HSC Dublin Swift
High-speed catamaran built in 2001
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Dublin Swift is a high-speed catamaran built in 2001 by Austal as a passenger and vehicle catamaran ferry. After conversion to a Maritime Prepositioning ship the vessel was chartered by the United States Navy's Military Sealift Command until January 2018 as WestPac Express. It was then converted for civilian use as a passenger ferry by Irish Ferries and renamed Dublin Swift.
- 2001-2018 WestPac Express (HSV-4676)
- 2018-present Dublin Swift
- 2001-2016 Austal
- 2016-present Irish Continental Group
- 2001-2018 United States Navy
- 2018-present Irish Ferries
Dublin Swift in August 2018 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Cyprus | |
| Name |
|
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry | Limassol |
| Route | Dublin-Holyhead |
| Builder | Austal, Henderson, Western Australia |
| Yard number | 130 |
| Launched | 26 March 2001 |
| Completed | 2001 |
| Identification |
|
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Roll-on/roll-off catamaran |
| Tonnage | 2,111 tons (light) |
| Length | 100.99 m (331.3 ft) |
| Beam | 26.64 m (87.4 ft) |
| Draft | 4.29 m (14.1 ft) (fully loaded) |
| Installed power | Four Caterpillar 3618 diesel engines each producing 7,200 kW @ 1,050 rpm |
| Propulsion | Water-jet propulsion |
| Speed | |
| Range | |
| Capacity |
|
| Crew |
|
History
After a demonstration in 2001, Austal signed a three-year lease with Military Sealift Command for the WestPac Express.[1][2][3]
In March 2011, the WestPac Express was deployed as part of the US response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[4] In recognition of this service, Admiral Mark Buzby presented the ship’s crew with United States Merchant Marine Outstanding Achievement Medal at a ceremony on board the ship in Yokohama, Japan.[5] The lease was renewed successively until the end of 2017.[6][7]
In April 2016 WestPac Express was sold to Irish Continental Group, who continued to lease it to the Military Sealift Command until the end of 2017.[7][8][9]
With its charter to the US Navy completed, in January 2018 WestPac Express arrived in Belfast for refurbishment at Harland & Wolff to replace the Jonathan Swift on Irish Ferries' Dublin to Holyhead route.[10][11][12] It entered service in April 2018.[13][14]
Follow on orders
With a design based on the WestPac Express, Austal USA built 10 Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport vessels for use by the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps and the United States Coast Guard with a further two on order.[15][16]
