User:Mbruce/MS Spirit of Tasmania II

MS Spirit if Tasmania II 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 III. From 2002 onwards she sails for TT-Line Pty. Ltd. as MS Spirit of Tasmania II.

Concept and construction
The Superfast III was the first 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 IV.

1998—2002: Superfast III
The Superfast III entered service on 16 March 1998 on Superfast Ferries' Patras—Ancona route. on 1 Nov 1999 on route from Patras to Ancona a fire broke out in freezer trailer on the vehicle deck, most likely in the electrical system. The ships 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 . The ship arrived back in Patras the next day after the disaster, and the investigation began. During the investigation they found 14 dead bodies in a truck, it was later found out that they were refugees from Kurdistan weeks later once the investigations has finished the Superfast III set sail for the Blohm + Voss shipyards in Hamburg, Germany for repairs where she arrived 3 Dec. The repairs went for 96 days and costed Attica Enterprises US$26 million. On 3 March she arrived back in Greece and once again ran Patras - Ancona. In March 2002 the Superfast III was sold to TT-Line Pty. Ltd..

2002 Onwards: Spirit of Tasmania II
TT-Line took over their new ship on On 10 May of the same year she along with her sister Superfast IV 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 II. 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.