Color LineFerriesHoverspeedInternational Catamarans (Incat)Past and PresentSea Containers Ltd (SeaCo)Società Navigazione Alta Velocità (SNAV)

HSC Atlantic Express (Ex Hoverspeed Boulogne (Incat 027)) – Past and Present

IMO Number: 8919506

HSC Atlantic Express

ex Golden Blaze, Pescara Jet, Zara Jet, Pescara Jet, Seacat Danmark, Seacatamaran Danmark, Hoverspeed Boulogne, Hoverspeed Belgium

© Gary Davies (Maritime Photographic)

© Gary Davies (Maritime Photographic)

Aluminium catamaran built in 1991 by Incat (International Catamarans) Australia Pty. Ltd., Hobart, Australia (Yard No. 027) for Hoverspeed Ltd, (Sea Containers Ltd) Nassau, Bahamas as a car and passenger ferry

Technical Data

  • Length: 73.6m (overall)
  • Breadth of Hull: 26.02m (extreme)
  • Draught: 2.64m
  • Tonnage: 3,003 gross, 901 net, 200 deadweight
  • Engines: Four 16-cyl, Ruston 16RK270 diesels
  • Power: 14,600 kW
  • Speed: 36 knots
  • Capacity: 450 passengers, 84 cars
  • Call Sign: H3ZU, SVAG6, CXEI
  • IMO Number: 8919506
  • Registry: London/UK 🇬🇧, Newhaven/UK 🇬🇧, Nassau/Bahamas 🇧🇸, Piraeus/Greece 🇬🇷, Panama 🇵🇦, Piraeus/Greece 🇬🇷, Funafuti/Australia 🇦🇺, Montevideo/Argentina 🇦🇷
  • Sister Ships: Patricia Olivia (024), Christopher Colombus (025), Seacat Tasmania (023), Hoverspeed France (026), Stena Sea Lynx (031), Seacat Scotland (028), Condor 10 (030), Juan L (032)

Current AIS Location


Please note that this specific vessels AIS position data may be over an hour old and that the vessels position will only be displayed when it is within range of the VesselFinder AIS system. The AIS transponder/ship position data featured on this page is intended for information purposes only and it is in no way related to the 'Safety of Navigation at Sea'. All the AIS ship position data featured within this article is provided by VesselFinder and we are therefore not responsible for its content or its accuracy.


History

April 29th 1990: Keel laid.

January 28th 1991: Christened in Hobart.

February 15th 1991: Launched as HOVERSPEED BELGIUM.

July 1991: Delivered to Hoverspeed, England (Sea Containers Group, Isle of Man Ltd).

February 15th 1992: Renamed HOVERSPEED BOULOGNE.

© Stéphane Poulain © Stéphane Poulain  

© Stéphane Poulain

February 5th 1992: Left Australia for Europe via Singapore – Colombo – Suez Canal to Cowes.

March 10th 1992: Arrived at Cowes, England.

© Andreas Wörteler

© Andreas Wörteler

March 18th 1992: Commenced services between Dover – Calais/ Boulogne.

© Andreas Wörteler

© Andreas Wörteler

© Ken Larwood © Ken Larwood  

© Ken Larwood

April 11th 1992: Opened Folkestone – Boulogne.

April 6th 1993: Left Folkestone for refit at Portsmouth.

April 1993: Began operating between Stranraer – Larne.

May 1993: Renamed SEACATAMARAN DANMARK.

May 31st 1993 – January 1994: Operated for Sea Catamaran between Gothenburg – Frederikshavn.

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Frederikshavn, 01/06/1993)

January 1994: Gothenburg service suspended owing to ice.

February 21st 1994 – March 18th 1994: Operated between Folkestone – Boulogne.

© Stéphane Poulain

© Stéphane Poulain

March 15th 1994: Renamed SEACAT DANMARK.

March 15th 1994 – January 1995: Operated between Gothenburg – Frederikshavn.

February 24th 1995 – March 3rd 1995: Operated between Stranraer – Belfast.

© Aubrey Dale

© Aubrey Dale (Belfast, 26/02/1995)

March 1995: Commenced between Gothenburg – Frederikshavn.

© Dirk Jankowsky

© Dirk Jankowsky

March 1st 1996: Began operating for Color Seacat between Gothenburg – Frederikshavn – Langesund.

© Pieter Inpyn © Pieter Inpyn  

© Pieter Inpyn (Frederikshavn, 01/06/1996)

September 1996: Taken out of service.

September 1996: Operated between Heysham – Belfast.

January 1997 – March 1997: Operated between Dover – Calais.

© Andreas Wörteler

© Andreas Wörteler

© Stéphane Poulain © Stéphane Poulain  

© Stéphane Poulain

February 1997: Home port Newhaven

March 15th 1997 – June 18th 1997: Operated between Gothenburg – Frederikshavn.

© Pieter Inpyn

© Pieter Inpyn (Frederikshavn, 01/06/1997)

June 1997: Laid up in Belfast.

August 1997: Commenced service between Stranraer – Belfast.

May 21st 1998: Commenced service between Douglas – Liverpool/ Belfast/ Dublin.

March 31st 1999: Began operating between Belfast – Heysham/ Samt vissa turer mellan Belfast – Douglas.

March 30th 2000: Commenced service for Silja Line/Sea Cat, Manager; Seacat AB, between Göthenburg – Frederikshavn.

August 16th 2000: Taken out of service.

August 18th 2000: Commenced operations between Dover – Calais.

© Stéphane Poulain © Stéphane Poulain  

© Stéphane Poulain

© Andreas Wörteler

© Andreas Wörteler

© Andreas Wörteler © Andreas Wörteler  

© Andreas Wörteler

© Stéphane Poulain © Stéphane Poulain  

© Stéphane Poulain

© Pieter Inpyn

© Pieter Inpyn (Calais, 01/09/2002)

April 2004: Sold to Seacat 2 Ltd and renamed PESCARA JET. Transferred to the Panamanian flag.

June 24th 2004 – September 12th 2004: Chartered to SNAV, Italy and operated between Hvar – Pescara.

© Sinisa Aljinovic courtesy Incat Tasmania Pty Ltd © Sinisa Aljinovic courtesy Incat Tasmania Pty Ltd  

© Sinisa Aljinovic courtesy Incat Tasmania Pty Ltd

May 13th 2005: Renamed ZARA JET.

June 25th 2005 – September 3rd 2005: Operated between Ancona – Zadar.

© Frank Heine

© Frank Heine (Ancona, 16/07/2005)

June 2006: Renamed PESCARA JET.

2007: Registered Owner; Compania Naviera Pescara. Registered Manager; Aliscafi SNAV Spa.

November 2011: Sold to Golden Blaze Maritime Co, Piraeus and renamed GOLDEN BLAZE.

© Wil Weijsters

© Wil Weijsters (Heraklion, 25/05/2013)

© Dennis Mortimer © Dennis Mortimer  

© Dennis Mortimer (Drapetsona, 27/10/2013)

October 6th 2014: Completed her season of cruises from Heraklion to Santorini.

November 2014: Sold to Colonia Express, Uruguay.

November 15th 2014: Departed Greece for Montevideo. Due to call on route at Las Palmas, Canary Islands and Recife, Brazil.

November 22nd 2014: Entered Las Palmas for repairs. The  vessel suffered bow damage due to heavy seas. Repairs completed alongside.

© Rick Vince © Rick Vince

🆕 © Rick Vince (Shipspotting Gallery) (Las Palmas, 25/11/2014)

December 13th 2014: Departed Las Palmas for Recife.

December 20th 2014: Arrived in Recife.

December 26th 2014 – January 11 2015: At anchor off Recife.

January 12th 2015: Departed the Recife anchorage for Montevideo.

January 14th 2015: Arrived in Montevideo.

February 1st 2015: Re-named ATLANTIC EXPRESS, registered in Uruguay. Due to service the Buenos Aires – Colonia route for Colonia Express.

© Incat   © Incat

© Incat (Incat Gallery)

November 2018: Still in service with Colonia Express serving the Buenos Aires – Colonia route.

© Wil Weijsters

🆕 © Wil Weijsters (Buenos Aires, 14/11/2019)

February 25th 2020: “During its mooring in the port of Colonia, pier defences pierced her hull causing a water to flood the “starboard” engine room. The breach was clogged around 22 pm. There are no injuries among the 272 passengers and the catamaran went to repair.”.

July 2023: Still in service Buenos Aires – Colonia route.


All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions found. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Sinisa Aljinovic, Aubrey Dale, Gary Davis (Maritime Photographic), Fotoflite, Frank Heine, International Catamarans Pty Ltd (Incat), Pieter Inpyn, Dirk Jankowsky, Dennis Mortimer, Simonwp, Stéphane Poulain, Rick Vince, Wil Weijsters and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in compiling this feature.

 Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)

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