Atlantic III
.jpg) Atlantic III in Colonia | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name |
|
| Owner |
|
| Operator | (1993–present): Buquebus |
| Port of registry | Montevideo,  Uruguay |
| Route | Buenos Aires (Argentina) – Colonia (Uruguay) |
| Builder |
|
| Yard number | 031 |
| Launched | 1993 |
| Completed | 1993 |
| Acquired | 1993 |
| Maiden voyage | 1993 |
| In service | 1993 |
| Identification |
|
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Incat 74m Wave Piercing Catamaran |
| Tonnage |
|
| Length | 73.6 m (241 ft 6 in) |
| Beam | 26.46 m (86 ft 10 in) |
| Draft | 3.48 m (11 ft 5 in) |
| Installed power | 4 × Caterpillar 3616 diesel engines (4 x 4050 kW) |
| Propulsion | Waterjets |
| Speed | 35.0 knots (64.8 km/h; 40.3 mph) (service) 41.0 knots (75.9 km/h; 47.2 mph) (max) |
| Capacity |
|
| Crew | 20 |
| Notes | Features a 777 m² passenger area configuration. |
Atlantic III is a high-speed vehicle and passenger catamaran ferry operated by the South American shipping line Buquebus. Delivered in 1993, the vessel was the ninth 74-meter wave-piercing model produced by Incat. Specifically tailored for the conditions of the River Plate, her shallow 3.5 meter draft and specialized wave-cutting hull design allow her to maintain rapid, year-round service between Buenos Aires and Colonia.[1]
Service
[edit]The catamaran, the sixth of a series of nine sister units built by the specialized shipyard Incat of Hobart, was launched on 27 June 1993 with the name of Juan L and delivered on 13 October to the Uruguayan Buquebus, from which it was transferred on 1 November to Buenos Aires, which ten days later began to connect to Punta del Este and Montevideo.[2] In December 1998, after about 5 years of service in the Río de la Plata, the catamaran was renamed Atlantic III and transferred to the connections between the Argentine capital and Colonia del Sacramento.[3][4]
Accidents and Incidents
[edit]On October 6,2023, shortly after departing Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, for Buenos Aires, Argentina, at 08:55, the Atlantic III ran aground on a sandbank roughly 2.5 kilometers off the Uruguayan coast. The vessel, carrying 469 passengers and approximately ten vehicles, had inadvertently veered outside the designated navigation channel. Crew members distributed life jackets as a precaution while awaiting assistance. At around 11:15, a Buquebus tugboat successfully towed the catamaran back into deeper water. After undergoing a brief filter cleaning, the ferry resumed its journey, ultimately arriving in Buenos Aires at 12:35 with a delay of over two hours.[5]
Sister ships
[edit]- Cat
- Pinar del Rio
- High Speed Jet
- Caldera Vista
- Atlantic Express
- Naxos Jet
- Tiger
- SeaCat Moorea
References
[edit]- ↑ "HSC JUAN L (1993)". www.faktaomfartyg.se. Retrieved 2026-07-16.
- ↑ "HSC Atlantic III — The Ferry Site". www.ferry-site.dk. Retrieved 2026-07-16.
- ↑ "Atlantic III (1998-), IMO 9001540". www.faergelejet.dk. Retrieved 2026-07-16.
- ↑ "DNV Vessel Register". vesselregister.dnv.com. Retrieved 2026-07-16.
- ↑ "Un barco de Buquebus encalló en un banco de arena en el Río de la Plata con 469 pasajeros a bordo". Yahoo Noticias (in Spanish). 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2026-07-16.