The newest Spirit of Tasmania ferry has begun its six-week voyage from Scotland to Tasmania after months of delays.
The 212-metre-long, 48,000-gross-tonne ship departed Leith in Scotland today for the 14,857-nautical-mile journey down under.
Spirit of Tasmania IV will travel via Gibraltar, the Cape Verde Islands, Cape Town, Mauritius and Fremantle before reaching Hobart in late August.
It was originally due to set sail from Leith in late May, but poor weather conditions forced a delay.
The departure was then pushed back again due to technical issues with the liquefied natural gas system, a problem uncovered during sea trials of its sister ship, Spirit V.
TT-Line CEO Chris Carbone said Spirit IV would need to remain in Fremantle, Western Australia, for four days to complete entry procedures.
“We expect the vessel will be alongside in Hobart in late-August for the final fit out of items including Tasmanian-made mattresses and table tops, cabin stores and artwork and to undertake vessel crew training,” he said.
“The training for our crew involves emergency response exercises, passenger muster simulation, firefighting drills, deployment of lifeboats and the mass evacuation systems.”
Meanwhile, construction of new infrastructure to support the vessel in Devonport is continuing and is expected to be complete in early 2027.
“We have seen significant progress to the passenger vehicle areas and freight yards,” Carbone said.
“The team has begun the complex operation to install 27 marine piles for the wharf and the loading gantry. Nine have been completed.”
The arrival of Spirit of Tasmania IV, the first of two new ferries, will boost capacity on the Bass Strait crossing, a vital transport link between mainland Australia and Tasmania for both passengers and freight.
