Tasmania's Brand New Ferry Will Be Laid Up in Scotland for Two Years

The Spirit of Tasmania IV, the newly-built ferry for the ocean crossing between Australia and the Tasman city of Geelong, will be transferred to Edinburgh and mothballed for at least two years. The scandalous layup is caused by a delay in the construction of a dock in Devonport, Australia: the small port does not currently have an available pier that can fit the ferry, and the new terminal won't be ready until 2026-7. 

Spirit of Tasmania IV began construction at Rauma Marine in Finland in 2022, and it was delivered in September 2024. Since it can't enter service on its planned route, it has to go somewhere for two years - and Finland is not an option because of its harsh winters, with ice and freezing conditions that the ferry was not designed to withstand. Instead, it will transit to the Scottish port of Leith, near Edinburgh, where it will stay until the pier is ready. 

Tasmania's government has also discussed the possibility of leasing the vessel to a third party for two years, putting the ship in operation and earning revenue until it is needed by its owner.  

Since the operator is publicly-owned and administered, the ferry fiasco is a minor government scandal in Tasmania. The cost of building the dock facility has tripled, and the two new ships will cost about 10 percent more than expected. Infrastructure minister Michael Ferguso and TT-line chairman Mike Grainger both resigned in August, one month before the yard delivered the first vessel.

Sister ship Spirit of Tasmania V was launched in July and is still in outfitting. When both ships finally enter service, they will replace two aging hulls, Spirit of Tasmania I and II. The newbuilds have a capacity of 6,400 dwt, 4,100 lane-meters of ro/ro space and 1,800 passengers.