User:Mbruce/MS Spirit of Tasmania I

MS Spirit if 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.

Concept and construction
The Superfast IV was the second ship of the second pair (the fomoer pair being Superfast I & Superfast II biult 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 MS Superfast III.

1998—2002: Superfast IV
The Superfast IV entered service on 1 April 1998 on Superfast Ferries' Patras—Ancona route. 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 On 10 May of the same year she along with her sister were handed over to TT-Line Pty. Ltd. At Patras. 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. 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. The new pair of ships were very popular and the Tasmanian Government disided that a third ship was needed revive the Sydney service, subsequently purchasing a third superfast ferry and renaming it Spirit of Tasmania III. But it proved to be unpopular and the ship was sold in September 2006.

During the night of 6 Feb and the morning of 7 Feb the Spirit of Tasmania I ran into heavy seas sailing from Melbourne to Devonport in the Bass Strait. At approximately 2pm the seas reached a swell of 20 meters. The seas caused cabin windows on the starboard bow to be smashed in and subsequently smashing cabin walls down and flooding the cabin decks as high as deck 9 . (The deck under the bridge) Many passengers were unaware of the cause of water in their cabins due to the water disabling the public announcement system. Due the damage caused, the captain decided it best to turn the vessel around and return to Melbourne, arriving mid morning to heavy media coverage. The ship remained in port over night for temporary repairs and sailed the following evening again for Devonport.