HSC Master Jet
Master Jet arriving at Belfast as Snaefell
|
|
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name: |
|
| Owner: |
|
| Operator: |
|
| Port of registry: | |
| Builder: | Incat, Tasmania, Australia |
| Yard number: | 026 |
| Identification: | IMO number: 8900012 |
| Status: | In Service |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 3,003 GT |
| Length: | 74 m (242 ft 9 in) |
| Beam: | 26 m (85 ft 4 in) |
| Draught: | 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) |
| Installed power: | 4 × Ruston 16RK 270 diesel engines |
| Propulsion: | 4 x Lips waterjets |
| Speed: | 32 knots (37 mph) |
| Capacity: |
|
HSC Master Jet is an Incat-built high speed catamaran owned by Seajets. The vessel was the first fast craft to bear a Manx name. She was also the sixth Steam Packet Company vessel to bear the name Snaefell.
Master Jet was launched as Hoverspeed France for Sea Containers, for use with Hoverspeed, in 1991; and operated as the Sardegna Express on charter, before returning to Hoverspeed as the SeaCat Boulogne. In 1994, she was again renamed to SeaCat Isle of Man, and put on charter to the Isle of Man Steam Packet. She brought with her high charter fees and operation costs; and endangered the career of the Lady of Mann (II), the latter being given a much needed lifeline when a freak wave in the River Mersey encountered by the SeaCat Isle of Man twisted the ship's bow and tore off the water-tight visor. The Steam Packet decided not to continue in chartering the ship from Sea Containers, and she was chartered out to ColorSeaCat as the SeaCat Norge.
She returned to Hoverspeed as the SeaCat Norge; and when her owners bought out the Steam Packet in 1996, she returned to the Irish Sea as the SeaCat Isle of Man once again. Briefly going back to Hoverspeed from 1997-8; she returned to the Steam Packet's service in 1998 until 2005.
SeaCat Isle of Man became Sea Express 1, and operated for Irish Sea Express in 2005. The next year, she returned to the Steam Packet fleet. In February 2007, the vessel was involved in a collision with a cargo vessel in fog on the River Mersey. Nobody was injured, but the ship was seriously damaged, and took on a large volume of water. Fortunately, by the next day, the ship was stable. The first attempt to tow the ship across the river to drydock had failed, but the second succeeded. In December 2007, the vessel was renamed Snaefell whilst still under repair.
Snaefell moved under her own power for the first time in over a year when she moved from the West Float in Birkenhead to the Pier Head Landing Stage, and then after a detour, headed out on trials which were expected to take three days, and took two. Snaefells first passenger sailing since her accident in 2007 was on 12 May 2008, with the 07:30 sailing to Liverpool.
In May 2009, it was reported in the press that the company is continuing to review the future of the veteran fastcraft in the light of the increased capacity offered by Manannan and poor passenger numbers on the seasonal Belfast and Dublin routes.
...
Wikipedia