Hoverspeed
 |
|
| Industry | Passenger transportation |
|---|---|
| Fate | Dissolved into Norfolkline |
| Predecessor | Seaspeed & Hoverlloyd |
| Founded | October 25, 1981 |
| Defunct | November 7, 2005 |
| Headquarters | Dover, United Kingdom |
|
Area served
|
English Channel |
|
Key people
|
Geoffrey Ede, Managing Director |
| Parent | Sea Containers |
Hoverspeed, formed in 1981 by the merger of Seaspeed and Hoverlloyd, was a ferry company that operated on the English Channel from 1981 until 2005.
The last owners were Sea Containers Ltd; the company ran a small fleet of two high-speed SeaCat Catamaran ferries in its final year.
Hoverspeed is notable for its part in developing the hovercraft, and ran six SR.N4 Mountbatten class hovercraft and one SEDAM N500 Naviplane. Hoverspeed last operated hovercraft on its Dover to Calais service. They were withdrawn on 1 October 2000 and replaced by Seacat catamarans.
Throughout its history Hoverspeed has operated several routes. These were:
Hoverspeed briefly ran services from Ramsgate Pegwell Bay Hoverport in 1982 which had been the base of Hoverlloyd hovercraft services.
In service with Hoverspeed 1990 - 1991, 1993–2000 and 2002 - 2003. Left fleet in 2003, laid up.
Operated for Hoverspeed under several names, she was renamed Seacat Boulogne in 1993, transferred to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (IOMSPC) as Seacat Isle of Man in 1994 but returned under that name to Hoverspeed in 1996 and 1997. In 1996 renamed Seacat Norge and chartered to ColorSeacat, a joint venture between Sea Containers Ltd and Color Line. Renamed Seacat Isle of Man again in 1997 and had her final season with Hoverspeed on the Dover - Calais route in 1998 before returning to IOMSPC as Seacat Isle of Man. In 2005 she was chartered to Irish Sea Express and renamed Sea Express 1 for the duration. The charter ended later that year and she reverted to Steam Packet service. On February 3, 2007 she collided with the Alaska Rainbow in thick fog off in the River Mersey, sustaining severe damage to her Starboard hull. Over 2007 she was laid up and latterly repaired. She was renamed Snaefell in December 2007 and prepared for service in 2008 for the Steam Packet.
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Wikipedia