User:Mbruce1/MS Spirit of Tasmania I

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Spirit of Tasmania I at Station Pier Melbourne
Career
Name: 1998—2002: Superfast IV
2002—present: Spirit of Tasmania I
Owner:

1998—2002: Superfast Ferries
2002 onwards: TT-Line Pty. Ltd.

[1]
Operator: 1998—2002: Superfast Ferries
2003—2006: TT-Line Pty. Ltd. [1]
Port of Registry: 1998—2002: Patras, Flag of Greece Greece
2002 onwards: Devonport, Flag of Australia 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 (gross tonnage)
Displacement: 5,650 metric tons of 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 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.

Contents

[edit] Concept and construction

The Superfast IV was the second ship of the second pair (the fomoer pair being Superfast I & Superfast II biult in Gemany) 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]

[edit] Service history

[edit] 1998—2002: Superfast IV

The Superfast IV entered service on 1 April 1998 on Superfast Ferries' PatrasAncona route [1]. In March 2002 the Superfast IV was sold to TT-Line Pty. Ltd..

[edit] 2002 Onwards: Spirit of Tasmania I

TT-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 MelbourneDevonport 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.


[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Asklander, Micke. M/S Superfast IV (1998) (in Swedish). Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
  2. ^ Latreche, Lucas. Spirit of Tasmania I (in English). Ferries And Cruse Ships. Retrieved on 2008-05-20.
  3. ^ a b c Jackson, Andra. Pounded by wild seas, Spirit forced to turn tail (in English). The Age. Retrieved on 2008-05-20.


[edit] External links