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Posted by Dale Crisp
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1 July, 2025
TT LINE’s new Bass Strait ro-pax Spirit of Tasmania IV is finally on its way home after departing Leith, Scotland at around 0615 yesterday morning [30 June].
At time of writing AIS shows the ferry to be transitting the English Channel at 13.8 knots on its 14,857 nautical mile voyage to Hobart.
The 212-metre, 47,994 GT ship will voyage to Hobart via Gibraltar, Cape Verde Islands (off the western coast of Africa), Cape Town in South Africa, Port Louis in Mauritius and Fremantle in Western Australia, TT Line says.
Spirit of Tasmania IV is required to stay in Fremantle for four days for vessel importation into Australia procedures, Customs and Immigration formalities, a crew change, bunkers and fresh stores.
TT-Line CEO Chris Carbone said Spirit IV was expected to complete the trip to Fremantle in approximately six weeks, weather conditions permitting.
“We expect the vessel will be alongside in Hobart in late-August for the final fit out of items including Tasmanian-made mattresses and table tops, cabin stores and artwork, and to undertake vessel crew training,” he said.
“The training for our crew involves emergency response exercises, passenger muster simulation, firefighting drills, deployment of lifeboats and the mass evacuation systems.”
DCN understands Spirit IV is under the command of Captain Bob Moss, who was master of the last Australian-flag North West Shelf LNG carrier. Once Spirit IV reaches Fremantle it is expected Capt Moss and other crew will fly to Finland to sail Spirit of Tasmania V home.
There is still no word from TT Line or ultimate owners the Tasmanian Government where the ships will be moored or anchored pending the completion of their new, much delayed, cost-overrun East Devonport terminal, originally due in August 2024 at a cost of $90 million but now expected in October 2026 at around $493 million.
Meanwhile, Mr Carbone said the work to develop the new terminal was well underway.
“We have seen significant progress to the passenger vehicle areas and freight yards,” he said.
“The team has begun the complex operation to install 27 marine piles for the wharf and the loading gantry. Nine have been completed.”
The work is being undertaken by Spirit Partners, comprising BMD Constructions, which delivered Spirit of Tasmania’s Geelong Port facility, Fitzgerald Constructions Australia (which also worked with BMD in Geelong) and local Tasmanian companies Bridgepro Engineering, Gradco and Vos Constructions.
