Loading AI tools
Bass Strait cargo ferry operated by TT-Line From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
MS Spirit of Tasmania II is a roll-on/roll-off ferry operated by TT-Line between Geelong and Devonport in Australia. Built in 1998 by Kvaerner Masa-Yards at Turku New Shipyard in Finland for Superfast Ferries as MS Superfast III, since 2002 she has sailed for TT-Line as MS Spirit of Tasmania II.
Spirit of Tasmania II at port in Devonport, Tasmania | |
History | |
---|---|
Name |
|
Owner |
|
Operator |
|
Port of registry | |
Route | |
Builder | Kvaerner Masa-Yards Turku New Shipyard, Finland |
Yard number | 1340[1] |
Completed | 1998 |
Identification | |
Status | In service |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Superfast III class fast ropax ferry |
Tonnage | |
Length | 194.33 m (637 ft 7 in) |
Beam | 25.00 m (82 ft) |
Draught | 6.55 m (21 ft 6 in) |
Installed power |
|
Speed | 30.8 knots (57.0 km/h; 35.4 mph) maximum speed |
Capacity |
The Superfast III was the first ship of the second pair (the former pair being Superfast I and Superfast II) built for Superfast Ferries at Kvaerner Masa-Yards for its Adriatic Sea services from Patras to Ancona. She was a sister ship of Superfast IV.[1]
Spirit of Tasmania II has 11 decks, with 222 cabins.
The Superfast III entered service on 16 March 1998 on Superfast Ferries' Patras to Ancona service.[1] On 1 November 1999 en route from Patras to Ancona a fire broke out in a freezer trailer on the vehicle deck, most likely in the electrical system. The ship's vehicle deck drenching system along with crew put the blaze out. All 307 passengers and 106 crew were evacuated and picked up by nearby ships.[4]
The ship arrived back in Patras the day after the disaster, and investigations began. Fourteen dead bodies were found in a truck.[5] These bodies were later identified as refugees from Kurdistan.[5] After the investigations had concluded, the Superfast III set sail for the Blohm+Voss shipyards in Hamburg, Germany for repairs, arriving there on 3 December.[citation needed]
The repairs took 71 days during which 450 tons of steel, 84 km of cable, 1,200 m2 of insulation material and cladding were replaced, and a new tilting ramp and new public areas were installed.[6][7][dead link] The cost to the underwriter (Attica Enterprises) was US$26 million.[5] On 3 March she arrived back in Greece and once again operated on the Patras to Ancona route. In March 2002 the Superfast III was sold to TT-Line.[1]
TT-Line took over their new ship on 10 May 2002.[1] Along with her sister ship Superfast IV, she was handed over to TT-Line at Patras.[5] The two ships then sailed to the Neorion ship yard on the island of Syros. During the ship's dry docking, works such as painting the new livery and superstructure, as well as a general overhaul were carried out. At the yard she was renamed Spirit of Tasmania II.[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 to Devonport service.[1]
Between 21 July and 8 August 2014 the ship was docked for maintenance at the Captain Cook Graving Dock in Sydney.[8][9] In 2015 it was refurbished in Devonport.[10][11]
On 13 January 2016, the ship broke from her moorings at Station Pier, Melbourne during a storm and was withdrawn for repairs.[12][13] The ship was repaired and re-entered service on 17 January.
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.