HSC Norman Arrow
Encyclopedia
The Norman Arrow is a high speed
catamaran
operated by LD Lines
between Portsmouth
and Le Havre
. She is the worlds largest diesel powered catamaran.
Yards in Tasmania
, Australia
as MGC 66 for MGC Chartering Limited. Upon completion the vessel was chartered to French ferry operator LD Lines
and renamed Norman Arrow.
In June 2009 the Norman Arrow entered service between Dover
and Boulogne. For the 2010 season the Norman Arrow was transferred to the Portsmouth - Le Havre route.
On 28 August 2010 the Norman Arrow hit a mooring dolphin
whilst berthing in Le Havre
, resulting in structural damage to the vessel. The Norman Arrow sailed to Brest
for repairs.
High-speed craft
A high-speed craft is a high speed water vessel for civilian use, also called a fastcraft or fast ferry.The first high-speed craft were often hydrofoils or hovercraft, but in the 1990s catamaran and even monohull designs have become popular.Most high-speed craft serve as passenger ferries, but the...
catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
operated by LD Lines
LD Lines
LD Lines is a French shipping company. It is predominantly a freight operator, with both deep-sea and ferry operations, but also operates some passenger services...
between Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
. She is the worlds largest diesel powered catamaran.
History
The Norman Arrow was built in 2009 at the IncatINCAT
INCAT is a part of Tata Technologies Limited, a company in the Tata Group and operates in the field of Automotive Industry providing Engineering and Design solutions. The company took over a much larger player in the field namely INCAT, a Europe based company, in 2005...
Yards in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
as MGC 66 for MGC Chartering Limited. Upon completion the vessel was chartered to French ferry operator LD Lines
LD Lines
LD Lines is a French shipping company. It is predominantly a freight operator, with both deep-sea and ferry operations, but also operates some passenger services...
and renamed Norman Arrow.
In June 2009 the Norman Arrow entered service between Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
and Boulogne. For the 2010 season the Norman Arrow was transferred to the Portsmouth - Le Havre route.
On 28 August 2010 the Norman Arrow hit a mooring dolphin
Dolphin (structure)
A dolphin is a man-made marine structure that extends above the water level and is not connected to shore.Dolphins are usually installed to provide a fixed structure when it would be impractical to extend the shore to provide a dry access facility, for example, when ships are greater than the...
whilst berthing in Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
, resulting in structural damage to the vessel. The Norman Arrow sailed to Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
for repairs.