Name HSS 1500 Built June 1994 - April 1997 | Builders Finnyards, Finland Building 1996 | |
 | ||
Operators Stena Line
Albamar Shipping Company In service April 1996 - September 2014 | ||
HSS 1500 was the name of a model of Stena HSS craft developed and originally operated by Stena Line on European international ferry routes. The vessels were the largest high-speed craft in the world. Several design patents were registered to Stena Line in the development of the HSS.
Contents
Three vessels were ultimately completed in 1996 and 1997. The first of the class, Stena Explorer, entered service in April 1996, serving the Holyhead - Dún Laoghaire route and As of 2014 remains the only one still in service. Two others had served Stranraer to Belfast and Harwich to Hoek van Holland. On the 200-kilometre Hoek–Harwich route, the Stena HSS had cut the crossing time in half by cruising at 41 knots.
Design and construction
Stena Explorer was constructed by Finnyards in Rauma, Finland.
The HSS 1500 is a semi-small-waterplane-area twin hull (SWATH) catamaran, and was designed with the aim of providing a comfortable and fast service.
Power is provided by four GE Aviation gas turbines in a twin COGAG configuration. The vessels employ four Kamewa waterjets for propulsion.
The HSS class of ferries were designed to allow quick turnarounds at port, in 30 minutes or less. A specially designed linkspan for the Stena HSS provides ropeless mooring and allows quick loading, unloading and servicing. Vehicles are loaded via two of the four stern doors and park in a "U" configuration. When disembarking, vehicles drive straight off via the other two doors.