HSC Levante Jet

Ex Akane, Incat 068

© Incat

Aluminium ‘Revolution Design Pty Ltd.’ catamaran built in 2015 by Incat (International Catamarans) Australia Pty. Ltd., Hobart, Australia (Yard No. 068) as a car and passenger ferry

Technical Data

• Length: 85.2 m (overall) 79.23 (between perpendiculars)
• Breadth: 26.20m
• Draught: 3.4 m
• Tonnage: 5537 gross/1662 net/450 deadweight
• Engines: Four 20 – cylinder Waterjets Caterpillar C280-16 diesels.
• Power: 22600 kW.
• Speed: 37.0 knots (40.0 knots max)
• Capacity: 692 passengers, 151 cars
• Call Sign: 7JTB, 5BVY5
• DNV id: 31027
• MMSI Number: 210287000
• IMO Number: 9722819
• Registry: Sado/Japan 🇯🇵, Limassol/Cyprus 🇨🇾

History

August 18^th 2014: Contract date.

July 9^th 2010: Keel laid.

March 23^rd 2015: Delivered to Incat Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.

March 12^th 2015: Launched.

March 24rd 2015: Completed as AKANE.

April 9^th 2015: Registrered to Sado Kisen KK, Japan.

2015: Services Naoetsu – Ogi.

November 15^th 2020: Taken out of service and advertised “For Sale”.

© Raisuke Numata (Ryotsu, 06/03/2021)

July 14^th 2021: Sold to Förde Reederei Seetouristik Iberia S.L.U., Limassol, Cyprus and renamed LEVANTE JET. Services Ceuta – Algeciras.

January 2024: DFDS completed its $200 million takeover of FRS Iberia Maroc. While the FRS Iberia Maroc brand name will ultimately be jettisoned, DFDS continues to market its three Gibraltar Strait routes as FRS Iberia Maroc / DFDS. 

© Pieter Inpyn (Ceuta, 11/10/2024)

November 20^th 2024: To Gibdock for refit/rebranding

© Tony Davis (Gibraltar, 20/11/2024)

January 23^rd 2025: TARIFA JET will take her maiden voyage on the Jersey – St. Malo route on 28th March 2025 and LEVANTE JET will also be re-flagged to UK Flag prior to her deployment on Jersey – Poole route on the 17th April 2025. Also from March 28^th 2025, STENA VINGA will operate services Portsmouth – Jersey services.

© Nathan Burt (27/02/2025)

All information is believed to be correct, and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Nathan Burt, Tony Davis, Pieter Inpyn and Raisuke Numata for their assistance in producing this feature.

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