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Revision as of 22:34, 25 July 2006
Spirit of Tasmania has been part of the name of four different ships that have served as passenger/vehicle ferries on Bass Strait, between Tasmania and the Australian mainland. The ships have all been owned and operated by the Tasmanian Government operated TT-line.
Spirit of Tasmania (1993-2002)
The first ship, Spirit of Tasmania started sailing in 1993. It sailed three return trips a week between Devonport, Tasmania and Station Pier in Melbourne, Victoria. The crossings were overnight and took approximately 15 hours. In 2002, Spirit of Tasmania was de-commissioned, and sold to the Fjord Line company in Norway.
Devil Cat
The Devil Cat or "The Cat" was a high-speed catamaran service operating during summer from December through to April. It could cross Bass Strait in about 6 hours carrying up to 740 passengers and 200 vehicles.
Spirit of Tasmania I and II (2002-)
The original Spirit was replaced with two ships Spirit of Tasmania I and Spirit of Tasmania II, which were purchased from SuperFast ferries in Greece - formerly Superfast III and Superfast IV. They travel the same Devonport-Melbourne route, however each ship makes one trip each night, taking only ten hours. In peak periods, the ships also make day crossings. The introduction of these two ship have played a major role in giving the Tasmanian tourism industry a much needed boost. Before the introduction of these two vessels, many potential travellers had difficulty booking on the old "Spirit of Tasmania" due to capacity constraints. These new vessels have removed the bottleneck for tourists trying to reach the state and their unhindered access has resulted in a thriving tourism industry.
Spirit of Tasmania III (2004-2006)
The fourth ship Spirit of Tasmania III began service in 2004. It is also a SuperFast ferry, formerly called Superfast II. It is a slightly smaller ship than the other two ferries in service. It travels a new route, the Devonport-Sydney route. It makes a one-way trip each day, taking approximately 20 hours.
Due to lack of passengers, rising airfares and other factors, the service is due to be cancelled from 28 August 2006 onwards.
Tasmanian Premier Paul Lennon announced on the 11th of July 2006, that the Spirit of Tasmania was sold to to Mediterranean operator Corsica Ferries for 65 million euros ($111 million Australian) she is to be re-named Mega Express IV.
The Spirit of Tasmania III will leave on its final voyage on the 27th of August 2006.