On 5 July 2024 South Korea’s KT Marine held a welcoming ceremony for its new vessel, a Damen Fast Ferry 4212 named Hamel. The company placed its order for the vessel earlier this year. The rapid delivery is the result of Damen’s serial construction of vessels for stock.
The ceremony, which took place at Yesou, was attended by numerous guests, including Mr Og Yeol BAG, CEO of KT Marine, the Chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in South Korea, OnnyJalink, Damen Regional Sales Director Asia-Pacific, Thomas Röwekamp, and various local stakeholders including Mr Jeong, Ki Myung, Mayor of Yeosu City, Ms Baek, In Sook, Chairwoman of Yeosu City Council, and well as various members of the National Assembly, of the Provincial Council, of the Yeosu City Council, of the Yeosu regional office of Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and of the Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority.
Hamel can carry up to 423 passengers at speeds of up to 40 knots. She will operate a route between Yeosu Harbour and Geomundo Island. Hamel is the seventh Damen Fast Ferry, and the fifth Fast Ferry 4212, to be delivered to South Korea in recent years.
The Fast Ferry 4212 is a catamaran design known for its high levels of passenger comfort, low fuel consumption and low maintenance costs. The vessel was built at Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam. The ferry departed the yard end of June 2024 sailing to Korea on her own keel, crewed by Damen’s delivery team.
