Justin Merrigan (Incat Tasmania Pty Ltd) Aluminium catamaran built in 1990 by Incat (International Catamarans) Australia Pty. Ltd., Hobart, Australia (Yard No. 025) for Hoverspeed Ltd, Nassau, Bahamas as a car and passenger ferry. Launched January 28th 1990.
Technical Data MMSI Number - 234475000 IMO Number - 8900000 Length 74.00m Breadth - 26.00m Draught - 2.40m Tonnage - 3,003 gross 201 deadweight Engines - Four 16-cyl, Ruston 16RK 270 diesels. Power - 14,592 kW. Speed - 35 knots Capacity - 450 passengers, 80 cars Call Sign - C6IW4 (1990 - 2004), MWJT7 (current 2007)
History January 28th 1990: Launched and named CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. The name was subsequently changed to HOVERSPEED GREAT BRITAIN prior to delivery.
 
Justin Merrigan (Incat Tasmania Pty Ltd)
April 1990: First sea-trials on the Derwent river, Tasmania.
 
Justin Merrigan (Incat Tasmania Pty Ltd)
May 1990: Delivered to Hoverspeed, Ltd, Nassau, Bahamas. May 1990: Left builders yard Punta Arenas - Rio De Janeiro - Nassau bound for New York. June 11th 1990: Arrived in New York.
 
Justin Merrigan (Incat Tasmania Pty Ltd)
June 19th 1990: Left New York bound for Falmouth. Entered the Hales Trophy challenge and broke SS UNITED STATES 38 year old record. The craft established the record of three days, seven hours and 52 minutes averaging 36.65 knots and in so doing won the “Blue Riband” and the trophy. June 23rd 1990: Arrived at Falmouth. August 14th 190: Maiden voyage from Portsmouth to Cherbourg, but plagued by technical problems during her first season.
© Fotoflite, Ray Goodfellow Collection
November 1990: Publicity sailing to Isle Of Man. November 6th 1990: Crossed to Heysham. November 20th 1990: To Dover where she made crossings to Boulogne and Calais before sailing to the Pool of London for the presentation of the Hales Trophy.
 
Justin Merrigan (Incat Tasmania Pty Ltd), left and © Andreas Wörteler, right
January 8th 1991: A final crossing between Portsmouth and Cherbourg. Then to Cherbourg for extensive refit. June 2nd 1991: Projected re-entry in to service. July 20th 1991: Entered service Dover - Calais/Boulogne.
 
© Fotoflite, Stéphane Poulain Collection
December 1992 - March 1993: Charted out to Ferrylineas Argentinas S.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina. Commence service between Buenos Aires - Colonia, at he same time transferred to the Argentinian flag.
 
Hoverspeed Great Britain on the river Thames. Justin Merrigan (Incat Tasmania Pty Ltd)
1993: Commenced service between Stranraer - Belfast.
 
© Aubrey Dale
November 1993: Introduced between Dover - Calais/ Boulogne.
© Andreas Wörteler
March 1994 - December 24th 1994: Service between Folkestone - Boulogne.
 
© Stéphane Poulain (left) and © Fotoflite, Stéphane Poulain Collection (right)
January 1st 1995: Commenced service between Dover - Calais.
 
© Ray Goodfellow
March 31st 1995: Commenced service between Folkestone - Boulogne.
 
© Stéphane Poulain
 
© Andreas Wörteler
November 1st 1996 - February 7th 1997: Operated between Dover - Boulogne.
 
© Stéphane Poulain
1997: Home port Folkestone.
Onboard Hoverspeed Great Britain   
 
© Stéphane Poulain
October 10th 1997: Chartered out for a single trip between Folkestone - Le Havre.
© Stéphane Poulain
March 29th 2001: Commenced service between Belfast - Heysham. 2002: Operated between Dover - Calais.
 
© Ray Goodfellow
June 2003: Laid up at A&P Birkenhead, England. April 2004: Chartered to Emeraude Jersey Ferries.
© Stéphane Poulain
April 12th 2004: Arrived in St Malo. April 2004: Installed between St Malo - Guernsey/ Jersey.
  
© Manuel Dhondt
August 2004: Renamed EMERAUDE GREAT BRITAIN. February 2005: Charter concluded. February 16th 2005: Left St Malo for Gibraltar February 2005: Later left for the Mediterranean. February 2005: Chartered to Aegean SpeedLines, Greece. 2005.: Overhaul at Viktor Lenac yard, Croatia.
 
© Andreas Wörteler
April 22nd 2005: Renamed SPEEDRUNNER I, (but still registered at Folkestone).
 
© Aleksi Lindstrom
2005: Commenced service between Piraeus - Serifos - Sifnos - Milos (later to Paros). 26th March 2008: Sold to Alpha Ferries, Greece.
© Efoplistis, courtesy Incat Tasmania Pty Ltd
April 2008: Renamed Sea Runner
| 
