# HSC HSS Discovery

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Ferry

Stena Discovery laid up in Curaçao History Name 1997–2009: Stena Discovery 2009 onwards: HSS 'Discovery Operator 1997–2009: Stena Line 2009 onwards: Albamar Shipping Company Port of registry 1997–2009: Hook of Holland The Netherlands 2009-2011: Nassau Bahamas 2011-2015: Puerto la Cruz Venezuela 2015: Tanzania Builder Finnyards, Finland Cost £65,000,000 Yard number 406 Launched 14 December 1996[1] In service April 1997 Identification IMO number: 9107590 Fate Scrapped in Aliağa, Turkey in 2015[2] General characteristics Class & type HSS 1500 Developed by Stena Rederi AB Tonnage 19,638 GT[3] Length 126.6 m (415 ft 4 in) Beam 40.0 m (131 ft 3 in) Draught 4.8 m (15 ft 9 in) Installed power COGAG Turbines: 2× GE LM2500 2× GE LM1600 Propulsion 4× Kamewa Type S waterjets Speed 40 knots[3] Capacity 1,500 passengers 375 cars 800 lane metres

***HSS Discovery*** was a [high-speed ferry](/source/High-speed_craft) owned by Albamar Shipping Company. She was a member of the [HSS 1500](/source/HSS_1500) class of high-speed ferries, built for and designed by [Stena Line](/source/Stena_Line) from 1996 onwards. She was previously ***Stena Discovery***, and operated for Stena Line between [Harwich International Port](/source/Harwich_International_Port) in the United Kingdom and [Hook of Holland](/source/Hook_of_Holland), the Netherlands.

## Design and construction

[Finnyards](/source/STX_Finland) in [Rauma, Finland](/source/Rauma%2C_Finland) built the ship. Building began in 1996, and the ship entered service in April 1997.[3]

The ship was a [catamaran](/source/Catamaran), designed to provide a comfortable and fast service.[4]

Power was provided by four [GE Aviation](/source/GE_Aviation) [gas turbines](/source/Gas_turbine) in a twin combined gas and gas ([COGAG](/source/COGAG)) configuration.[5] Four [Kamewa](/source/Kamewa) [waterjets](/source/Pump-jet) propelled the ship.[6]

The HSS class of ferries was designed to allow quick turnarounds at port. A specially designed [linkspan](/source/Linkspan) provides ropeless mooring, and allows quick loading, unloading and servicing. Vehicles were loaded via two of the four stern doors, and parked in a "U" layout. When disembarking, vehicles drove straight off via the other three doors.[6]

## Career

As *Stena Discovery*, the ship ran between Harwich and Hook of Holland for Stena Line, from her introduction in 1997 until January 2007, when she was taken out of service due to her high fuel consumption. She was laid up at Belfast between January 2007 and September 2009, before leaving for [La Guaira](/source/La_Guaira), [Venezuela](/source/Venezuela) under the ownership of Albamar Shipping Company. Before leaving Belfast, the "Stena" prefix was deleted from the ship's name.[3][7]

She served only briefly in Venezuela, and was taken out of service again in 2009. In November 2011, she was moved to [Curaçao](/source/Cura%C3%A7ao) in an attempt to attract investors for a new ferry service between Curaçao and La Guaira.[8] She was subject to a criminal investigation soon after, regarding irregular trade of diesel fuel from her ballast tanks.[9] She was scrapped in [Aliağa](/source/Alia%C4%9Fa), [Turkey](/source/Turkey) between August and November 2015.[2]

## Incidents

- In January 1998, *Stena Discovery* was travelling at full speed when she hit a 3.5 metres (11 ft) swell, resulting in water being pushed up over her nose and hitting her bridge windows. It tore through the underside of the nose. It was later discovered that this was beyond *Stena Discovery*'s design capability. Small air holes were fitted on the underside of the nose to prevent a repeat incident.[10]

- In March 2001, the driver of an 18 tonne lorry, loaded with 12 tonnes of fresh fish, failed to put his vehicle's handbrake on during a crossing of *Stena Discovery* from Hook of Holland to Harwich. As the ferry accelerated, the lorry rolled back, crashed through the ship's stern doors, and fell into the [North Sea](/source/North_Sea). It took with it three smaller vans, as well as one of the stern doors. The ship returned to Hook of Holland, and was taken out of service for repairs. Damage to the door and loss of the vehicles was estimated to be about £200,000.[11]

		- After the 1998 incident, 'shark fin' covered air holes were fitted on the underside of the nose.

		- One of the four Kamewa waterjets.

		- Laid up in Curaçao. The dirt on the back is [soot](/source/Soot) from the diesel generators.

		- Laid up in Belfast, April 2007.

		- Glory days: mooring at Hook of Holland on return from Harwich (2005).

		- Inactive, in the [Caribbean Sea](/source/Caribbean_Sea) in Curaçao.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Fakta_om_Fartyg_HSS_Stena_Disvovery_1-0)** ["HSS Stena Discovery"](http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/stena_discovery_1997.htm). Retrieved 21 March 2016.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-scrap_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-scrap_2-1) ["Stena Discovery"](http://www.castlesoftheseas.nl/stena-discovery-2.html). *Castles of the Seas*. Retrieved 10 January 2017.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Fakta_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Fakta_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Fakta_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Fakta_3-3) ["Stena Discovery"](http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/stena_discovery_1997.htm). *Fakta Om Fartyg* (in Swedish). Retrieved 24 December 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-DLH_4-0)** ["The story behind the building of the first Stena HSS"](https://web.archive.org/web/20091208023829/http://www.dlharbour.ie/content/stena/hss_story.php). Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company. Archived from [the original](http://www.dlharbour.ie/content/stena/hss_story.php) on 8 December 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-GE_5-0)** ["GE Marine Engines' LM Gas Turbines Exceed 600,000 Hours Operating Aboard 16 Fast Ferries"](https://web.archive.org/web/20101211123020/http://geae.com/aboutgeae/presscenter/marine/marine_20020909.html) (Press release). GE Aviation. 9 September 2002. Archived from [the original](http://www.geae.com/aboutgeae/presscenter/marine/marine_20020909.html) on 11 December 2010. Retrieved 24 December 2009. Each semi-swath fast ferry used two LM1600 and two LM2500 gas turbines in a COmbined Gas and Gas (COGAG) turbine configuration.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-SLH_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-SLH_6-1) ["Stena Explorer"](http://www.sealink-holyhead.com/stena/ships/explorer/home.html). Sealink-Holyhead. Retrieved 24 December 2009.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-speed-for-size_7-0)** ["Stena sacrifices speed for size"](http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/indexarticle.htm?artid=1167755319110). *International Freight Weekly*. 12 January 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Initiators seek investors to take over ferry"](http://www.amigoe.com/english/93408-initiators-seek-investors-to-take-over-ferry-). *Amigoe*. 4 December 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Criminal investigation into disappearance of diesel from hss discovery"](http://www.dutchcaribbeanlegalportal.com/news/latest-news/1840-criminal-investigation-into-disappearance-of-diesel-from-hss-discovery). *Dutch Caribbean Legal Portal*. 20 March 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Ferry News"](http://www.harwichhavenshipsandyachts.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=291). *Harwich Haven Ships and Yachts*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Lorry falls of back of ferry"](https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/5493883.harwich-lorry-falls-off-back-of-ferry). *Clacton Gazette*. 18 March 2001. Retrieved 3 February 2009.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [HSC HSS Discovery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HSC_HSS_Discovery) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HSC_HSS_Discovery?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.