HSC Caldera Vista

ex Master Jet, Snaefell, Sea Express I, Seacat Isle of Man, Seacat Norge, Seacat Isle of Man, Seacat Boulogne, Sardegna Express, Hoverspeed France

© Incat Tasmania Pty Ltd

Aluminium catamaran built in 1991 by Incat  (International Catamarans) Australia Pty. Ltd., Hobart, Australia (Yard No. 026) for Hoverspeed Ltd, Nassau, Bahamas as a car and passenger ferry

Technical Data

• Length: 73.6m
• Breadth: 26.00m
• Draught: 3.90m
• Tonnage: 3,003 gross/200 deadweight
• Engines: Four 16-cyl, Ruston 16RK270 diesels.
• Power: 14,600 kW.
• Speed: 36 knots
• Capacity: 450 passengers, 88 cars
• Call Sign: C6KF5, MWKD7, 5BKD3 
• IMO Number: 8900012
• MMSI Number: 209349000
• Registry: Newhaven/UK 🇬🇧, Liverpool/UK 🇬🇧, Limassol/Cyprus 🇨🇾
• Sister ships: Patricia Olivia (024), Hoverspeed Great Britain (025), Hoverspeed Belgium (027), Seacat Scotland (028), Seacat Tasmania (023), Stena Sea Lynx (031), Condor 10 (030), Juan L (032)

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Current AIS Location

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History

April 28th 1990: Launched.

© Incat Tasmania Pty Ltd

April 1991: Delivered to Hoverspeed Ltd, Nassau, Bahamas.

April 12th 1991: Left builders on her delivery voyage (via Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, Mauritius, Djibouti and Malta) to Southampton.

June 25th 1991: After a short refit at Southampton she arrived at Dover.

July 1st 1991: Commenced service between Dover – Calais.

Roy Thornton Collection (Left) and © Andreas Wörteler (Right)

© Ken Larwood

April 11th 1992: Commenced service between Folkestone – Boulogne.

June 29th 1992: Chartered to an Sardinia Express and renamed SARDEGNA EXPRESS, operating between Rome – Sardinia.

December 1992: Charter completed and returned to England after Sardinia Express defaulted on payments.

1993: Renamed SEACAT BOULOGNE and commenced service between Dover – Calais and Folkestone – Boulogne.

June 1994: Chartered to Isle of Man Steam Packet, Douglas, Isle Of Man. Renamed SEACAT ISLE OF MAN.

June 23rd 1994: Arrived at Douglas from Liverpool having travelled from Vlissingen, via Dover.

June 26th 1994: Open to the public in Douglas.

June 28th 1994: Commenced operations between Douglas – Liverpool/ Belfast/ Fleetwood/ Dublin.

September 26th 1994: Charter completed.

September 28th 1994: Commenced operations for Hoverspeed Scotland Ltd between Stranraer – Belfast.

January 1995: Charter completed.

March 16th 1995: Chartered to Condor, St. Sampson’s, Guernsey for services between Weymouth – Jersey – Guernsey.

© Ken Larwood

May 18th 1995: Completed last sailing from the Channel Islands.

May 21st 1995: Arrived in Douglas.

May 24th 1995: Commenced operations for The Isle of Man Steam Packet Co between Douglas – Liverpool/ Belfast/ Fleetwood/ Dublin.

August 27th 1995: Whilst returning from Dublin, two crew members were washed overboard during re-stowing of her rescue boat after assisting a yacht. Crew members were recovered, uninjured, by another yacht and returned on board by the Port St peter lifeboat.

September 1995: Hit by a “freak wave” resulting in serious structural damage. The outer weatherproof bow visor was apparently badly twisted and crumpled but the waterproof door remained intact. Withdrawn for repairs at Cammell Laird yard.

September 28th 1995: Charter completed and laid up in Liverpool.

January 1996: Commenced operations for Hoverspeed between Dover – Calais.

© Andreas Wörteler

April 1996: Chartered to Color SeaCat KS, Norway. Rebuilt at Cityverken, Gothenburg and renamed SEACAT NORGE.

May 1st 1996 – September 30th 1966: Operated between Langesund – Frederikshavn.

© Dirk Jankowsky

October 1996: Laid up in Newhaven.

© Tony Garner (Newhaven, 19/10/1996)

November 1996: Operated between Stranraer – Belfast.

November 24th 1996: Arrived in Boulogne from Belfast.

November 29th 1996 – December 23rd 1996: Services between Dover – Calais.

February 1997: Renamed SEACAT ISLE OF MAN. (Home port Newhaven).

March 1997 – May 14th 1997: Operated services between Dover – Calais.

  

© Andreas Wörteler (both)

Courtesy of Justin Merrigan

May 21st 1997 – September 22nd 1997: Operations for Isle of Man Steam Packet, Douglas, Isle Of Man between Douglas – Liverpool/ Belfast/ Dublin/ Fleetwood.

© Marco Stampehl (Left) © Pieter Inpyn (Calais, 01/05/1997)(Right)

September 22nd 1997: Laid up in Langton Dock, Liverpool.

December 1997 – May 1998: Operated between Dover – Calais.

  

© Pieter Inpyn (Calais, 1998)

May 21st 1998: Commenced operations for Isle of Man Steam Packet, Douglas, Isle Of Man between Douglas – Liverpool/ Belfast/ Dublin.

March 28th 2003 – October 24th 2003: Continued services between Douglas – Liverpool/ Belfast/ Dublin.

October 24th 2003: Laid up in Birkenhead.

April 2004 – October 2004: Operated services for Isle of Man Steam Packet between Douglas – Liverpool/ Belfast/ Dublin.

© Ian Collard

April 2005: Chartered to Irish Sea Express and renamed SEA EXPRESS I

April 27th 2005: Commenced services between Liverpool – Dublin.

© Ian Collard

September 11th 2005: Reduction in services and laid up.

January 10th 2006: Operated between Douglas – Liverpool.

April 14th 2006: Laid up in Birkenhead.

© Marco Stampehl

September 11th 2006: Operations for Isle of Man Steam Packet between Douglas – Liverpool.

February 3rd 2007: In dense fog, was in collision with the bulk carrier ALASKA RAINBOW.

“At 1138 (UTC) on 3 February 2007, the high speed ferry Sea Express 1 and the general cargo vessel Alaska Rainbow collided on the River Mersey in thick fog. The collision holed the starboard hull of the ferry, causing her to list and trim significantly within seconds. However, there were only minor injuries to passengers and the vessel remained afloat. There were no injuries on board Alaska Rainbow, and the damage to this vessel was minor.”

Source: Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report 22/2007

 

© Ian Collard (Both)

February 5th 2007: Floated to Birkenhead for repairs.

  

© Ian Collard

December 2007: Renamed SNAEFELL

2008: Laid-up.

April 23rd 2008: “After departing Birkenhead Docks she crossed to Prince’s Landing Stage where she remained until around 15:45 when she departed for sea trials with a return to Liverpool showing on AIS at 22:00.”

  

© Ian Collard

May 11th 2008: Departed from Alexandra Dock. She proceeded to Langton Lock before heading to Prince’s Landing Stage. Left for Douglas mid afternoon and was due to take up service on Monday May 12th with 07:30 Douglas to Liverpool sailing.

  

© Trevor Kidd

May 12th 2008: First day back in service between Douglas – Liverpool, following re-branding.

October 13th 2010: Laid up in Liverpool.

June 2011: Chartered to Sea Jets, Greece.

June 29th 2011: Left Liverpool via Douglas – Ceuta for Drapetsona.

July 5th 2011: Arrived in Drapetsona.

November 2011: Towed to Ambelakia for further lay up.

January 26th 2012: Towed from Ambelakia to Valletta.

January 28th 2012: Arrived in Valletta, Malta.

April 2012: Registered to MIOM 1 Ltd, (Management Seajet catamaran), Piraeus, Greece.

April 29th 2012: Renamed MASTER JET. Towed from Valletta to Keratsini.

May 3rd 2012: Arrived in Keratsini.

© George Givisis

2012: In service between Thira – Heraklion. Registered Owner; Taxiploa Maritime Co. Piraeus.

© Petros Psarras (Piraeus, 06/09/2014)

  

© Dimitris Mentakis (Piraeus, 07/09/2014)

April 2017: It was announced that the HSC Master Jet and HSC Mega Jet would be chartered to Atlânticoline for Summer service in the Azores.

May 11th 2017: Departed Piraeus bound for the port of Ponta Delgada.

 

© Manuel Bettencourt (Porto da Graciosa)

May 18th 2017: Commenced service with Atlânticoline.

September 24th 2017: Completed service with Atlânticoline.

September 29th 2017: Departed Ponta Delgada bound for Valletta, Malta.

October 2nd 2017: Departed Valletta bound for Chalkis, Greece.

October 4th 2017: Arrived at Chalkis for lay up.

June 1st 2018: Sold to Waves Flying Shipping, Limassol, Cyprus and renamed CALDERA VISTA

© Dennis Mortimer (Drapetsona, 03/08/2018)

© Carsten Dettmer (Santorini, 17/08/2019)

June 14th 2022: Intra-Cycladic routes based in Syros

July 5th 2022: “Suffered a malfunction of the rudder and propulsion mechanism of the port side engine. As the vessel was berthed in the port of Syros, the passengers and their vehicles on board were disembarked again and forwarded to their destinations by another vessel. The Port authority prohibited the departure of the vessel until the defects were rectified and a class maintenance certificate was issued.”.

September 29th 2022: Ceased services and sailed to the Chalkis shipyard.

February 17th 2023: Left Chalkis.

February 20th 2023: Towed to the Salamis shipyard for further work.

March 19th 2023: Trials.

March 22nd 2023: Sailed to Lavrio.

March 29th 2023: Routes from Syros – Lavrio (Siteia/Thira)

© Stephen Brown (Lavrion Port, 23/07/2023)

August 23rd 2023: Services Sitia – Dodecanese Islands.

September 15th 2024: Cyclades Islands services.

January 9th 2024: Came off service at Syros and sailed to Salamina for refit and lay up.

🆕© Giwrgos Mertis (Salamina, 17/01/2024)

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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: Stephen Brown, Ian Collard, Carsten Dettmer, Tony Garner, George Givisis, Pieter Inpyn, Dirk Jankowsky, Trevor Kidd, Ken Larwood, Dimitris Mentakis, Giwrgos Mertis, Dennis Mortimer, Justin Merrigan, Petros Psarras, Marco Stampehl, Incat Tasmania Pty Ltd, Manuel Bettencourt (Porto da Graciosa) and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.

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