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(Redirected from International Catamarans) Manufacturer of large high-speed craft catamarans

Incat
IndustryShipbuilding
Founded1977
FounderBob Clifford
HeadquartersDerwent Park, Tasmania
ProductsWave-piercing catamarans
OwnerBob Clifford
Websitewww.incat.com.au

Incat Tasmania is an Australian manufacturer of high-speed craft (HSC) catamaran ferries. Its greatest success has been with large, sea going passenger and vehicle ferries, but it has also built military transports and since 2015 it has built smaller river and bay ferries. Based in Derwent Park, a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, it was founded by Bob Clifford.

The company builds vessels using aluminium construction, wave-piercing and water-jet technology. Vessels have been constructed up to 130 metres in length with a size of 13,000 gross tons and with cruising speeds of up to 58 knots (107 km/h).

History

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Incat's Hobart shipyard (to the right)
The 99m wave piercing catamaran HSC Francisco, delivered by Incat in 2013: the world's fastest ship in commercial service

The company began in 1972 as the Sullivans Cove Ferry Company in suburban Hobart and built four small ferries before International Catamarans was formed in 1977 by a partnership between founder Bob Clifford and marine architect Philip Hercus. This partnership created plans for what was probably the first large wave piercing catamaran in the world. However the partnership was dissolved in 1988 with Clifford remaining in Hobart trading as Incat Tasmania while Hercus returned to Sydney to establish Incat Designs (Sydney), a design-only company that became Incat Crowther after a merger in 2005. Incat Crowther has no association with Incat Tasmania and its ships are built by other companies. Incat Tasmania has its own in-house design company, Revolution Design.

In 1989 Incat Tasmania moved to its present location on Prince of Wales Bay, which allowed it to build larger ships, and in 1990 Incat delivered its first 74-metre fast catamaran ferry. At the same time, several other companies also began to build large aluminium vehicle carrying ferries. This new type of ship was revolutionary and over the next decade fast cats replaced most hydrofoil and hovercraft services as well as many monohull ferries. The success of this new type of ferry led to other shipbuilders around the world using their yards to build large vehicle carrying aluminium catamarans. However many ferry operators preferred traditional monohull designs and the limited market for fast cats became crowded with manufacturers bidding low to keep their shipyards working.

In August 2024, Incat purchased 12 hectares of land from Norske Skog to build a second shipyard on part of the Boyer Mill site.

Products

Large wave piercing passenger and vehicle ferries

In 1990 Incat was one of the pioneers of large, fast catamaran ferries and they have been its core product ever since. The type of ship was different from earlier ferries and its instant success led to Incat becoming a major player in the industry. Over the years innovation has led to the ships becoming bigger, faster, more fuel efficient and much more stable on rough seas. Vehicle decks are often movable to make way for high trucks or extra cars.

Ships in this category have been built from 74 to 130 metres long and from 3,000 to 13,000 gross tons. The 99-metre HSC Francisco (Hull 069) is the world's fastest ship in commercial service and can achieve speeds up to 58 knots (107 km/h; 67 mph).

Smaller passenger ferries

Incat began by building small ferries under 37 metres, but from 1990 it concentrated on larger vehicle-carrying catamarans. However, in 2015 the company resumed building smaller ferries and in that year it delivered river ferries for operation in London, Hobart and Sydney. Since then it has designed and built more smaller ferries including two 35-metre, 400 passenger ferries (Hulls 090 and 095) for commuter runs by Port Phillip Ferries from Melbourne Docklands to Portarlington and Geelong.

Military vessels

HSV-X1 near Crete

In the 1990s several catamarans built by Incat entered naval service as fast transports, including HMAS Jervis Bay with the Royal Australian Navy and HSV-X1Joint Venture, Spearhead and HSV-2 Swift, which served with the United States Armed Forces.

Other vessels

K class

In the mid-1990s Incat built three "K class" ferries. They are 70 to 80 metres long, low profile passenger vessels without wave piercing bows or the distinctive centre bow that characterise all other larger Incat ferries. Two were built by Incat in Hobart and a third was built by a Chinese partner. Plans for further Chinese built K class ferries did not eventuate and Hull NF08 remains the only Incat vessel not built in Hobart.

Oil rig tender

Most offshore oil rigs are exposed to rough open seas with crew transfers by helicopter and freight needs served by platform supply vessels. However Azerbaijan's offshore oil rigs are in the calmer waters of the Caspian Sea, the world's largest lake, so crew transfers can be comfortably and more economically undertaken by water. Several fast catamarans have been built to transfer both crews and cargo for this market including Incat Hull 074 Muslim Magomayev delivered in 2015. The size of catamarans that can be built for this niche market is restricted by the 16.5-metre width of locks on the Volga–Don Canal that connects the Caspian Sea with the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

Brooke Street Pier

From 1990 Incat had almost exclusively built large catamarans, but this changed in 2014 when the company diversified into something that was not even a ship, although it did float. An earlier Brooke Street Pier ferry terminal on Hobart's waterfront needed replacement and Incat was commissioned to build an 80 x 20-metre floating pontoon. Hull 077 was towed 8 km from Incat's shipyard to Sullivans Cove before finishing work was done on site. In addition to ferry berths, the pier hosts a restaurant, a cafe and a number of stalls.

Luxury super yachts

The market for opulent motor yachts has grown rapidly in the 21st century and while the market is mostly for monohull vessels, catamarans are beginning to make inroads. Incat has released several designs ranging from 80 to 112 metres which are shown on their website, but so far there have been no orders.

Deliveries

In its early years Incat built smaller boats and ferries with little to distinguish it from other boat yards except for a willingness to experiment and innovate. But the revolutionary Hull 023 completed in 1990 was quite different and was the first of the type of ferry that Incat is best known for today with its large capacity, high speed, wave piercing hulls and distinctive centre bow. As one of the first large aluminium vehicle carrying catamarans in the world, it contributed to the big changes in the ferry industry that occurred in the 1990s.

Image Hull no Length / class Gross tonnage Delivered Latest name Operator Notes
N/A 001 18m cat 1977 Jeremiah Ryan Unknown
N/A 002 18m cat 1979 James Kelly Unknown
N/A 003 ??m cat 1980 A. K. Ward Derwent Sailing Squadron
N/A 004 20m cat 1981 Fitzroy Unknown
N/A 005 20m cat 1981 Tangalooma Unknown
N/A 006 20m cat 1981 Amaroo II Unknown
N/A 007 20m cat 1982 Green Islander Unknown
N/A 008 20m cat 1982 Quicksilver Unknown
N/A 009 29m cat 1982 Spirit of Roylen Unknown
N/A 010 21m cat 1983 Trojan Unknown
N/A 011 22m cat 1984 Keppel Cat I Unknown
N/A 012 ??m cat 1983 Thunderbird Unknown
N/A 013 9 m cat 1982 Little Devil Unknown launched 1984
N/A 014 ?? m cat 1984 Pybus Rutherglen Punt Unknown
N/A 015 ?? m yacht 1984 Margaret Rintoul Unknown
N/A 016 27m cat 1985 Spirit of Victoria Unknown
N/A 017 31m cat 1986 Tassie Devil 2001 Unknown
N/A 018 23m cat 1987 Starship Genesis Unknown
N/A 019 31m cat 1988 2000 Unknown
020 30m cat 1986 Our Lady Patricia Wightlink Scrapped at Marchwood in 2008
021 30m cat 1986 Our Lady Pamela Wightlink Scrapped at Esbjerg in 2009
N/A 022 37m cat 1988 Sea Flight Cruise Whitsundays
023 74m WPC 3,012 1990 Cat Seajets The first large, aluminium, vehicle carrying catamaran built by Incat and one of the first in the world. Has operated in 3 continents
024 74m WPC 3,454 1992 Pinar del Río Baleària
025 74m WPC 3,003 1990 High Speed Jet Seajets
026 74m WPC 3,003 1991 Masterjet Seajets
027 74m WPC 3,003 1992 Atlantic Express ColoniaExpress
028 74m WPC 3,003 1992 Cyclades Express Seajets
030 74m WPC 3,241 1993 Hanil Blue Narae Hanil Express Formerly known as Condor 10
N/A 031 74m WPC 3,231 1993 Mandarin Dae-A-Gosok Refitting at Busan
032 74m WPC 4,994 1993 Atlantic III Ferrylineas S.A.
033 78m WPC 3,989 1994 Jaume I Baleària–Bahamas Express
N/A 034 78m WPC 3,989 1995 Fares 2 Maritime Company for Navigation, Saudi Arabia Formerly Elanora operated by El Salam Maritime
035 78m WPC 3,989 1995 Mega Jet Seajets The last Incat vessel fitted with a bow door
036 70m K class 1,760 1995 Juan Patricio Buquebus
N/A 037 78m K class 2,450 Montevideo Express ColoniaExpress
N/A NF08 80m K class 2,357 1998 Harmony Flower H Ferry (DAE-A Express Shipping) Korea. Built in Panga, China under contract from Incat as part of a plan to build K class vessels there. Only one was built in China
038 81m WPC 4,112 1996 Jaume II Baleària
N/A 039 1996 Solar Boat Incat R&D craft
040 81m WPC 4,113 1996 Orange 1 Dae A Express Operated under various names in the Irish Sea by Stena Line from 1996 to 2011. Now operates in South Korea
041 81m WPC 4,305 1996 Jaume III Baleària
042 86m WPC 5,005 1996 Champion Jet 2 Seajets Formerly Condor Express for Condor Ferries.
043 86m WPC 5,007 1997 Tarifa Jet Förde Reederei Seetouristik Iberia
044 86m WPC 5,005 1997 Champion Jet 1 Seajets Formerly Condor Vitesse for Condor Ferries
045 86m WPC 5,007 1997 Champion Jet 3 Seajets Formerly Condor Rapide for Condor Ferries and HMAS Jervis Bay
046 91m WPC 5,617 1997 T&T Express Government of Trinidad & Tobago Sank in April 2021
047 91m WPC 5,902 1998 HSC Superexpress Golden Star Ferries
048 91m WPC 5,617 1998 Max Mols Mols-Linien
049 91m WPC 5,619 1998 Fjord Cat Fjord Line
050 96m WPC 5,743 1998 Manannan Isle of Man
Steam Packet Company 		Previously HSV-X1 Joint Venture
051 96m WPC 5,528 1999 Poniente Jet DFDS
052 96m WPC 6,346 1999 Alborán Acciona Trasmediterránea
053 96m WPC 6,344 1999 Bencomo Express Fred. Olsen Express
N/A 054 R&D craft Wing Incat
055 96m WPC 6,344 2000 Bentago Express Fred. Olsen Express
056 96m WPC 6,360 2000 Volcan de Teno Naviera Armas Formerly Highspeed 6 at Hellenic Seaways
057 98m WPC 6,581 2000 Condor Voyager Condor Ferries Formerly Normandie Express for Brittany Ferries
058 98m WPC 6,554 2003 Barlovento Express Fred. Olsen Express
059 98m WPC 6,464 2002 Hai Xia Hao Fujian Cross Straight Ferry Operates between Taiwan and China. Formerly ran as The Cat from eastern USA to Canada and Bahamas
060 98m WPC 6,581 2000 T&T Spirit Government of Trinidad & Tobago Formerly the US military's USAV Spearhead
061 98m WPC 6,581 2003 HSV-2 Swift United States Navy 2002–2013. In UAE service from 2015. Seajets 2017 - Major damage to port bow after missile attack off Yemen in 2016. Towed to Greece for repairs. Not operational
N/A 062 98m WPC 6,581 2006 Volcán de Tirajana Naviera Armas Formerly Milenium Tres at Acciona Trasmediterránea
N/A 063 17m cat 2006 Sixty Three 17m Project Pty Ltd
064 112m WPC 10,841 2007 Natchan Rera J & T Shipping Co Ltd Wagon Group
065 112m WPC 10,715 2008 Natchan World Tsugaru Kaikyo Ferry
066 112m WPC 10,503 2009 KatExpress 1 Mols-Linien Previously Norman Arrow
067 112m WPC 10,503 2013 KatExpress 2 Mols-Linien
068 85m WPC 5,702 2015 Akane Förde Reederei Seetouristik Iberia Operating the Algeciras to Ceuta route across the Strait of Gibraltar. Formerly Sado Steam Ship connecting Sado island in Eastern Japan with the main island of Honshu. Under construction (2013)
069 99m WPC 7,109 2013 Francisco Buquebus Fastest ship in the world
N/A 070 17m 2016 Gwenhyfar Privately owned Cruising ketch
N/A 071 N/A 2011 The Barge Tas Marine Constructions
N/A 072 15m 2011 Lindoy Stava Bat &
Dykkerservice 		Delivered to Norway 16 November 2011
073 34m 2015 MR-1 or Mona Roma Navigators / Secheron Holdings for Museum of Old and New Art Delivered 9 February 2015. Operates on Derwent River, Hobart
N/A 074 70m FCB 1,439 2015 Muslim Magomayev Caspian Marine Services Launched 2014, named after Muslim Magomayev
075 35m 155 2015 Galaxy Clipper Thames Clippers Entered service October 2015
076 35m 155 2015 Neptune Clipper Thames Clippers Entered service October 2015 Article on Thames Clippers Hunt Class catamarans.
077 2014 Brooke Street Pier Brooke Street Pier Development Corporation Pier, completed November 2014 Displacement 4,200 tons (not Gross Tonnage)
N/A 078 24m 2015 Ocean Tracker Manly Fast Ferry Entered service 23 December 2015
N/A 079 24m 2015 Ocean Wave Manly Fast Ferry Entered service 23 December 2015
N/A 080 33m 2016 Ocean Surfer Manly Fast Ferry Entered service March 2016
081 33m 2016 Ocean Flyer Manly Fast Ferry Entered service March 2016
082 35m 2016 Catherine Hamlin Sydney Ferries In service
083 35m 2017 Fred Hollows Sydney Ferries Entered service 26 June 2017
084 35m 2017 Victor Chang Sydney Ferries In service
085 35m 2017 Pemulwuy Sydney Ferries In service
086 35m 2017 Bungaree Sydney Ferries In service
087 35m 2017 May Gibbs Sydney Ferries Entered service December 2017 as Emerald 6, renamed January 2018
088 109m WPC 10,842 2017 KatExpress 3 Molslinjen Entered service June 2017. 1,000 pass, 417 cars.
089 110m WPC 9,044 2018 St John Paul II Virtu Ferries For service in Malta, due to commence operations in March 2019.
090 35m WPC 2017 Bellarine Express Port Phillip Ferries 405 passengers. In service on Port Phillip between Melbourne Docklands and Portarlington
091 111m WPC 10,870 2019 Volcán de Tagoro Naviera Armas 35 knots cruising speed. 1,1184 passengers, 390 cars, 595 lane metres of ro-ro cargo. Cost €74 million
N/A 092 33 metres 2018 Ocean Adventurer Manly Fast Ferry Operates on Port Jackson, Sydney. seats 400
N/A 093 111 metres 2021 Volcán de Taidia Naviera Armas
N/A 094 100 metres 2021 Buccoo Reef Government of Trinidad and Tobago Operates between Port of Spain and Scarborough.
N/A 095 35 metres 2019 Geelong Flyer Port Phillip Ferries Operates between Melbourne & Geelong complementing the earlier Melbourne to Portalington service.
096 130 metres 13,000 Buquebus Will be the world's largest aluminium ship. 226 cars, 2,100 passengers in four classes with a full deck for cafes, restaurants, shops, etc. To operate between Argentina and Uruguay.
N/A 097 76 metres 3000+ 2022 Santa Monica 1 Seaworld Express Ferry Operates between Jindo and Jeju in South Korea. 700 pax and crew, 79 cars. Media release.
N/A 098 120 metres . Undisclosed .
099 76.7 metres 3000+ 2023 El Dorado Express Daezer To operate between Pohang and Ulleung in South Korea at up to 50 knots. Media release.
Image Hull no. Length / class Gross tonnage Delivered Latest name Operator Notes

In the "Length / class" field of the table WPC means the vessel is a wave piercing catamaran. The three K class vessels were a low profile design without the wave piercing bows and the capacity to carry fewer cars than traditional Incat designs.

In the competitive ferry industry, ships often change operators, especially in Europe. Other ferries have alternated between summer service in the northern and southern hemispheres every six months. Some Incat vessels of the 1990s have been operated by up to six shipping companies with regular name changes.

Gross tonnage is a measure of a ship's enclosed volume rather than its weight or displacement, so similar ships can have differing gross tonnages due to factors such as whether a viewing platform is fully enclosed or open to the weather.

References

  1. Company Profile Incat
  2. Incat to double capacity with new site and shipbuilding capacity Incat 29 August 2024
  3. Incat to build new shipyard in Derwent Valley to meet demand for electric vessels Pulse Tasmania 29 August 2024
  4. News in Brief Ships Monthly October 2024 page 6
  5. Offshore Solutions Incat
  6. "Concept Vessels". www.incat.com.au. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017.
  7. ^ "Earlier Vessels". Incat. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  8. "History". Incat. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  9. "M/S OUR LADY PATRICIA (1986)". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  10. "M/S OUR LADY PAMELA (1986)". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  11. T&T Express sinks Trinidad & Tobago Guardian 24 April 2021
  12. "85 Metre Wave Piercing Catamaran". Incat. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  13. "Gwenhwyfar (070)". www.incat.com.au. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017.
  14. "Lindoy (072)". www.incat.com.au. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017.
  15. "MR-1 (073)". www.incat.com.au. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017.
  16. "70 Metre Fast Crew Boat". Incat. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  17. David Beniuk (14 September 2014). "Oil-industry cat a crooner's cruiser as Incat's Muslim Magomayev heads to Azerbaijan's Caspian oilfields". Mercury.
  18. ^ Incat Builds Arrive in London in Style Sea Breezes 7 December 2015
  19. $12 million floating waterfront masterpiece takes shape The Mercury 24 May 2014
  20. ^ New Manly fast ferries opened to public without Opal card access ABC News 29 December 2015
  21. ^ 4 Brand New Boats Manly Fast Ferry 18 March 2016
  22. Aussie doctor lends her name to newest ferry Archived 22 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine Transport for NSW 15 November 2016
  23. Incat ferries bound for Denmark & Sydney Harbour The Mercury 21 April 2017
  24. Victor Chang joins Sydney's ferry fleet Transport for NSW 18 August 2017
  25. Pemulwuy arrives in Sydney Transport for NSW 30 August 2017
  26. New ferries to cater for population boom along Parramatta River Sydney Morning Herald 2 October 2017
  27. Ferry McFerryface wasn't public pick for new ferry name until Andrew Constance's captain's pick Daily Telegraph 30 January 2018
  28. Incat Builds New Ferry for Denmark Ships Monthly 29 April 2016
  29. "Virtu's new catamaran will be among the world's largest". Times of Malta. 8 January 2019. Archived from the original on 28 January 2019.
  30. "28/11/2017". www.incat.com.au. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018.
  31. Incat Insider newsletter, issue 049 Incat
  32. My Fast Ferry Launched at Incat Incat 10 July 2018
  33. "094".
  34. "095".
  35. "096".
  36. "099".

External links

Media related to Incat (ship builder) at Wikimedia Commons

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