In Middle October 2020 Fred Olsen Express announced that the first high speed craft acquired and also the first ever to sail in the waters surrounding the Canary Islands, the BONANZA EXPRESS was sold to a new company named Ponte Ferries with address located in Gozo (c/o Magro Brothers ).
BONANZA EXPRESS was built by Incat as Hull 051, a 96 metre wave piercing catamaran with 717 passenger capacity; 170 cars and a speed of 38 knots. She’s 95.47 metres long with 26.60 metres beam with maximum draught of 4.03 metres.
On Sunday 12th December she was floated out with her new colours of Ponte Ferries emerging as HSC ARTEMIS homeported in Valletta, Malta (MLT) from ASTICAN ( Astilleros Canarios S.A.) as per images by my friend Nicolas Arocha –
On Thursday 17th December she left the Spanish port of Morro Del Jable at Canary Islands, Spain bound to Valletta, Malta of which she entered today Monday 21st December at 0949 hrs though she arrived in our territorial waters by 0722 hrs.
The recently created Maltese Shipping Company Ponte Ferries will soon operate the High Speed Craft HSC ARTEMIS between Malta (Grand Harbour) and Sicily (Augusta) for daily services between the two islands. The new shipping company is a joint venture between Magro Brothers Investments Ltd and Merill Invest Ltd, owned by Michael and Julian Zammit Tabona, Mario Muscat and Fabio Muscat.
She berthed at Pinto 3 Wharf, close to Pinto 4 part of Valletta Cruise Port with duty pilot Joe Brincat.
Watermarked Photos are by Capt. Lawrence Dalli otherwise stated. NO PHOTOS can be used or manipulated without our permission. © All rights reserved. Malta Ship Photos & Action Photos – www.maltashipphotos.com
Published – Monday 21st December, 2020