Incat

Incat is a manufacturer of large high-speed craft (HSC) catamarans, based in the Derwent Park suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia founded by Robert Clifford. The company builds large commercial and military vessels that use aluminium construction, wave-piercing and water-jet technology. Vessels have been constructed up to 112 metres in length and with cruising speed up to 40 knots (75 km/h).

Several catamarans built by Incat have entered naval services, including HMAS Jervis Bay, best known for its contribution to the INTERFET in East Timor, and HSV-X1 Joint Venture and HSV-2 Swift, which served with the US military.

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HSC INCAT 046

HSC INCAT 046 is a wave-piercing catamaran passenger-vehicle ferry. It has operated under various marketing names, including Devil Cat, The Cat, The Lynx, and now T&T Express.

Vessel characteristics

HSC INCAT 046 is a 91-metre vessel built by InCat Australia in Hobart, Tasmania in 1997 as hull 046. She is a sister ship to HSC Express (holder of a Trans-Atlantic speed record), HSC Max Mols and HSC Master Cat, all of which are Incat91 models.

INCAT 046 is constructed from marine grade aluminium alloys. Each water-borne hull is subdivided into multiple watertight compartments connected by an arched bridging structure with a central forward hull above the smooth water line. Each water-borne hull carries two engines which drive water jets mounted on the transom.

Vehicles are stowed in and between both waterborne hulls in a configuration of rising and descending decks which load from a single level transfer bridge at the stern. The main passenger deck is immediately above the vehicle decks and consists of a cafe, gift shop, children's play area and passenger seating lounges, as well as an outside observation deck that runs the width of the ship at the stern. The passenger seating lounges have overhead television monitors which play movies, or television broadcasts, as well as a continuously updated map showing the vessel's GPS coordinates. A smaller secondary passenger deck is located one deck up and has a bar immediately aft of the wheelhouse.

HSC Hai Xia Hao

Hai Xia Hao is a passenger / vehicle ferry operated by Fujian Cross Strait Ferry between Taichung and Pingtan Island. The vessel is a high speed catamaran built by the Tasmanian shipbuilder Incat.

History

Hai Xia Hao was constructed for Bay Ferries as The Cat and operated seasonally in from 2002–2005 in international service from May to October across the Gulf of Maine between Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and Bar Harbor, Maine. The vessel replaced the Incat 046 which had inaugurated high speed ferry services in North America on this route in 1997, using the marketing name "The Cat".

Starting in the winter of 2003–2004, Bay Ferries began to operate the vessel as a wet-lease charter during the off-season for the Gulf of Maine service, when the INCAT 046 had previously been laid up. From November 2003 to April 2004, The Cat was operated by Bay Ferries for Bahama Florida Express, which was an inaugural high speed ferry service between Port Everglades, Florida and the Bahamas. From December 2004 to April 2005, Bay Ferries operated The Cat between Port of Spain and Scarborough in Trinidad and Tobago for the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. This same route was served by The Cat from November 2005 to May 2006 and INCAT 046 filled in from May to October.