Jetfoil Conservation Group bids farewell to ‘Horta’

The Jetfoil Conservation Concern Group (JCCG) has announced in a statement that the retired Jetfoil “Horta” has entered its final stage and is set to be scrapped.

According to the group, Horta has had its name obscured and has been moved to the shipyard area where ships are dismantled.

In fact, Horta will be the fourth Premier Jetfoil to be scrapped.

The ship was built in 1980 by Boeing for the British shipping company P&O and initially named “Jet Ferry Two.” It provided transport service on the route between London, UK, and Oostende, Belgium.

In 1982, due to the short lifespan of the maritime route between the UK and Belgium, the vessel was sold to Hong Kong Far East Hydrofoil, along with “Jet Ferry One” (Funchal).

Later, Horta was upgraded to a Premier Jetfoil, with an Economy Class cabin on the upper deck, a Premier Grand cabin at the front, and a Super Class cabin at the rear of the lower deck.

In October 2015, Horta crashed into an unidentified object in the waters off Siu A Chau near Lantau Island, causing injuries to 124 people among passengers and crew. At the time, the incident was believed to be caused by a large rubber tire floating in the sea, but the investigation remained inconclusive.

The damaged ferry was towed to a shipyard in Cheung Sha Wan for inspection and repair.

During the early stages of Covid-19, the ship was seen for a long time docked at the ferry terminal, and in mid-last year, it was moved to the shipyard, where barnacles were removed from the hull, fueling rumors that it might resume service.

According to JCCG, this eventually proved untrue, and after several months of no activity around the ship, it has now moved into the scrapping phase.

Currently, only Terceira, the only ship that has effectively resumed service between Hong Kong and Macau after the COVID-19 pandemic, appears to be in operating condition. Although this has also halted service since November last year, as the Times reported.

Two other jetfoils remain in the shipyard, idled, including Cacilhas and Flores (the first-ever Jetfoil built).