The new Spirit of Tasmania IV ferry has arrived at Western Australia after a six-week journey from Scotland.
The 212-metre 48,000-tonne vessel departed Leith in Scotland on June 30 on its 14,857 nautical mile voyage to Hobart.
Spirit IV sailed via Gibraltar, Cape Verde Islands (western coast of Africa), Cape Town and Port Louis (Mauritius) before it made dock in Fremantle on Tuesday.
It will stay in Fremantle for four days for vessel importation into the country, Customs and Immigration checks, a crew change, bunkers and resupply of fresh stores.
TT-Line CEO Chris Carbone says they expect the ferry to be in Hobart by the end of this month (August 23 according to the ABC) “for the final fit out of items including mattresses, table tops, cabin stores and artwork, and to undertake vessel crew training”.
“The training for our crew involves emergency response exercises, passenger muster simulation, firefighting drills, deployment of lifeboats and the mass evacuation systems.”
SPIRIT ROW TURNS POLITICAL
News agency AAP reports that it cost the state government $4.3 million to keep Spirit IV docked at Leith as it tried in vain to find short-term charters in that part of the world.
A berth for the vessel won’t be completed until October next year and costs have reportedly blown out from $90m to $493m.
A political row over the ferry and berth ended up with Michael Ferguson resigning from the previous state cabinet in October 2024.
(The ferry issue was quoted in a successful vote of no confidence moved by State Labor which prompted a state election and the return of the Liberals as a minority government.)
Meanwhile, the installation of 27 more marine piles for the wharf and load gentry at Devonport is continuing; nine have already been installed, Carbone says.
“We have seen significant progress to the passenger vehicle areas and freight yards,” he says.
A second ferry, Spirit V, has been handed over to TT Line at the Rauma Marine shipyards in Finland, where it was built. No departure date has been given yet.
EARLIER STORY: Woes delay Spirit IV’s trip to Tasmania
