JR Kyushu mulls ending Japan-S Korea ferry service after coverup

They're leaving the ferry business because they can't make their ship waterproof? How Pythonesque.

"...due to potential challenges in restoring public trust in its unit, JR Kyushu Jet Ferry Inc., and the costs associated with reinforcing the ferry."

[translation] Kyushu Railway Co. are losing money on this 'Queen Beetle' ferry service and decided to cut their losses. The water seepage issue (the damn Australian-design is leaking?!) is nothing more than a smokescreen...

Water being leaked inside the hull starting from February 2024, knowingly they don't report about any of that.

That leakage finally being founded by unscheduled audit by by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in August 2024.

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15424115

The Queen Beetle, designed and built by an Australian firm, began full service in November 2022

This is an aluminium hull vessel. I would wager that it's the same galvanic corrosion issue as suffered by USS Independence LCS. Management who are competent with steel hulls (like the US Navy) are not particularly competent or familiar with aluminium hulls. They learnt the hard way.

IMHO, this is going to take Austal to come back and teach JR Kyushu on how to operate and maintain an aluminium hull.

Note the US Navy Westpac Express is an aluminium hull vessel and has been operating out of Okinawa for over a decade with no issue, because it's operated and maintained properly, and commensurate with its hull (also built by Austal).

I'd like to know if I were getting on a leaking boat.

The Queen Beetle, designed and built by an Australian firm, began full service in November 2022 following the lifting of coronavirus border control measures.

So, is this vessel only 2 years old? It shouldn't be having such issues!

Perhaps if they deliberately falsified safety information they should be prosecuted?

It's 36k round trip. You can easily find cheaper flights from anywhere in Japan. Why would anyone take a boat?

The experience is different from a plane. I've used it before.

Same as driver dont understand why we riders cant stop riding our motorcycles

This is an aluminium hull vessel. I would wager that it's the same galvanic corrosion issue as suffered by USS Independence LCS. Management who are competent with steel hulls (like the US Navy) are not particularly competent or familiar with aluminium hulls.

Not true. The US Navy has operated mixed steel and aluminum ships since shortly after WWII. The US Navy has operated aluminum hull ships like the Asheville Class and aluminum hull hydrofoils with water jet propulsion. You find commercial ferries in both Japan and the Puget Sound area based on the same Boeing hull and propulsion used in the Navy hydrofoils and they are reliable.

Btw, galvanic effect does not only happen with aluminum. Bronze propellers on a steel shaft have sacrificial zinc disc on either the shaft or the prop that corrodes and is easily replaced during maintenance, saving the shaft and propeller from corrosion. Rudders get zinc discs too. These measures have been around for over a century.

I'd like to know if I were getting on a leaking boat.

Every ship or boat you will ever sail on has leaks. You have a spinning propeller shaft passing through the hull. You can only seal that so well. Ships with variable pitch propellers have control mechanisms inside the spinning propeller shaft. There are all kinds of other places where water enters the hull for engine cooling, to make fresh water, and to cool other equipment, as well as to dispose of certain waste water. Every place there is such a hull penetration there are opportunities for leaks. Leaks are why all ships and boats have what are called bilge pumps to remove the water that inevitably accumulates in the bottom of the hull. Just part of operating a ship.

Define "leakage"...a tablespoon, bathtub full, Titanic swamp? Was it an emergency, endangering the ship? Need more information on this one.

Not true. The US Navy has operated mixed steel and aluminum ships since shortly after WWII.

Put up a wager then? Sure there has been many alu. hulls in US Navy history, but fact is USS Independence suffered from poor maintenance and operational inadequacies. BTW, I did give example of Westpac Express, where US Navy successfully operated an alu. hull for a decade n half.

Austal has built hundreds of alumninium hulls, galvanic corrosion is a problem on less than a handful, and all rooted in maintenance and operational causes.

USS Independence also had zinc discs retrofitted, and paint system incorporated. Should have been there to start with, like Westpac Express.

It's 36k round trip. You can easily find cheaper flights from anywhere in Japan. Why would anyone take a boat?

How narrow minded.

Some people are afraid to fly. Some people absolutely hate airports. Some people enjoy slow travel.

It's not all about you.

The bilge of every ship takes in water. It can be quite deep. There are pumps to take it out to the sea.

I went to Kyushu once. It was very nice