MS Spirit of Tasmania I

Spirit of Tasmania I at Devonport, Tasmania
History
Name
  • 1998–2002: Superfast IV
  • 2002–present: Spirit of Tasmania I
Owner
Operator
  • 1998–2002: Superfast Ferries
  • 2003–2006: Spirit of Tasmania
Port of registry
Route
BuilderKvaerner Masa-Yards Turku New Shipyard, Finland
Yard number1341
Identification
StatusIn service
General characteristics
Class & typeSuperfast III class fast ropax ferry
Tonnage
Length194.33 m (637 ft 7 in)
Beam25.00 m (82 ft)
Draught6.55 m (21 ft 6 in)
Decks11
Installed power
Speed30.8 kn (57.04 km/h) maximum speed
Capacity
  • 1,400 passengers
  • 750 berths
  • 500 cars
  • 1,464 lanemeters

MS Spirit of Tasmania I is a roll-on/roll-off ferry, most recently operated by Spirit of Tasmania 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 IV, she was sailed for Spirit of Tasmania as the Spirit of Tasmania I between 2002 and 2026.

Concept and construction

The Superfast IV was the second 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 III.

Bulbous bow clearly visible as she comes into Melbourne
Multi-lingual signage, Greek first
Tri-lingual signage, Greek then English and German

Amenities and deck layout

Spirit of Tasmania I has 11 decks, with 222 cabins.

Service history

1998–2002: Superfast IV

The Superfast IV entered service on 1 April 1998 on Superfast Ferries' Patras to Ancona service. In March 2002 the Superfast IV was sold to Spirit of Tasmania.

2002 onwards: Spirit of Tasmania I

Spirit of Tasmania took over its new ship at Patras on 10 May 2002. The ship was then sailed to the Neorion ship yard on the island of Syros for painting and general overhaul. She was renamed Spirit of Tasmania I. She subsequently sailed to Hobart, Tasmania, where she was refitted for her new service. On 1 September 2002 she entered service on the Melbourne to Devonport service.

In 2015 she was refurbished in Devonport.

Spirit of Tasmania I and sistership Spirit of Tasmania II were replaced by the Spirit of Tasmania IV and Spirit of Tasmania V in October 2026.

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 02:00 the seas reached a height of 20 metres. The seas smashed cabin windows on the starboard bow and subsequently cabin walls were smashed down, flooding cabin decks as high as deck 9 (the deck under the bridge). Many passengers were unaware of the cause of water in their cabins since the water had disabled the public announcement system. The captain decided it best to return to Melbourne, 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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Asklander, Micke. "M/S Superfast IV (1998)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 10 May 2008. Retrieved 19 May 2008.
  2. ↑ Ship facts - Spirit of Tasmania I & II Spirit of Tasmania
  3. ↑ Quick facts Spirit of Tasmania
  4. 1 2 "New Devonport ferry terminal opens as old Spirit ships farewelled". Pulse Tasmania. 22 October 2026. Retrieved 3 November 2026.
  5. ↑ Plowman, Peter (2004). Ferry to Tasmania: A Short History. Rosenberg Publishing. pp. 173–183. ISBN 1 877058 27 0.
  6. ↑ Trimline completes major refurbishment of ferries Spirit of Tasmania 1 & 2 Seatrade Maritime News 16 October 2015
  7. ↑ Transforming Spirit of Tasmania Ships Monthly February 2016 page 7
  8. ↑ Pounded by wild seas, Spirit forced to turn tail The Age 4 February 2005

Media related to Spirit of Tasmania I (ship, 1998) at Wikimedia Commons