TT-Line (Australia)
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The TT-Line (Tasmania) is a ferry company operating ferries from Tasmania to the mainland of Australia. TT-line (Tasmania) was formed in 1985 following the announcement that the Australian National Line (ANL) would no longer operate a service across Bass Strait.
After the cessation of ANL operations to Tasmania, the Tasmanian state's Department of Transport began a replacement ferry service, selecting the West German ferry Nils Holgersson (3) for $AUD 26 million. That amount was offset by a payment from the Australian federal government in compensation for placing the environmentally-sensitive Gordon River off-limits to Hydro Tasmania power generation schemes. The Nils Holgersson (3) was renamed Abel Tasman on 21st April 1985, and set sail for Australia, she arrived in Devonport on 20th June and began operating on 1st July 1985 from Melbourne's Station Pier.
In 1993 TT-line Tasmania replaced the aging Abel Tasman with another ex TT-Line (Germany) ferry. The new ship, Peter pan (3), had replaced the former Nils Holgersson (3) (now Abel Tasman) on the Travemunde-Trelleborg route in Germany in 1986. The ship was delivered to Lloyd Werft ship yard in September 1993 and was renamed Spirit of Tasmania (first ship) costing the Government AUD$150 million . The ferry left Germany on 5 October and arrived in Devonport 12th of November.
On 1 November 1993 the original Tasmanian Department of Transport, was replaced with the TT-line Pty Ltd, a business wholly owned by the state government of Tasmania.
The Spirit of Tasmania made her first commercial crossing of Bass Strait on the night of 29 November 1993 and on that morning the Abel Tasman was laid-up and offered for sale, which was completed in April 1994, to the Ventouris group for AUD$ 24.7 million.
In the Spirit of Tasmania’s 1997 dry-dock TT-line chartered a large multi-hull ferry, the Incat 045, from Incat, dubbed her Tascat and operated her for two weeks as an experiment. In the peak season of 97/98 TT-line charted an Incat 046 to operate as Devil Cat from the old SeaCat Tasmania terminal in George Town to Station Pier. TT-line repeated this over the 98/99 peak season with the new Incat 050 (also dubbed Devil Cat).
In September 1999 the Spirit of Tasmania was forced out of action for two weeks due to fuel contamination. During this time TT-line was able to arrange a charter of the Incat 030 condor 10 which made a few crossings to cover for the Spirit of Tasmania.
Over the 99/00 peak season TT-line again charted a fast craft this time the former Devil Cat Incat 046 to again run the Georgetown-Melbourne route. Incat 046 would do this for the next two years.
In 2002 the Tasmanian Government and TT-line announced that they would be replacing the Devil Cat and the Spirit of Tasmania with two finish built monohull ferries Superfast III & Superfast IV later that year at a prise of AUD$290 million. The Superfast III & IV where handed over at the Nerion ship yard on the island of Syros where they had been refitted. Superfast III was renamed Spirit of Tasmania II and departed on 6th July and superfast IV renamed Spirit of Tasmania I and departed 7th July. They set off for Australia both arriving in Hobart 29th July where the final touchers where put into place. After public inspections at Hobart, Melbourne and Devonport the two new ships set sale on 1st September Spirit I from Devonport and Spirit II from Melbourne. Earlier that day Spirit of Tasmania arrived in Melbourne for the last time crossing Bass Strait 2,849 times carrying 2.3 million passengers, 807,000 cars and 185,000 containers safely across Bass Strait. She contributed AUD$160 million annually each year into Tasmania’s economy. Spirit of Tasmania Departed Melbourne just before midnight on 5th September headed for Sydney where she arrived on 7th September. In late December in was announced that the ship had been sold to Nordsjøferger (Fjord Line) for AUD$61 million.
In March 2003 it was announced that TT-line would be operating a third ship 'Spirit of Tasmania III from Devonport – Sydney beginning early 2004. the new ship was also a SuperFast ship as Spirits I & II this one was Superfast II a German ferry built in 1995 for Superfast ferries. Superfast II was handed over to TT-line 30th September and went to the Nerion yard for refitting after the works and renaming to Spirit of Tasmania III she set off on the evening of 10th October. She arrived in Hobart on 30th October berthing No.6 Macquarie wharf for more fitting out to be done. Spirit of Tasmania III set out for a voyage from Hobart – Devonport with 500 people aboard. She stayed in Devonport for a day and then moved on Melbourne then to Sydney. Spirit of Tasmania III made her maiden run from Sydney-Devonport 13th January 2004. On 5th June the Tasmanian Government announced that the Sydney–Devonport service would cease on 28th August onwards and the ship to be sold. It was announced 11 July 2006 that Spirit of Tasmania III will be sold to Corsica ferries for AUD$111 million (65 million Euros) she is to be re-named Mega Express IV
[edit] Fleet
[edit] Present Ferries
- Spirit of Tasmania I (2002 - )
- Spirit of Tasmania II (2002 - )
[edit] Past Ferries
- Abel Tasman (1985-1994)
- Incat 045 Tascat (1997)
- Incat 046 Devil Cat (1997-1998 1999-2002)
- Incat 050 Devil Cat (1998-1999)
- Incat 030 Condor 10 (1999)
- Spirit of Tasmania (1993-2002)
- Spirit of Tasmania III (2003-2006)
