TurboJET

This article is about the Hong Kong based ferry company. For the type of jet engine, see Turbojet.

TurboJET

240px
Type	Private company
Industry	Ferry services
Founded	1999
Headquarters	Hong Kong
Website	http://www.turbojet.com.hk/

TurboJET
File:TurboJET - Universal MK 2004.jpg TurboJET's Universal MK 2004 TriCat
Portuguese name
Portuguese	Shun Tak China Travel – Companhia de Gestão de Embarcações, Limitada: TurboJET
English name
English	Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management Limited: TurboJET

TurboJET is the brand name for the operations of the Hong Kong-headquartered Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management Limited, which was established from the joint venture between Shun Tak Holdings Limited and China Travel International Investment Hong Kong Limited in July 1999. It operates hydrofoil ferry services in southern China.

It acquired First Ferry (Macau) from New World First Ferry in August 2011.

Shun Tak and China Travel had their own separate ferry business brands before merging as TurboJET, on 1 July 1999. They were Far East Jetfoil by Shun Tak, and Turbo Cat by CTS Parkview Company Ltd.

Routes

TurboJET provides services between Hong Kong, Hong Kong International Airport, Macau, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, all located around the Pearl River Delta in southern China. The route between Hong Kong and Macau is the busiest, operating 24 hours a day, taking approximately one hour to travel the 70 kilometres (43 mi) journey on TurboJET's high speed vessels.

In the past, besides the inter-city routes, Turbo Cat operated Hong Kong out-lying routes during the years 1999 to 2000. The routes were Central to Tuen Mun (on weekdays), and Central to Tai O (on weekends). After the merger, the routes are now operated under the TurboJET brand.

Fleet

TurboJET is the world's largest operator of Boeing's Jetfoils; all used to belong to the former Far East Jetfoil. Far East Jetfoil also used PS-30 and FoilCat, whereas the former Turbo Cat used FlyingCat and TriCat.

TurboJET's fleet includes seven major types of vessels (and eight minor vessels), with one of the major types (and two minor types) rented from another company.

Bought vessels

• FoilCat : 35m length, 561 tonnes, 423 passengers catamaran hydrofoil. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin General Electric LM500 gas turbines. Maximum speed at 50 knots. Built by Norwegian specialists Kvaerner Fjellstrand.
• FlyingCat : 40m length, 479 tonnes, 303 passengers catamaran. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin MTU 16V 396 diesel engines, rated at 2000 kW each. Cruising speed at 35 knots. Built by Norwegian specialists Kvaerner Fjellstrand.
• TriCat : 45m length, 602 tonnes, 328/333 passengers catamaran. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin Caterpillar Solar Taurus gas turbines. Cruising speed at 45 knots, capable of 52 knots when empty. Built by FBM Marine of the United Kingdom for universal MK 2001–2008 only (Note: Universal MK 2009 and 2010 are built by Pequot River of the USA). Universal MK 2001–2005 are installed with 2 shorter chimneys at the back while Universal MK 2006–2010 are installed with 2 higher chimneys at the back of the vessels.)
• JetFoil: 24.44m length, 267 tonnes, 190/243 passengers monohull hydrofoil. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin Rolls Royce Allison 501KF gas turbines. Maximum speed at 45 knots. Built by Boeing.
• PS-30: 27.8m length, 303 tonnes, 260 passengers Jetfoil-like monohull hydrofoil. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin Rolls Royce Allison 501KF gas turbines. Maximum speed at 45 knots. Built by Shanghai Simno Marine Limited, under licenses from Boeing. (This vessel is currently inactive as of September 2011.)
• Austal 48: 47.5m length, 610 tonnes, 418 passengers catamaran. Propelled by waterjets powered by quadruple MTU 16V 4000 diesel engines, rated at 2320 kW each. Cruising speed at 43.5 knots, capable of 49 knots when empty. Built by Austal Shipyard of Australia.

Rented vessels (returned in December 2008)

• Wavemaster SuperFast 39m: 39m length, 300 passengers catamaran. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin MTU 8V 396 diesel engines, rated at 1580 kW each. Maximum speed at 36 knots. Built by Wavemaster International Proprietary Limited Company.
• Wavemaster SuperFast 42m: 42m length, 385 passengers catamaran. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin MTU 16V 396 diesel engines, rated at 1960 kW each. Maximum speed at 48 knots. Built by Wavemaster International Proprietary Limited Company.

Vessels information

TurboJET Fleet

Name	IMO	Type	Year Built	Seats	Builder	Notes	Image
Acores(恆星,929-100-008)			Far East Jetfoil：1975-1999 Turbo JET：1999-2003	262	Boeing Company	Sold to South Korea in 2004
Guia(東星,929-100-009)	7932848	Jetfoil	Far East Jetfoil：1976-1999 Turbo JET：1999	243	Boeing Company		Guia
Terceira (錫星,929-115-012)	7910008	Jetfoil	Far East Jetfoil：1979-1999 Turbo JET：1999	190	Boeing Company	2nd Premier Jetfoil in service since Feb 2010	Terceira
Horta(海皇星,929-115-016)	7923251	Jetfoil	Far East Jetfoil：1980-1999 Turbo JET：1999	243	Boeing Company	3rd Premier Jetfoil in service since Jul 2012	Horta
Lilau(帝皇星,929-115-014)	8332332	Jetfoil	Far East Jetfoil：1979-1999 Turbo JET：1999	243	Boeing Company		Lilau
Funchal(天皇星,929-115-013)	7923249	Jetfoil	Far East Jetfoil：1979-1999 Turbo JET：1999	190	Boeing Company	1st Premier Jetfoil in service since March 2009
Taipa(帝后星,929-115-021)	8127701	Jetfoil	Far East Jetfoil：1981-1999 Turbo JET：1999	243	Boeing Company	4th Premier Jetfoil in service since Feb 2013
Cacilhas(幸運星,929-115-018)	8019564	Jetfoil	Far East Jetfoil：1981-1999 Turbo JET：1999	243	Boeing Company
São Jorge(銀星,929-100-006)	7933165	Jetfoil	Far East Jetfoil：1975-1999 Turbo JET：1999	243	Boeing Company	Premier Jetfoil since late 2014.
Santa Maria(金星,929-100-005)	7523910	Jetfoil	Far East Jetfoil：1974-1999 Turbo JET：1999	243	Boeing Company		200px
Corvo(火星,929-100-003)		Jetfoil	Far East Jetfoil：1975-1999 Turbo JET：1999-2006	242	Boeing Company	Sold to South Korea in 2006
Pico(土星,929-100-004)	7737391	Jetfoil	Far East Jetfoil：1975-1999 Turbo JET：1999	243	Boeing Company
Madeira(木星,929-100-002)	7523881	Jetfoil	Far East Jetfoil：1974-1999 Turbo JET：1999	243	Boeing Company	Crashed in November 2013 and then being currently inactive	Madeira
Flores(水星,929-100-001)	7737389	Jetfoil	Far East Jetfoil：1974-1999 Turbo JET：1999	243	Boeing Company	Currently Inactive (Possibly Retired)
Urzela(鐵星,929-100-007)	7932898	Jetfoil	Far East Jetfoil：1976-1999 Turbo JET：1999	243	Boeing Company
Ponta Delgada(銅星,929-100-008)		Jetfoil	Far East Jetfoil：1977-1999 Turbo JET：1999-2003	242	Boeing Company	Sold to South Korea in 2004
Balsa(北星)	8878362	PS-30	Far East Jetfoil：1994-1999 Turbo JET：1999	270	Shanghai Simno Marine Limited	Currently Inactive
Praia(南星)		PS-30	Far East Jetfoil：1994-1999 Turbo JET：1999-2001	242	Shanghai Simno Marine Limited	Sold to South Korea in 2002
Penha(祥星)	9101778	Foilcat	Far East Jetfoil：1995-1999 Turbo JET：1999	419	Kvaerner Fjellstrand Shipyard		Penha
Barca(日星)	9101780	Foilcat	Far East Jetfoil：1995-1999 Turbo JET：1999	419	Kvaerner Fjellstrand Shipyard		Barca
Universal MK I (宇航壹號)	9060376	Flying Cat	1992	303	Kvaerner Fjellstrand Shipyard		Universal MK I
Universal MK II (宇航貳號)	9060388	Flying Cat	1993	303	Kvaerner Fjellstrand Shipyard	Sold to Indonesia in 2010
Universal MK III (宇航叄號)	9060390	Flying Cat	1993	303	Kvaerner Fjellstrand Shipyard		Universal MK III
Universal MK IV (宇航肆號)	9086655	Flying Cat	1994	303	Kvaerner Fjellstrand Shipyard	Sold to South Korea in August 2011
Universal MK 2001 (宇航2001)	9087556	TriCat	1994	333	FBM Marine Limited		Universal MK 2001
Universal MK 2002 (宇航2002)	9087568	TriCat	1995	333	FBM Marine Limited
Universal MK 2003 (宇航2003)	9087570	TriCat	1995	333	FBM Marine Limited		Universal MK 2003
Universal MK 2004 (宇航2004)	9087582	TriCat	1995	333	FBM Marine Limited		Universal MK 2004
Universal MK 2005 (宇航2005)	9087594	TriCat	1996	333	FBM Marine Limited		Universal MK 2005
Universal MK 2006 (宇航2006)	9139206	TriCat	1996	333	FBM Marine Limited		Universal MK 2006
Universal MK 2007 (宇航2007)	9139218	TriCat	1996	333	FBM Marine Limited		Universal MK 2007
Universal MK 2008 (宇航2008)	9139220	TriCat	1997	333	FBM Aboitiz Shipyard, Philippines
Universal MK 2009 (宇航2009)	9160188	TriCat	1998	328	Pequot River Shipwords, New London, CT, USA	Second Hand (joined in 2005) Painted in MGM Colors	Universal MK 2009
Universal MK 2010 (宇航2010)	9182538	TriCat	1999	328	Pequot River Shipwords, New London, CT, USA	Second Hand (joined in 2005), Currently inactive (Parked at Tsing Yi)
Universal MK 2011 (宇航2011)	9444209	Austal 48m	2008	418	Austal Shipyard	(Originally purchased by New World First Ferry)	Universal MK 2011
Universal MK 2012 (宇航2012)		Austal 48m	2008	418	Austal Shipyard	(Originally purchased by New World First Ferry)	Universal MK 2012
Universal MK 2013 (宇航2013)		Austal 48m	2002	414	Austal Shipyard	(Originally purchased by New World First Ferry)
Universal MK 2014 (宇航2014)		Austal 48m	2002	414	Austal Shipyard	(Originally purchased by New World First Ferry)
Universal MK 2015 (宇航2015)		Austal 48m	2002	414	Austal Shipyard	(Originally purchased by New World First Ferry)
Universal MK 2016 (宇航2016)		Austal 48m	2004	418	Austal Shipyard	(Originally purchased by New World First Ferry)
Universal MK 2017 (宇航2017)		Austal 48m	2004	418	Austal Shipyard	(Originally purchased by New World First Ferry)

External links

• The official web site of TurboJET
• OMC TurboJet engine Community & Forum
• BarcaFerry