The future of the Finnish-built, Australian-owned Spirit of Tasmania IV ferry, stranded in Leith Port since early December, may be decided within weeks, the Tasmanian government claims.
The recently built Spirit of Tasmania IV was originally intended to transport passengers and freight between Tasmania and Victoria.
However, both the Spirit of Tasmania IV and the sister ship Spirit of Tasmania V are too big to dock in their home port of Devonport, with the necessary infrastructural upgrades to accommodate the ships not expected to be completed until early 2027.
Consequently, the Spirit IV has been docked at Leith Port since December 4 2024, with officials stating that Leith Port offers a cost-effective and climate-suitable location for ferry berthing, as well as opportunities for short-term leasing.
Accordingly, “various interested parties recently travelled to Leith to tour the vessel, with discussions ongoing,” a government spokesperson claimed.
“Advice is expected to be received by the end of the month at which point a decision will be made.”
Storing the ferry in Scotland costs Australian taxpayers £24,000 per week in berth fees for the first 30 days, with every week thereafter costing £12,915.
These costs don’t include additional crewing costs of £48,000 per week or further ancillary charges.
“Hawkand Atlantis – Diving Support Vessel : Leith Docks” by jambox998 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.