Caminha Municipality auctions Santa Rita de Cássia ferry-boat

The Municipality of Caminha has announced a public auction for the sale of the Santa Rita de Cássia ferry-boat, a vessel described as being at the end of its operational life. The auction has a base bidding price of 70,000 euros.

The vessel, which previously facilitated crossings between Caminha and A Guarda in Galicia, Spain, is currently located at the Astilleros Guardamar shipyards. The sale is intended as a single lot, and the successful bidder will be required to comply with all applicable regulations regarding transport, decontamination, dismantling, and naval waste management.

Caminha's mayor, Liliana Silva, previously indicated that returning the ferry to service was not feasible due to estimated repair costs of 1.4 million euros, a figure deemed unaffordable for the municipality's finances. The ferry's service had been interrupted multiple times over the years due to mechanical failures and river siltation issues.