On July 8, 1974, the ferry 'Benchijigua' began its first journey between La Gomera and Tenerife, marking the start of a new era for the island. Half a century later, the ship remains a symbol of the collective memory of La Gomera.
The first ferry 'Benchijigua', which made its maiden voyage on July 8, 1974, on the La Gomera route, commemorates its 52nd anniversary this year. The ship, which now survives as a training vessel in Iceland under the name 'Saeborg', is the only one from the first phase of Ferry Gomera that still exists. Its history is linked to the development of the island, to which it provided essential services for years.
A key ship for maritime communications
The 'Benchijigua' operated on the route between San Sebastián de La Gomera and Los Cristianos (Tenerife) until October 1980, when it was replaced by a larger vessel. During those years, the boat not only transported passengers and goods but also performed evacuations of the injured and sick at a time when the island lacked a helipad and airport. According to historical sources, the Ferry Gomera company and its crews never charged for those extra hours, a gesture that remains etched in the hearts of the gomeros.
After its time in La Gomera, the ferry was renamed 'Betancuria' and covered the Playa Blanca-Corralejo route between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura for a brief period. In 1982, the ship was sold to Iceland, where it began a new life as 'Akranes' and later as a training vessel. Recent images of it stranded in Iceland, shared on social media, have rekindled nostalgia among the Canarians.
The legacy of Ferry Gomera and its protagonists
Ferry Gomera, the family business that operated the 'Benchijigua', was much more than a shipping company. According to the book 'Cincuentenario de Ferry Gomera 1974-1994. Crónica del éxito de Fred. Olsen en Canarias', the company was born with humility but with a strong commitment to the island. Among the key figures who made its success possible are Fred. Olsen Sr., Rear Admiral Leopoldo Boado, Álvaro Rodríguez-Lopez Braun, and Cándido Luis García Sanjuán, among others. Employees from the offices in Los Cristianos and San Sebastián de La Gomera, such as Esteban Valentín Ledesma, Luis Dávila, and Francisco Fuertes, as well as the 'Grupo Gomero', a group of loyal locals who supported the project, are also noteworthy.
The management of the gomero senator Carlos Manuel Bencomo Mendoza was crucial for the UCD government, led by Adolfo Suárez, to authorize the import of the second 'Benchijigua', which exceeded the limits of the REF of 1972. That support campaign was backed by brothers Alejandro and Jesús Javier Rebollo Álvarez-Amandi, then Secretary of State and Civil Governor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, respectively.
An icon that endures in memory
For the inhabitants of La Gomera, the 'Benchijigua' is not just a ship: it is part of their identity. The vessel, which soon became too small for the growing demand, symbolises an era when maritime connection was the only means of communication with the outside world. Today, 52 years later, the original ferry remains an icon of Canary Island maritime communications, and its story is preserved in publications and in the memories of those who experienced it.
The anniversary comes at a time when the shipping company Fred. Olsen Express, the successor to Ferry Gomera, continues to operate on inter-island routes. For the residents of La Gomera, the anniversary is an opportunity to remember those who, through their work, made it possible for the island to look to the future. The 'Benchijigua' continues to sail, if only in the collective memory of a people.
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