Beetle jetfoil - Japan-Korea
 

Hi
we are planning to return to Japan this year, but would also like to visit Korea. The JR Kyushu Beetle is something we are considering - but has anyone been on it (& we would be travelling late March - April) & what are conditions like in terms of how rough the sea may be etc.
thanks

Never been on that route, but those are the same Boeing 929s that has been running between Hong Kong and Macau for 30 years. While at sea, the hull is lifted completely off the seas and the foil cut through the water extremely efficiently, so they are extremely stable even at very rough seas (unlike the older hydrofoils).

Now, the jetfoils on this route has been hitting whales and other stuff semi-regularly, but that's a separate matter.

I'm starting to plan an East Asia trip for the fall, and might also want to travel this route. Could you say more about hitting whales, rkkwan? If that's a real problem I'll look into something lower tech.

I can't remember the details, so I did some search. A Japanese transporation ministry document lists two Jetfoil incidents in 2006. One in Feb, 14 passengers suffer light injuries. One in April, 110 suffer light to serious injuries. The first one is thought to be a "marine mammal", no idea the second one.

Both in Western Japan, but probably not on the South Korea route.

There are also occasional accidents on the Hong Kong-Macau routes. When you have a vessel going at 45knots and have to come to a stop quickly, injuries can happen.

But with the rarity of such happenings, I wouldn't worry about it. I mean, plane crashes, and people get killed in their car 2 miles from home...

Sorry for raising the alarm. I probably shouldn't have mentioned anything in the first place.

Actually, I was worried about injuries to the whales, I wasn't thinking aout injuries to me...

Thanks rkkwan - it sounds like this may be a relatively smooth trip. Can anyone else tell us more?

Has anyone any tips on booking tickets? We have registered on the web site - but no reply so far. Not sure if this is because of weekend, but my email to [email protected]
was returned as undeliverable.

Another one this week on the same route.

News in Japanese:

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20...000566-reu-int

One woman died, 27 injured. Probably hit a whale.

Here's an English version article from a Korean press:

english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/202974.html

The vessel involved is the Kobee 5 from Korea's Mirajet. Mirajet and Japan's JR run the service together with jetfoils from both.

I believe the Kobee 5 was built in China, under license from Boeing, for Hong Kong's Far East Hydrofoil for the HK-Macau service. It was sold to Mirajet around 5 years ago for the Busan - Fukuoka route.

Well we are now back in UK.
I did in the end manage to book on the internet & our tickets were waiting for us at the port. We found the Beetle to be fine, easy to get bus from in front of Hakata Railway station - had a good journey, not rough at all compared to what the North Sea & Chanel can be!
Seats are allocated so no push getting on & there are compartments in which to store luggage (although these filled very quickly). Once arrived in Busan walked to subway to get to the Lotte Hotel - all easy to do.

Thanks for the brief report. The jetfoils are definitely the smoothest sea-going vessels out there, as the whole vessel is literally out of the water.