High-speed craft

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SpeedFerries SpeedOne, a high-speed wavepiercer catamaran SpeedOne (1).JPG
SpeedFerries SpeedOne, a high-speed wavepiercer catamaran
Pescara Jet, a high-speed catamaran by SNAV Pescara 2004 -Pescara Jet (ship, 1992)- by-RaBoe 01.jpg
Pescara Jet, a high-speed catamaran by SNAV
Tarifa Jet, a high-speed wavepiercer catamaran by Incat Tarifa Jet Bow.jpg
Tarifa Jet , a high-speed wavepiercer catamaran by Incat

A high-speed craft (HSC) is a high-speed water vessel for civilian use, also called a fastcraft or fast ferry. The first high-speed craft were often hydrofoils or hovercraft, but in the 1990s catamaran and monohull designs become more popular. Most high-speed craft serve as passenger ferries, but the largest catamarans and monohulls also carry cars, buses, large trucks and freight.

Contents

In the 1990s there were a variety of builders, but due to HSC high fuel consumption, many shipbuilders have withdrawn from this market so the construction of the largest fast ferries, up to 127 metres, has been consolidated to two Australian companies, Austal of Perth and Incat of Hobart. There is still a wide variety of builders for smaller fast catamaran ferries between 24 and 60 metres.

Hulled designs are often powered by pump-jets coupled to medium-speed diesel engines. Hovercraft are usually powered by gas turbines or diesel engines driving propellers and impellers.

The design and safety of high-speed craft is regulated by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention, Chapter 10, High-Speed Craft (HSC) Codes of 1994 and 2000, adopted by the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). [1]

In accordance with SOLAS Chapter 10 Reg. 1.3, high-speed craft are craft capable of a maximum speed, in metres per second (m/s), equal to or exceeding:

where = volume of displacement in cubic metres corresponding to the design waterline, excluding craft of which the hull is supported clear above the water surface in non-displacement mode by aerodynamic forces generated by ground effect.

HSC examples

Alstom Leroux Naval
Austal
Buquebus
Catamaran Ferries International
Dakota Creek Industries
Empresa Nacional Bazán
Fincantieri
Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding
IHI Corporation
Incat
Krasnoye Sormovo
Ocean Fast Ferries
STX Finland
Supercat
Westermoen Hydrofoil

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catamaran</span> Watercraft with two parallel hulls of equal size

A catamaran is a watercraft with two parallel hulls of equal size. The distance between a catamaran's hulls imparts resistance to rolling and overturning. Catamarans typically have less hull volume, smaller displacement, and shallower draft (draught) than monohulls of comparable length. The two hulls combined also often have a smaller hydrodynamic resistance than comparable monohulls, requiring less propulsive power from either sails or motors. The catamaran's wider stance on the water can reduce both heeling and wave-induced motion, as compared with a monohull, and can give reduced wakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trimaran</span> Multihull boat

A trimaran is a multihull boat that comprises a main hull and two smaller outrigger hulls which are attached to the main hull with lateral beams. Most modern trimarans are sailing yachts designed for recreation or racing; others are ferries or warships. They originated from the traditional double-outrigger hulls of the Austronesian cultures of Maritime Southeast Asia; particularly in the Philippines and Eastern Indonesia, where it remains the dominant hull design of traditional fishing boats. Double-outriggers are derived from the older catamaran and single-outrigger boat designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TurboJET</span> Hong Kong ferry operator

Shun Tak–China Travel Ship Management Limited, doing business as TurboJET, is a ferry company based in Hong Kong. The company was established from the joint venture between Shun Tak Holdings and China Travel International Investment Hong Kong in July 1999. It operates hydrofoil and high-speed ferry services between Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai in the Pearl River Delta area.

Hoverspeed was a ferry company that operated on the English Channel from 1981 until 2005. It was formed in 1981 by the merger of Seaspeed and Hoverlloyd. Its last owners were Sea Containers; the company ran a small fleet of two high-speed SeaCat catamaran ferries in its final year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Incat</span> Manufacturer of large high-speed craft catamarans

Incat Tasmania is an Australian manufacturer of high-speed craft (HSC) catamaran ferries. Its greatest success has been with large, sea going passenger and vehicle ferries, but it has also built military transports and since 2015 it has built smaller river and bay ferries. Based in Derwent Park, a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, it was founded by Bob Clifford.

HSC <i>Champion Jet 1</i>

The HSC Champion Jet 1 is an 86m fast catamaran ferry operated by Seajets Ferries. She was until early 2015 owned by Condor Ferries and called HSC Condor Vitesse.

Fred. Olsen Express is an inter-island ferry service based in the Canary Islands, Spain. It operates a fleet of six modern fast ferries on five routes. Its fleet includes a trimaran fast ferry, the Benchijigua Express, which was the first such vehicle in the world when it entered service in 2005. The company is owned by the Olsen family-controlled Bonheur and Ganger Rolf, which among other things also owns the shipping companies Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines and First Olsen Tankers.

HSC <i>High Speed Jet</i> Ocean-going catamaran

The HSC High Speed Jet is a 74 m (243 ft) ocean-going catamaran built in 1990 by Incat for Hoverspeed and currently owned by Seajets. In 1990, as Hoverspeed Great Britain, she took the Hales Trophy for the fastest eastbound transatlantic journey, making the run, without passengers, in three days, seven hours and fifty-four minutes, averaging 36.6 knots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SeaCat</span> Former Scottish ferry service

SeaCat was the marketing name used by Sea Containers Ferries Scotland for its services between Northern Ireland, Scotland and England between 1992 and 2004. The company was originally based in Stranraer later moving to Belfast. The name originates from the use of high-speed catamaran ferries.

Fast ferries or fast ferry may refer to:

HSC <i>Superexpress</i>

The HSC Superexpress is a 91-metre (299 ft) wave piercing catamaran built by Incat, owned by Golden Star Ferries and chartered to Viking Line. During her delivery voyage on 9 June 1998, as Catalonia, she set the record for the fastest Atlantic Eastbound Record, previously held by another Incat craft Hoverspeed Great Britain. She made the 3,125 mi (5,029 km) run from Manhattan, US to Tarifa, Spain in 3 days 7 hours 54 minutes, traveling at an average speed of 38.877 knots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austal</span> Australian defence company

Austal Limited is an Australian-based global ship building company and defence prime contractor that specialises in the design, construction and support of defence and commercial vessels. Austal's product range includes naval vessels, high-speed ferries, and supply or crew transfer vessels for offshore windfarms and oil and gas platforms.

HSC <i>Elite Jet</i>

HSC Elite Jet is a high-speed ferry operated by Seajets and operated on Stena Line's Holyhead - Dún Laoghaire route and seasonally on the Fishguard - Rosslare service. She was marketed by Stena Line as the Stena Express. In 2019 was sold by Seajets and underwent repairs at Salamis. The ship was set to be launched on the Santorini – Rethymno route in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supercat Fast Ferry Corporation</span> Filipino ferry company

The SuperCat Fast Ferry Corporation, commonly known as SuperCat, is a shipping company that operates a fleet of high-speed catamarans (HSC) in the Philippines.

HSC <i>Max Mols</i>

HSC Max Mols is a high speed catamaran launched on 1 December 1997 at the Incat shipyard in Tasmania. She has spent the majority of her career serving the Aarhus-Odden route with Mols Linien. She has frequently been chartered to other operators in the Baltic Sea and English Channel. Recently been purchased by Seajets of Greece! It will be delivered to Greece later this year.

HSC <i>WorldChampion Jet</i>

The WorldChampion Jet is a fast passenger ferry built in 2000 by Austal, Perth, Australia. Until 31 August 2018, it was in active service between Rønne and Ystad in Sweden. On 19 December 2017, HSC Villum Clausen was sold to the Greek based Ferry Company Seajets. Starting from the summer of 2019, it was renamed WorldChampion Jet and started sailing between Piraeus and Cyclades.

HSC <i>Sea Speed Jet</i> High-speed craft launched in 1990

The HSC Cat is a high speed catamaran ferry built by Incat for Sea Containers in 1990. It has been owned by Sea and Sun Maritime Co. since 2014. The vessel is currently operated by Seajets.

HSC <i>Mega Jet</i>

The HSC Mega Jet is a high speed catamaran operated by Seajets.

MV <i>Saint John Paul II</i> Ferry built in 2018

MV or HSCSaint John Paul II is a high-speed catamaran ferry owned and operated by Virtu Ferries. Built by Incat in 2017–18, the vessel entered service as a ferry between Malta and Sicily in March 2019. It is the largest vessel of its kind in the Mediterranean Sea, and the second largest in the world.

References

  1. "High-Speed Craft (HSC)". www.imo.org. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
HSC Villum Clausen by BornholmerFaergen Villum Clausen 2, Ystad.jpg
HSC Villum Clausen by BornholmerFærgen