The double-ended ferry La Gironde has been in service at Europe’s largest river mouth, the Garonne estuary, since 2002. With the sister vessel L’Estuaire even more tourists will now be able to pass the popular river mouth in order to reach the sea faster by car. Each of the structurally identical ships is fitted with four Voith Schneider Propellers (VSP) class 21 GII/135, driven by four 1080 kW diesel engines. Both vessels have to meet draught limits of just 8.5 ft but still reach a speed of 13.6 knots. Other external obstacles that the ferries have to overcome are the tidal differences in the estuary caused by strong tidal currents. La Gironde excels by its high sailing stability and reliability.