Buccoo Reef Fast Ferry Launched, Sea Trials To Begin Next Month

Trinidad and Tobago's new fast ferry, the 'Buccoo Reef,' has been launched at its shipyard in Hobart, Australia by Australian shipbuilder, Incat Tasmania. Commenting on the development on his Twitter page, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, Randall Mitchell, described it as exciting times for travel between Trinidad and Tobago via the sea bridge. He sent a call to all domestic tourism players to, "Get ready with your offerings!" Incat began construction on Buccoo Reef in 2019 and has since installed all major machinery and equipment onboard the vessel. The ship's electronic systems are now being commissioned and tested in preparation for sea trials in November. She is scheduled to be delivered later this year for service on the sea bridge between Port of Spain and Scarborough. Buccoo Reef will have capacity for 1,000 passengers in three lounges. The vehicle deck will have 175 truck lane metres and capacity for 182 cars, or 239 cars if trucks are not carried. The ship will have an operating speed of over 40 knots.