Damen signs contract with South Korea’s Starline for delivery of new fast ferry

July 9, 2025, by Aida Čučuk

Dutch shipbuilding major Damen Shipyards Group has signed a contract with South Korea’s Starline for the delivery of a new Damen Fast Ferry 4212.

The vessel, available from stock at Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam, is expected to be delivered seven weeks after the contract signing.

Damen revealed that it had already outfitted the ferry to ensure it would be ready for delivery, adding that the company will finalize the work in the coming weeks, making minor customizations to meet Starline’s requirements.

To note, the Fast Ferry 4212 is said to be an aluminium catamaran vessel designed to offer “high fuel efficiency and low maintenance requirements.” Reportedly, it is able to transport up to 439 passengers at speeds of up to 40 knots.

It is understood that Starline purchased the vessel to operate the route between Busan on the mainland and the Japanese island of Tsushima. According to Damen, the South Korean company operated a Damen Fast Ferry 4010 and wanted a slightly larger vessel, suited to the “sometimes harsh, open sea conditions experienced on the route.” Following the order, Damen assisted Starline with the sale of the ferry 4010 via its in-house brokerage service Damen Trading.

Mr Choo, Representative of Starline, stated: “When we decided to invest in a new ferry we knew where to go. Damen has an excellent track record in serving the public transport sector in South Korea. Additionally, having operated the Damen Fast Ferry 4010 since 2016, we were aware of the high quality of the series. We were impressed that Damen was able to deliver the vessel we were looking for in such a short space of time. Besides this, the assistance Damen is providing in the sale of our current vessel is very much appreciated.”

Thomas Röwekamp, Damen’s Regional Sales Director, Asia-Pacific, commented: “We are very proud that Starline, already an existing Damen client, has once again placed its trust in us for the purchase of a second Fast Ferry, as well as the sale of its previous vessel. I’m looking forward very much to continuing to work together with Starline in the future. This contract is a clear demonstration of the benefits of the Damen stock building strategy in action, providing clients with the fastest possible delivery of a proven product. It also reaffirms the suitability of the Damen Fast Ferry designs to the requirements of the South Korean public transportation sector.”

It is worth mentioning that to date, Damen has sold eight vessels from the series to South Korea, six of which are of the Fast Ferry 4212 design.