TT LINE ro-pax Spirit of Tasmania V departed Leith, Scotland at 1444 hours on Saturday [7 March] according to AIS, on its delayed delivery voyage to its home state.
As with earlier sister Spirit of Tasmania IV the second Rauma Marine Constructions newbuild will travel to Australia via Gibraltar, Cape Verde Islands, Cape Town, and Port Louis before arriving in Fremantle and staying for several days to complete vessel importation requirements, customs and immigration formalities, a crew change, refuelling and restocking of provisions.
In a rather significant understatement “this route down the west coast of Africa via the Cape of Good Hope is considered a safer alternative to the Red Sea/Suez Canal given ongoing conflicts in the region,” TT line said.
TT Line has revealed that following the ship's stopover in Fremantle, it will sail to Geelong for berthing trials before laying over in Melbourne until a berth becomes available in Hobart at the end of the cruise ship season, and final fitting-out can be undertaken. It will also be used to host promotional events.
The voyage to Australia is expected to take seven weeks, depending on the weather.
Chief executive Chris Carbone said Spirit of Tasmania V's departure from Leith was a significant and exciting step forward for the company's vessel replacement program.
“We are very much looking forward to welcoming our second new vessel home, to join Spirit of Tasmania IV [which remains stored in Geelong’s Corio Bay] ahead of entering service on Bass Strait later this year,” he said.
Meanwhile, at TT Line’s much-delayed new East Devonport terminal – the reason why the new Spirits cannot enter service until October this year – assembly of the 700-tonne vehicle loading/discharge gantry is continuing to plan on-site.
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff said two western leg sections of the gantry have been installed, with the eastern legs the next stage.
“The gantry is expected to be completed by the middle of this year, with the project on track to be delivered in October. Once the gantry is completed, TT-Line will test both of the new Spirits on the gantry before completion of the entire project,”, Mr Rockliff said.
“I want to thank TT-Line’s leadership team and all those who have helped deliver this project. I look forward to seeing our new Spirits sailing down the Mersey this year.”
Separately, two boys, aged 14 and 15, were taken into custody and charged with several setting fire to rubbish at the terminal construction site, as well as other offences, including burglary, stealing, trespass, marking graffiti, injuring property and destroying property.
The fire was attended by police and emergency services around 2230 on Wednesday night [4 March] and quickly extinguished. The youths were arrested the following morning.