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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

MV Westpac Express (HSV-4676)

HSV-1 Class High-speed Catamaran:

Built in 2001 by Austal Ltd, Henderson, Australia

Launched, date unknown

Chartered for Marine Corps Logistics Prepositioning Ship Program by MSC

Contract Information

Austal Hull 130 Chartering, LLC, Mobile, Ala., will be awarded a $13,395,944 firm-fixed-priced contract commencing

in February 2007 with four one year additional options to September 2011

Sold in April 2016 to Irish Continental Group, for $13.25 million Westpac Express continued to be contracted out to the Military Sealift Command until the end of 2017

In January 2018, with its charter to the US Navy completed, Westpac Express replaced the HSC Jonathan Swift as a commercial passenger ferry on Irish Ferries' Holyhead to Dublin route

14 January 2018, Westpac Express entered the drydock at Belfast's Harland & Wolff shipyard for refurbishment and conversion to civilian use

27 April 2018, Westpac Express now renamed Dublin Express began commercial ferry service between Dublin and Holyhead

Specifications:
Displacement 2,111 t.(lt)
Length 331' 4"
Beam 87' 5"
Draft 14' 1" (fully loaded)

Speed

Economical Speed: 20 Kts

Warranted Speed: 33 Kts

Range 1100nm / 33 kts.

Complement Military 11, Civilian 13

Troop Capacity 970

Cargo Capacity

20,698 square feet - RORO designed for roll on/roll off service (Typical loads - 153 HUMMWV's or 12 AAVP's and 20 LAV's)

Range

1,240 NM@ 33Kts (laden)

2,182 NM@ 20Kts (laden)

2,927 NM@ 20Kts (ballast)

Propulsion diesel-powered, water jet catamaran 4x Caterpiller 3618 diesel engines each producing 7,200 KW @ 1050 rpm

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
HSV Westpac Express (HSV-4676)
	60k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) moored pierside at Henderson, Western Australia, circa 2002.	MSC web site
	59k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) departing "Kin Red", Red Beach on the east coast of Okinawa. Kin Red is the principal HSV loading pier for Marine troops and vehicles. This photo shows the concrete pier with the pilings leading out from it. The HSV backs into the pier and ties up to the pilings, lowers its stern ramp and conducts its load/discharge. Note: also that *WestPac Express* is the only HSV with an axial stern ramp, the others have quarter ramps with less capacity and cannot load as much ro/ro cargo.	Lee Wahler
	68k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) embarking Marines, date and place unknown.	Austal web site
	49k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) loading/unloading Marine LAVs, date and place unknown.	Lee Wahler
	86k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) loading Marine LAVs and trucks, date and place unknown.	Tommy Trampp
	89k	Chief Warrant Officer 5, Gene Rose, USMC, the Westpac Express (HSV-4676) Operations Officer, stands in front of *Westpac Express* as he explains the function of the ship. The MSC chartered high speed vessel arrived at Chuk Sarnet, Thailand, 23 April 2002, carrying 215 Marines and their equipment taking part in Cobra Gold 02. US Navy photo by PH2 Jennifer A. Smith	Tommy Trampp
	169k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) carries 215 Marines from the *3rd Battalion 12th Marines* based on Okinawa, Japan, to take part in Exercise Cobra Gold 23 April 2002. Cobra Gold 2002 is the 21st U.S. Pacific Command exercise conducted in Thailand demonstrating the ability of U.S. Forces to deploy rapidly and conduct Joint-Combined Operations with the Thai and Singapore Armed Forces. US Navy photo # 020423-N-9818S-001 Sattahip, Chuk Samet, Thailand (Apr. 23, 2002) by PH2 Jennifer A. Smith	Robert Hurst
	70k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) being offloaded at Chuk Samet, Sattahip, Thailand, 8 May 2002. An AH-1W Cobra Attack Helicopter from Marine Helicopter Attack/Light Squadron Three Six Nine (HMA/L 369) is off-loaded from *Westpac Express. Westpac Express, a chartered Military Sealift Command ship that provided extensive logistics support to Exercise Cobra Gold 2002. Cobra Gold 2002 is the 21st U.S. Pacific Command exercise conducted in Thailand demonstrating the ability of U.S. forces to deploy rapidly and conduct joint-combined operations with the Thai and Singapore Armed Forces. US Navy photo # 020508-N-9818S-005 Sattahip, Chuk Samet, Thailand (May. 8, 2002)* by PH2 Jennifer A. Smith.	Lee Wahler
	107k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) pulls away from the pier at Naha Military Port as it departs, 14 March 2011, to deliver a forward arming and refueling point to support humanitarian operations in Japan following an 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami US Marine Corp photo # 110314-M-KM402-029 Naha Military Port (Mar. 14 2011) by Lance Cpl. Heather Choate	Robert Hurst
	77k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) underway, date and location unknown.	Lee Wahler
	70k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) underway, date and location unknown.	Lee Wahler
	60k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) underway, date and location unknown.	Lee Wahler
	74k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) arriving in port, date and location unknown.	Lee Wahler
	42k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) underway, date and location unknown. Photo courtesy HMS Global Marine.	Lee Wahler
Commercial Service
	173k	Ex-Westpac Express (HSV-4676) in commercial service as the Irish Ferries MV Dublin Express traveling between Holyhead and Dublin, 8 August 2018. Photo by Bob Castle	Robert Hurst