HSC Elite Jet
ex Rapidlink Jet, Ocean Flower 2, Orange 1, Sunflower 2, Stena Lynx III, Elite, Stena Lynx III, P&O Stena Elite, Elite, Stena Lynx III
© Bernd Crause (Heraklion, 11/09/2023)
Aluminium 81 Metre ‘Wave Piercing’ catamaran built in 1996 by International Catamarans (Incat) Australia Pty Ltd, Hobart, Australia (Yard No 040) as a car and passenger ferry for American Fast Ferries Ltd, Nassau, Bahamas
Technical Data
- Length: 80.61m
- Breadth of Hull: 26.00m
- Draught: 3.145m
- Tonnage: 4,113 gross, 1,745 net, 310 deadweight
- Engines: Four 16-cyl, Ruston diesels
- Power: 16,2000 kW
- Speed: 37.0 knots (service), 44 (max)
- Capacity: 810 passengers, 140 cars
- Call Sign: C6NU2, DSRF4, D9OP, 3EAO, 5BJQ5
- IMO Number: 9129328
- MMSI Number: 209737000
- Registry: Dover/United Kingdom 🇬🇧, Nassau/Bahamas 🇧🇸, Busan/South Korea 🇰🇷, Panama City/Panama 🇵🇦, Limassol/Cyprus 🇨🇾
- Sister Ships: Seacat Diamant (Incat 041), Seacat Rapide (Incat 038)
Current AIS Location
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History
May 18th 1996: Launched.
May 26th 1996: Delivered to American Fast Ferries Ltd, Nassau, Bahamas. Chartered to Stena Line Ab, Göteborg.
June 28th 1996: Arrived at the Port of Dover from Tasmania.
© Fotoflite (Stéphane Poulain Collection)
July 4th 1996 – March 22nd 1996: Operated between Dover – Calais.
© Andreas Wörteler (left) and © Stéphane Poulain (right)
© Stéphane Poulain
July 9th 1996: Christened in Dover by television personality Anthea Turner.
© Stéphane Poulain
March 26th 1997: Commenced service between Newhaven – Dieppe.
March 10th 1998: Transferred to P&O Stena Line and renamed ELITE. Still operated Newhaven – Dieppe.
© Andreas Wörteler
1998: Registered to P&O Stena Line. Renamed P&O STENA ELITE.
© Stéphane Poulain
November 1st 1998: Renamed STENA LYNX III.
December 7th 1998: Commenced service between Fishguard – Rosslare.
October 2002: Laid up for the winter at A&P Tranmere Basin, England.
2003 – September 27th 2003: Operated between Fishguard – Rosslare.
September 28th 2003: Charter to Stena Line completed . Renamed ELITE. Left Fishguard for A&P Birkenhead.
September 28th 2003: Laid up at A&P Birkenhead.
2004: Sold to Stena Line, Nassau, Bahamas.
March 28th 2004: Renamed STENA LYNX III.
March 28th 2004: Left Belfast for Fishguard.
April 4th 2004: Commenced service between Fishguard – Rosslare.
September 29th 2004: Laid up for the winter at A&P Appledore.
April 2005 – September 2005: Operated between Fishguard – Rosslare.
September 2005: Laid up.
April 24th 2006 – September 25th 2006: Operated between Fishguard – Rosslare.
October 2006: Laid up at NSL Bidston.
© Ian Collard
May 2nd 2007 – September 23rd 2007: Operated between Fishguard – Rosslare.
January 1999: Operated Holyhead – Dun Laoghaire.
February 1999: Belfast – Stranraer.
September 2007: Laid up at NSL Birkenhead.
May 2nd 2008: Commenced Fishguard – Rosslare.
August 6th 2008: Experienced engine problems.
September 28th 2008: Finished her 2008 season. Anticipated she would resume service again in late April 2009. Expected to lay-up for the winter at Fishguard.
May 14th 2009 – September 2009: Re-enters service between Fishguard and Rosslare then lays up in Dublin.
© Robert J Smith
February 19th 2010: Damaged following a collision with a shore installation in Holyhead.
March 15th 2010 – September 5th 2010: Services between Holyhead – Dun Laoghaire.
September 7th 2010: Left Rosslare for Dun Laoghaire.
September 8th 2010 – January 2011: Services between Holyhead – Dun Laoghaire.
April 1st 2011 – May 26th 2011: Serves between Holyhead – Dun Laoghaire.
July 1st 2011 – September 4th 2011: Services between Fishguard – Rosslare.
October 2011: Sold to Dae-A Express Shipping Ltd, Pohang, South Korea and renamed SUNFLOWER 2.
October 21st 2011: Departed Dun Laoghaire for South Korea.
March 1st 2012: Renamed ORANGE I
Courtesy of Justin Merrigan
May 2016: Sailing between Jangheung – Seongsan (South Korea)
August 1st 2016: Renamed OCEAN FLOWER 2
© Lappino
December 21st 2016: Currently in Busan, South Korea and since 10/12/2016 operating Busan (Korea)-Tsushima (Izuhara, Japan) route.
June 26th 2017: Sold to Bridgemans Trinidad LP and registered under the Panamanian flag.
July 4th 2017: It was announced that the vessel has been chartered at a reported cost of US$26,500 a day to the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (PATT) to service the seabridge between Trinidad and Tobago (trading as T&T Express). She is expected to enter service in September 2017.
August 9th 2017: Announcement made that PATT had cancelled its leasing of the vessel. It had been recommended that the contract be terminated on the basis of a failure to fulfil the times agreed upon in the contract,
August 21st 2017: Arrived at Damen, Willemstad for refit.
© Cees Bustraan (Willemstad, 21/08/2017)
September 6th 2017: Sea trials at Willemstad.
© Cees Bustraan (Willemstad, 25/09/2017)
2018: Currently laid up in Willemstad
© Cees Bustraan (Willemstad, 04/01/2018)
October 2019: Announcement made that the vessel had been purchased by Seajets.
October 1st 2019: Sold to Paracudo Shipping Ltd (Seajets), renamed RAPIDLINK JET and re-registered in Cyprus.
October 31st 2019: Departed the Caribbean for Greece undertow by the MONTE DA LUZ.
November 30th 2019: Arrived at Ambelakia (near Piraeus), Greece. It’s unknown if this vessel will see active service with Seajets or will join the list of vessels purchased for spare parts.
© Axilleas Tzathas (Ambelakia 01/12/19)
January 12th 2022: Dry-docked in Salamina
May 1st 2023: Renamed ELITE JET, registered in Cyprus.
© Dimitris Mentakis, Piraeus, Greece (May 18th 2023)
June 19th 2023: Entered service with Seajets operating between Piraeus – Rethymno (Crete) replacing her fleet mate NAXOS JET (ex Seacat Scotland).
July 2023: Services Heraklion – Santorini instead of NAXOS JET. Also Rethymno – Heraklion.
© Bernd Crause (Heraklion, 11/09/2023)
November 5th 2023: Services Heraklion – Santorini – Paros – Piraeus.
November 6th 2023: Refit/repairs in Piraeus.
November 24th 2023: Trials followed by lay-up in Salamina.
🆕© Giwrgos Mertis (Salamina, 07/11/2023)
🆕© Giwrgos Mertis (Salamina, 27/02/2024)
May 12th 2024: Trials.
May 15th 2024: Services Rethymnon – Heraklion – Santorini – Paros – Mykonos and from Heraklion to the same islands…
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: Cees Bustraan, Axilleas Tzathas, Ian Collard, Bernd Crause, Justin Merrigan, Giwrgos Mertis, Stéphane Poulain, Robert J Smith, Dimitris Mentakis and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in compiling this feature.