 Spirit of Tasmania I at Station Pier Melbourne
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | list error: <br /> list (help) 1998—2002: Superfast IV 2002—present: Spirit of Tasmania I |
| Owner | list error: <br /> list (help) 1998—2002: Superfast Ferries 2002 onwards: TT-Line Pty. Ltd. [1] |
| Operator | list error: <br /> list (help) 1998—2002: Superfast Ferries 2003—2006: TT-Line Pty. Ltd. [1] |
| Port of registry | list error: <br /> list (help) 1998—2002: Patras,  Greece2002 onwards: Devonport,  Australia |
| Route | 1998—2002: Patras-Ancona 2002 onwards: Melbourne-Devonport |
| Builder | Kvaerner Masa-Yards Turku |
| 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 |
| Displacement | 5,650 t 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 | list error: <br /> list (help) 4 × Wärtsilä-NSD 16ZA40S diesels 42240 kW |
| Speed | 30.8 kn (57.04 km/h) maximum speed |
| Capacity | list error: <br /> list (help) 1400 passengers 750 berths 1000 cars 1852 lanemeters |
MS Spirit if 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.
Concept and construction
editThe Superfast IV was the second ship of the second pair (the fomoer pair being Superfast I & Superfast II biult 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]
Service history
edit1998—2002: Superfast IV
editThe 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..
2002 Onwards: Spirit of Tasmania I
editTT-Line took over their new ship on 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 disided that a third ship was needed revive the Sydney service, subsequently purchasing a third superfast ferry and renaming it Spirit of Tasmania III. But it proved to be unpopular and the ship was sold in September 2006.
During the night of 6 Feb and the morning of 7 Feb the Spirit of Tasmania I ran into heavy seas sailing from Melbourne to Devonport in the Bass Strait. At approximately 2pm 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 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.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i Asklander, Micke. "M/S Superfast IV (1998)". Fakta om Fartyg (in in Swedish). Retrieved 2008-05-19.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ Latreche, Lucas. "Spirit of Tasmania I". Ferries And Cruse Ships (in in English). Retrieved 2008-05-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ a b c Jackson, Andra. "Pounded by wild seas, Spirit forced to turn tail". The Age (in in English). Retrieved 2008-05-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
External links
editPlains:
- Boeing 737-800 VH-VUN Madelaide
- Boeing 737-700 VH -VBM Tassie Tigress
- Boeing 737-700 VH-VBU Darwin Diva