Spirit of Tasmania I at Devonport Tasmania |
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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | 1998—2002: Superfast IV 2002—present: Spirit of Tasmania I |
| Owner: |
1998—2002: Superfast Ferries |
| Operator: | 1998—2002: Superfast Ferries 2003—2006: TT-Line Pty. Ltd.[1] |
| Port of registry: | 1998—2002: Patras, Greece 2002 onwards: Devonport, Australia |
| Route: | 2002 onwards: Melbourne-Devonport |
| Builder: | Kvaerner Masa-Yards, Turku, Finland |
| Yard number: | 1341[1] |
| Identification: | IMO number: 9158446 [1] |
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Superfast III class fast ropax ferry |
| Tonnage: | 29.067 GT (gross tonnage) |
| Displacement: | 5,650 metric tons deadweight (DWT) |
| Length: | 194.3 m (637 ft 6 in) |
| Beam: | 25.00 m (82 ft) |
| Draught: | 6.55 m (21 ft 6 in) |
| Installed power: | 4 × Wärtsilä-NSD 16ZA40S diesels 42240 kW |
| Speed: | 30.8 kn (57.04 km/h) maximum speed |
| Capacity: | 1400 passengers 750 berths 1000 cars 1852 lanemeters |
MS Spirit of Tasmania I is a fast ropax ferry owned by TT-Line Pty. Ltd. and operated on the route from Melbourne and Devonport. She was built in 1998 by Kvaerner Masa-Yards Turku in Finland for Superfast Ferries as MS Superfast IV. From 2002 onwards she sails for TT-Line Pty. Ltd. as MS Spirit of Tasmania I.[1]
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The Superfast IV was the second ship of the second pair (the former pair being Superfast I & Superfast II built in Germany) built for Attica Group's subsidiary Superfast Ferries at Kvaerner Masa-Yards for their Adriatic Sea services from Patras to Ancona She was a sister ship of MS Superfast III.[1]
The Superfast IV entered service on 1 April 1998 on Superfast Ferries' Patras—Ancona route.[1] In March 2002 the Superfast IV was sold to TT-Line Pty. Ltd.
TT-Line took over their new ship on 10 May of the same year she along with her sister were handed over to TT-Line Pty. Ltd. At Patras.[2] The two ships then sailed to the Neorion ship yard on the island of Syros for painting and general overhaul and renamed Spirit of Tasmania I.[1] She subsequently sailed to Hobart, Tasmania, where she was refitted for her new service. On 1 September 2002 she entered service on TT-Line's Melbourne—Devonport route.[1] The new pair of ships were very popular and the Tasmanian Government decided that a third ship was needed for a Devonport-Sydney service, subsequently purchasing a third superfast ferry and renaming it Spirit of Tasmania III. But it proved to be unprofitable and the ship was sold in September 2006.
During the night of 3 February and the morning of 4 February 2005 the Spirit of Tasmania I ran into heavy seas sailing from Melbourne to Devonport in the Bass Strait. At approximately 2 am the seas reached a swell of 20 meters.[1] The seas caused cabin windows on the starboard bow to be smashed in and subsequently smashing cabin walls down and flooding the cabin decks as high as deck 9[3] (the deck under the bridge). Many passengers were unaware of the cause of water in their cabins due to the water disabling the public announcement system.[3] Due to the damage caused, the captain decided it best to turn the vessel around and return to Melbourne,[3] arriving mid morning to heavy media coverage. The ship remained in port over night for temporary repairs and sailed the following evening again for Devonport.
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