This summer Lake Balaton is definitely going through lots of changes: there’s a new, online database for anglers, several beaches have introduced an alternative, smart phone-based payment system, and we’ve been told by BAHART’s head of sales that all of the company’s marinas will have free Wi-Fi access as of this year. Renovated inside and out, the Siófok catamaran has been brought to Balaton by the same winds of change, even if the modernization began under the term of the previous BAHART management. It's no surprise this boat has been picked as the main attraction for the March 26 opening of the 170th season of Balaton shipping.
The fully renovated Siófok began its service in the 1970s, and the design has become understandably outdated since then. The recent facelift turned out so well, in fact, that the new layout is now based on an entirely new concept: experts say the different sections of the vessel are easily accessible from every direction.
The catamaran is the example of progress on the Hungarian sea: Siófok is the first boat at Balaton that's been converted to be accessible, with bathrooms and an elevator provided for visitors living with disabilities. The catamaran also features a bike parking facility.
Despite the renovation, the control board in the captain’s cabin looks like something straight out of Star Trek.
The massive transformation can be translated into numbers as well: 57 tons of steel were removed during the refurbishment of Siófok, and 50 tons were built back in. Eight kilometers of welding seams and one and a half tons of special primer and paint are also part of the completed boat.
The 400-horsepower vessel can accommodate 500 people, thus the impressive dimensions: it's 29.75 meters long and 10.3 meters wide. No wonder it’s going to serve the busiest route, connecting Siófok, Balatonfüred, and Tihany, during the summer season.
At the ceremonial launch, the representatives of BAHART announced that the company will use half of the four billion-forint governmental development aid it has recently received to upgrade its fleet, which will entail the purchase of three new ships and the renovation of other vessels and ferries.
