Damen Delivers Newbuild Ferry to South Korean Operator

South Korea’s KT Marine has welcomed its new vessel, a Fast Ferry 4212 named Hamel, delivered by Dutch shipbuilder Damen.

KT Marine placed its order for the vessel earlier this year. Hamel will transport up to 423 passengers at speeds of up to 40 knots.

The vessel 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 features catamaran design, 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.

“We will greatly contribute to the development of a dynamic and comfortable daily economic life for local residents living in Yeosu-Geomundo area, and the revitalization of the tourism industry in Yeosu, through this introduction of newbuilt high-speed passenger vessel, Hamel, responding long-cherished dream of the residents of Yeosu,” said Og Yeol Bag, CEO of KT Marine.

“Just six months ago, we were honored to welcome KT Marine into the Damen family with their new Fast Ferry 4212 Hamel. Today, we are here in Yeosu to celebrate her arrival and it is fantastic to see all the proud stakeholders who have worked very hard to make this new project a reality. Hamel signifies more than just a vessel, as she represents a lot of history and connection between Korea and the Netherlands,” added Thomas Röwekamp, Regional Sales Director Asia-Pacific at Damen.

The ferry is named in honour of Hendrik Hamel, a Dutch sailor with the Vereenigde Oost-indische Compagnie (VOC) or Dutch East India Company. Born in Damen’s hometown of Gorinchem in 1630, Hamel sailed with the company to Indonesia in 1650. In 1653, while sailing to Japan, Hamel and his crew were shipwrecked on Jeju Island, Korea.

Refused permission to leave the country due to is isolationist policy at the time, Hamel remained for thirteen years in Korea before escaping, in 1666, to the Dutch trading mission on Dejima Island, Japan.

There, he wrote Hendrik Hamel’s Journal of a Description of Kingdom of Korea, 1653-1666. Published in 1688 in the Netherlands, the journal was the earliest first-hand account of a westerner in Korea.