By
Rebecca Gibson |
Damen Shipyards Group has sold a Fast Ferry 4212 to South Korean ferry operator DAEA Express Shipping.
Named Sea Flower, the 42-metre-long ferry was ordered in January 2016 and delivered during a traditional handover ceremony at its homeport of Hupo on 22 April. This ceremony was attended by local and regional officials, as well as Ruth Emmerink, deputy head of mission at the Netherlands Embassy in South Korea. The vessel will now operate between Hupo and Ulleungdo, one of South Korea’s easternmost territories and tourist destinations.
“We are proud to see this vessel, with her capacity of 450 passengers, contribute to the safe, reliable and comfortable transport to and from the island of Ulleungdo,” said Michiel Hendrikx, sales manager at Damen Asia Pacific. “This will have a positive boost on the local tourist sector.”
Sea Flower was initially designed to Bureau Veritas standards as part of Damen’s speculative newbuild programme. Damen then modified the vessel to meet DAEA’s requirements and to ensure it complied with the safety and operational requirements set out by the Korean Register of Shipping.
“This was one of our stock vessels so we could finish it to the client’s specifications, delivering it where and when they needed it, in a very short timeframe,” said Hendrikx. “The final outfitting typically involves interior layout and design: the number and configuration of passenger seats, for example, are all flexible. The colour scheme, too, is also very important – incorporating a client’s personal touch.”
Although Sea Flower is the first vessel Damen has sold to DAEA Express Shipping, it is the fourth ferry of this design that Damen has sold in the last five years to companies operating on the east coast of the Korean peninsula.
“Our track record with similar vessels, short delivery times and excellent service network in South Korea all played an important role in winning this contract,” said Hendrikx. “We are looking forward to serving DAEA in future.”
Damen is currently building two further Fast Ferry 4212 vessels as part of its speculative building programme and these are expected to be complete at the start of 2017.