MS Spirit of Tasmania I
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| History | |
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| Name: |
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| Owner: |
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| Operator: |
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| Port of registry: | |
| Route: | 2002 onwards: Melbourne-Devonport |
| Builder: | Kvaerner Masa-Yards, Turku, Finland |
| Yard number: | 1341[1] |
| Identification: | |
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Superfast III class fast ropax ferry |
| Tonnage: | |
| Length: | 194.3 m (637 ft 6 in) |
| Beam: | 25.00 m (82 ft) |
| Draught: | 6.55 m (21 ft 6 in) |
| Decks: | 11 |
| Installed power: | |
| Speed: | 30.8 kn (57.04 km/h) maximum speed |
| Capacity: |
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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 alongside the Spirit of Tasmania II.[1]
Concept and construction
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 Superfast III.[1]
Amenities and deck layout
Spirit of Tasmania I has 11 decks, with 222 cabins.
- Decks 1 to 6 are used to hold cars and trucks. The for-end of Decks 1 and 2 are accessed via a ramp from deck 3 (The Aft-end space of the two decks houses the ships machinery). Deck 6 holds cars using a hoistable platform.
- Deck 7 has cabins, a reception area, small movie theater, lounge bar, gaming lounge, gift shop, tourism bureau, main bar, two restaurants and a children's playroom.
- Deck 8 has cabins and an ocean recliner area.
- Deck 9 is mainly crew area.
- Deck 10 has a bar and disco area.
- Deck 11 has a helicopter landing pad.
Service history
1998—2002: Superfast IV
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.
2002 Onwards: Spirit of Tasmania I
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.[3] 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. However it proved to be unprofitable and the ship was sold in September 2006.
2005 event
During the night of 3 / 4 February 2005 Spirit of Tasmania I ran into heavy seas in the Bass Strait while sailing from Melbourne to Devonport. At approximately 2 am the seas reached a height of 20 meters.[1] The seas smashed cabin windows on the starboard bow and subsequently cabin walls were smashed down, flooding cabin decks as high as deck 9[4] (the deck under the bridge). Many passengers were unaware of the cause of water in their cabins as the water disabled the public announcement system.[4] The captain decided it best to return to Melbourne,[4] arriving mid morning to heavy media coverage. The ship remained in port overnight for temporary repairs and sailed again the following evening for Devonport.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Asklander, Micke. "M/S Superfast IV (1998)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 2008-05-19.
- ↑ "Spirit of Tasmania Vessel Specifications". Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ↑ Latreche, Lucas. "Spirit of Tasmania I". Ferries And Cruse Ships. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
- 1 2 3 Jackson, Andra (4 February 2005). "Pounded by wild seas, Spirit forced to turn tail". The Age (Melbourne). Retrieved 2008-05-20.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Spirit of Tasmania I (ship, 1998). |
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