Express" is no exception. Located in the aft end of the midship lounge on the port side the playroom is decorated by colourful murals and comes complete with a 48cm monitor and VCR. Immediately outside the play area is seating for 48 passengers where parents can watch while their children play. Located in this area on the starboard side of the vessel are Ocean Tourist reclining seats for 80 passengers.

Just aft of the café is a fully equipped crew mess complete with seating for 20 crew members on comfortable lounge sofas positioned around three tables. Also provided is a television monitor, a 200 litre refrigerator and a microwave oven. A servery counter separates the mess from the rear of the food preparation area.

The servery itself is fitted with two refrigerated display units with a curved glass front. Work areas and display racks are stainless steel laminate onto a lightweight honeycomb core. Behind the servery the food preparation area is fitted with 60 minute fire resistant bulkheads and fire doors and is fitted with stainless steel worktops and shelving, three convection ovens with stands, three refrigerators, one freezer and two microwave ovens.

Some of the finest views on board "Benchijigua Express" may be enjoyed from the comfort of the forward lounge which boasts a panoramic 300º view of the horizon via sweeping tinted windows. The lounge caters for 296 passengers in forward facing Ocean Tourist reclining seats and is served by a bar equipped with facilities to provide a variety of food and beverages. Hard timber-style flooring around the front of the bar links to the passageways extending the length of the vessel port and starboard. Access stairs to and from the forward vehicle deck are positioned port and starboard and, as with the stairs midships and aft, are vinyl covered with non-slip surface on the leading edge of each step.

Above, on the Observation Deck is the "Classe Oro" VIP Lounge offering impressive sea views from the highest vantage point available to passengers, more than 13 metres above water level. Tastefully furnished in soft browns the lounge is laid out with Ocean Tub and Ocean Executive seating for 134 passengers and the bar area is equipped with six bar stools each with a circular foot rest. A private outdoor viewing deck is also provided with seats for 16 passengers.

Atop the VIP lounge is the raised bridge which is arranged for a three person team, the Master seated in the centre, with the Chief Engineer to port and Chief Officer to starboard. As the vessel always berths stern first an aft-facing docking console and CCTV monitors negate the need for bridge wings, the master standing on the centreline immediately behind his seat when berthing.

The bridge is fitted with the latest in electronic, navigation and communication equipment including inter-switched X and S band ARPA radars; Electronic Chart Display, DGPS receiver, night vision, voyage data recorder and steering control levers on the outboard armrest for the Master and Chief Officer. Austal's integrated monitoring, alarm and control system, Marine Link, ensures all vessel functions can be monitored and controlled from the Chief Engineer's console.

All passenger windows on the vessel are fitted with a window washing system consisting of a nozzle located above each window. The water is supplied to the nozzles using PVC piping and controlled by electric solenoid valves operated from the closest Bar or Servery. All external piping is stainless steel and windows may be washed in sections rather than simultaneously.

Ceilings in all areas consist of a mix of open grillage ceiling extrusions and non-perforated light-weight ceiling tiles with a powder coated finish. Televisions for video distribution are ceiling mounted in vacuum formed acrylic hoods, in most cases painted to match the ceiling tiles. Throughout the vessel much use is made of soft downlighting adding a touch of ambience to the pleasing interior.

The vessel's vehicle decks offer a total of 450 truck lane metres, plus space for 123 cars or a total of 341 cars, or a mix of both. The main vehicle deck also benefits from having full width access across the stern. In the Canary Islands dedicated shore linkspans interface with the ship ensuring that turnaround times are kept to a minimum, usually in the region of 30 minutes. The fitting of hoistable mezzanine vehicle decks provides Fred. Olsen S.A. with the flexibility to carry a mix of cars and freight. The vehicle deck is open forward and aft, creating a natural air flow through the space, however two extraction fans are installed on each side to ventilate the area above and below the mezzanine decks. Spray protection at the aft end of the vehicle deck is by way of two curtains, one each side, which can be drawn across and tensioned manually using yacht style self tailing winches. The opening over the vehicle deck at Upper Deck level is covered by a light alloy structure.

A rarity for fast ferries, "Benchijigua Express" is equipped with crew cabins located in the centre hull. While not intended for use when the vessel is operating at sea, every comfort is provided in 12 x 2 berth cabins and 4 x single berth cabins. The single berth cabins each have their own ensuite bathroom while the two berth cabins have shared ensuite bathrooms. Each cabin has a TV/radio outlet, each single cabin also having a wall mounted telephone. A laundry room, fitted with an extraction fan and containing four washing machines, four driers and a full height linen store cupboard adjacent will add to the comfortable living conditions for this fast ferry crew.