Golden Bridge (ship)

Golden Bridge in Ibiza
History
Name	1990–2000: Sabrina 2000–2018: New Golden Bridge II 2018–present: Golden Bridge
Owner	1990–2000: Nippon Yusen Kaisha / Kinkai Yusen 2000–2018: Weidong Ferry 2018–present: Galaxy Seaways SA / A-Ships Management
Operator	1990–2000: Kyu-Yen Ferry / NYK Line 2000–2018: Weidong Ferry 2019–2020: FRS Iberia 2020–2021: A-Ships Management 2021–present: Grandi Navi Veloci / Trasmed
Port of registry	1990–2000: Tokyo, Japan 2000–2018: Panama City, Panama 2018–present: Limassol, Cyprus
Route	Almería – Nador Barcelona – Palma de Mallorca / Mahon Former: Incheon – Weihai Former: Tokyo – Kushiro
Ordered	1989
Builder	Kanda Zosensho Kawajiri, Japan
Yard number	330
Launched	1990
Completed	May 1990
Acquired	2018 (by Galaxy Seaways)
Maiden voyage	1990
In service	1990
Identification	IMO number: 8902345 Call sign: 5BCJ5 MMSI number: 209410000
Status	in service
General characteristics
Class & type	Custom Kanda Ro-Pax Ferry
Tonnage	26,463 GT 5,695 DWT
Length	186.50 m (611 ft 11 in)
Beam	24.80 m (81 ft 4 in)
Draught	6.85 m (22 ft 6 in)
Decks	8
Ramps	Bow and stern loading ramps
Installed power	2 × Pielstick 9PC4-2L diesel engines (total 23,850 kW / 32,000 hp)
Propulsion	2 × controllable pitch propellers
Speed	23.5 knots (43.5 km/h; 27.0 mph) (max) / 20.0 knots (37.0 km/h; 23.0 mph) (service)
Capacity	1,500 passengers (134 cabins) 500 cars / 1,800 lane metres for freight
Crew	50–70

Golden Bridge is a ferry owned by the Greek shipping company A Ships Management. Built by the Kanda Zōzensho shipyard in Kawajiri (a city now part of Kure) from 1989 to 1990 for the Japanese company Kinkai Yusen Kaisha (KYK), it was originally named Sabrina (サブリナ, Saburina). It entered service in May 1990. It sailed on the routes linking the islands of Honshū and Hokkaido along the Pacific coast before the route was closed in November 1999 due to a significant drop in passenger numbers. Purchased by the Chinese company Weidong Ferry, it operated between China and South Korea under the name New Golden Bridge II until 2018, when it was sold to the shipping company Arkoumanis. Renamed Golden Bridge, it now sails in the Mediterranean, primarily chartered by other companies such as the German company FRS Iberia, which operated it from 2019 to 2020 between Motril and Melilla, and the Italian company Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV), which uses it seasonally on its routes from Spain to the Balearic Islands or Morocco.

History

Origins and construction

In 1988, Kinkai Yusen Kaisha (KYK), a subsidiary of the shipping company Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK), decided to build two new vessels to replace the Marimo and Saroma ferries on the Tokyo - Kushiro route on the island of Hokkaido. Capitalizing on the growth fueled by the Japanese financial bubble, Kinkai Yusen Kaisha aimed to modernize its aging fleet. Furthermore, the recent introduction of new, faster, and larger vessels by its main competitors on the Hokkaido route, Higashi Nihon Ferry and Taiheiyō Ferry, provided an additional incentive for acquiring new ships.

The two future vessels were designed according to the latest standards, notably featuring a large garage adapted for transporting trailers. At 185 meters long and 24 meters wide, their dimensions are similar to those of the newest additions to the Higashi Nihon Ferry and Taiheiyō Ferry fleets, as are their interior layouts, largely inspired by these vessels with numerous panoramic windows overlooking the sea. However, the new Kinkai Yusen Kaisha ships are distinguished by more rounded shapes and a sleeker profile, giving them a more elegant appearance. Compared to the Marimo and Saroma, the quality of service has been improved with the addition of comfortable private cabins, four of which have balconies.

Built at the Kanda Zōzensho shipyard in Kawajiri, the first ship was named Sabrina after the character played by Audrey Hepburn in the 1954 film of the same name. The keel laying took place on August 30, 1989 and the ship was launched on December 13. Completed over the following months, it was delivered to Kinkai Yusen Kaisha on May 8, 1990.

Service

Kinkai Yusen Kaisha (1990-1999)

The Sabrina was put into service on May 17,1990, between Tokyo and Kushiro, replacing the Saroma ferry. With its speed of 24 knots, it reduces the journey time by three hours, lowering the total crossing time to approximately 31 hours. Initially operating in tandem with the Marimo, it will later be joined by its sister ship, the Blue Zephyr, in November.

In 1993, for a Ramsar Convention meeting held in the city of Kushiro, the hull of the Sabrina was exceptionally decorated with a painting 41 meters long and 8 meters high, designed by the artist Akihiro Watabiki and depicting birds, fish, plants, and seascapes. Also that year, on September 28, while docking at the KYK terminal in Tokyo at approximately 8:25 p.m., the ship suddenly lurched forward, causing the gangway to collapse and instantly killing one port employee and seriously injuring two others. The Sabrina sustained damage to its forward starboard side. The cause of the incident was attributed to an accidental malfunction of the instruction transmitters between the navigation bridge and the engine room.

In 1996, KYK observed that the performance of its ships was becoming increasingly disappointing over the years due to a growing decline in passenger numbers. For this reason, management decided to offer a port call at Tokachi, located in the city of Hiroo, with the aim of attracting additional passengers. These calls, initially made only on the Hokkaido-Honshu route, occurred at a frequency of one out of every three voyages before eventually becoming a standard feature on every return crossing to Tokyo.

This attempt, however, did not achieve the expected success. Faced with this decline in traffic, KYK decided in 1999 to cease its passenger transport operations and focus solely on freight transport. Consequently, the Sabrina and the Blue Zephyr were withdrawn from service in November. Some time later, the Sabrina was sold to the Chinese company Weidong Ferry.

Weidong Ferry (1999–2018)

Taken over by its new owner, the ship was renamed New Golden Bridge II and registered under a Panamanian flag of convenience. After some modifications during which safety equipment was reinforced with the addition of previously absent lifeboats, the ship was assigned in January 2000, on the links connecting China and South Korea. The New Golden Bridge II provided this service until November 2018, the date on which Weidong Ferry replaced it with a new vessel named New Golden Bridge VII. The ship was thus transferred on November 9 to the Greek shipowner Arkoumanis.

A Ships (since 2018)

Renamed Golden Bridge and registered under the Cypriot flag, the ship sailed to Greece and arrived in Perama at the end of November. Throughout the winter, its interior was modernized. Following the work, the car ferry was chartered from March 2019, by the German company FRS Iberia and used on rotations between mainland Spain and the autonomous city of Melilla. When the charter ended in January 2020, the Golden Bridge returns to Greece and is laid up for the low season in Katakolon. It subsequently joins the fleet of its owner A Ships, which sails it under its own colors in the Adriatic on the routes between Greece and Italy from July onwards.

In January 2022, the ship was chartered once again, this time by the Italian company Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV). After being repainted in the colors of its future operator, with the addition of its logo in giant letters on its sides, it was introduced on January 31, on Spanish domestic routes between the mainland and the Balearic Islands. It has also sporadically operated on the connections between Spain and Morocco, mainly between Almería and Nador, replacing the twins GNV Atlas and GNV Cristal. Since the 2023 season, it has been used in the summer on routes to Morocco between Almería and Nador before returning to serve the Balearic Islands from the autumn.

On 6 March 2026, at approximately 6:30 am, while sailing approximately 50 miles from Palma de Mallorca, in the direction of the Spanish island, a fire broke out in the garage of the ferry, caused by a trailer present in the garage. Following this, the ferry was promptly assisted by the patrol boats of the local authorities Salvamar Libertas and Marta Mata, which escorted it to Mallorca, where it arrived with the fire extinguished. On 9 March, after the preliminary checks by the Spanish authorities, the ferry then set sail from Spain towards the Elliniká Naupigeía Skaramanká shipyards, in the bay of Eleusis, where it will undergo the necessary repairs for its return to service. On March 31, after completing repairs, the ferry set sail again for Spain, where it finally resumed service on the Barcelona - Ibiza routes on April 5. Between the end of June and the beginning of July, with the return of GNV Sealand to the Balearic Islands, the ferry was moved to the Almería - Nador routes, as part of the OPE.

Facilities

The Golden Bridge has nine decks. While the ship actually spans eleven decks, two are absent, serving as car decks to allow for cargo transport. When it sailed in Japan, the decks were numbered alphabetically from highest to lowest; since the 2018-2019 refit, the decks are now numbered 1 through 11, including the previously nonexistent decks 4 and 6. Passenger accommodations occupy decks 7 and 8, as well as part of deck 9, which also houses the crew quarters. Decks 3 and 5 are dedicated to car decks.

Common areas

During its Japanese ownership, the Sabrina boasted a theater, a 160-seat restaurant, a lounge, a gym, an interior promenade, two forward lounges, public baths, and a shopping arcade. Under Weidong Ferry's ownership, most of these facilities have been preserved, while others have been repurposed, such as the aft lounge converted into a karaoke bar and the public baths used as a sauna.

Cabins

Under the Japanese flag, the Sabrina offered in first class eight Royal suites, four of which had balconies, six four-person Family cabins in Japanese style, sixteen Twin cabins for two people, and eight Single cabins. Second class offered twelve four-person cabins in Western style and twelve five-person cabins in Japanese style, one 48-bed dormitory and three 64-bed dormitories equipped with bunk beds, and four 24-bed dormitories and three 36-bed dormitories equipped with futons.

Since its sale in Europe, the second-class dormitories have been replaced by 130 private four-berth cabins equipped with bathrooms. The former first class suites, however, have been retained.

Features

The Golden Bridge is 186.50 meters long and 24.80 meters wide, with a tonnage of 12,521 GT (Japanese car ferry tonnage is defined differently, so it is actually higher) before being increased to 26,463 GT following its 2019 refit. In its original configuration, it could carry 694 passengers, 140 vehicles, and 170 freight units in a spacious garage accessible via two ramp doors: a central ramp door at the stern and a lateral ramp door at the bow on the starboard side. A lateral ramp door was originally located on the starboard aft deck but has since been removed. After its acquisition by A Ships, its capacity was increased to 1,500 passengers and 500 vehicles. The Golden Bridge is powered by two United-Pielstick 9PC40L diesel engines, each producing 17,530 kW, driving two propellers that propel the vessel at a speed of 23.5 knots. It is also equipped with a bow thruster and a roll stabilizer. The original safety equipment consisted primarily of life rafts and a rigid inflatable rescue boat (RIB). Following its acquisition by the Chinese company Weidong Ferry, four medium-sized lifeboats were added to the safety system. Two larger lifeboats were installed in 2019.

Route served

From 1990 to 1999, the Sabrina operated year-round on the Tokyo - Kushiro route between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, on behalf of Kinkai Yusen Kaisha. Starting in 1996, a stopover in Hiroo was made on some return voyages to Tokyo, and then systematically from 1997 onwards.

From 2000 to 2018, the ship was assigned between China and South Korea on the Weihai - Incheon route.

Since its arrival in the Mediterranean, the Golden Bridge initially sailed under charter by FRS Iberia between Motril and Melilla from 2019 to 2020, then between Greece and Italy on the Patras - Igoumenitsa - Brindisi route under the A Ships banner from 2020 to 2021. Since February 2022, it is operated by GNV on routes connecting mainland Spain to the Balearic Islands and serves Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza and Port Mahon from Barcelona and Valencia. During the summers of 2023 and 2025, it sailed between Spain and Morocco on the Almería - Nador route.