03/07/07 - Hydrofoil begins high-speed links between islands PDF Print E-mail
Beginning today, domestic travelers in Cape Verde will be able to take advantage of high speed marine transportation on two hydrofoils owned by Moura Company.
 
The two embarkations will ply routes between Sao Vicente and the islands of Santo Antao and Sao Nicolau, as well as between Praia and the islands of Fogo, Brava, Maio, Sal and Boa Vista.

 

According to Moura Company administrator Policarpo Carvalho, who was quoted by Portuguese news agency Lusa, the high-speed vessels will reduce travel time, as well as provide greater comfort to passengers who choose to travel by sea.

The hydrofoils will link So Vicente to So Nicolau in just two hours, as opposed to the five hours required on most of the passenger ships currently operating in Cape Verde. Travel time between Fogo and Brava will be reduced to 35 minutes, between So Vicente and Santo Anto to 30 minutes, and between Praia and So Vicente, Cape Verde’s two main population centers, to approximately 5 hours - the trip currently takes between 15 and 20 hours, depending on the vessel used.

The first vessel, baptized Auto Jet, has a 222-passenger capacity and will connect So Vicente to Santo Anto two or three times per day. The same vessel will also ferry passengers between So Vicente and So Nicolau twice a week.

The other hydrofoil, the Jet Caribe, with a 313-passenger capacity, will ply the Praia-Maio-Boa Vista-Sal route on Sundays and connect Praia to Fogo and Brava on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

According to Carvalho, the cost structure of these high-speed vessels is different from that of other ships, and the specialization of the crew results in additional expenses.

“The Economic Regulation Agency has recommended differentiated prices for high-speed vessels. The prices vary according to the number of miles traveled. There is a price table, regulated by the Economic Regulation Agency, that we’re going to use,” said Carvalho.

Passenger ticket prices vary between 1,300 escudos (for the trip between So Vicente and So Nicolau) and 4,890 escudos for the trip between Praia and So Vicente. The Moura Company administrator describes the vessels as “safe and adequate for ocean navigation,” and says that they have proven their effectiveness in waters similar to Cape Verde’s.

“What’s more, they’re comfortable, with air conditioning, televisions, and various electronic components to control everything taking place on the inside and outside of the ships,” concludes Carvalho.

 

Source A Semana
 
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