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The 'Spirit of Tasmania IV', which has been berthed in Hobart since Aug 23, and 'Spirit of Tasmania V' need an upgrading the hull for the service on the Bass Strait in preparation for rare or extreme weather events, or power failure. The extent of the required works is still being determined.The hull specification issue was picked up by the project's recovery team, which was introduced to address problems with the vessels' rollout following a series of public scandals. The issue stems from the new fenders on the wharf, which are designed to bear the impact of the ships when they berth. Some modifications to the fenders and to the ships are required. The 'Spirit of Tasmania IV' will not need to be dry docked for the works to be completed. The 'Spirit of Tasmania V' will get the hull works completed in Rauma, before it transits to Tasmania. The 'Spirit of Tasmania IV' will stay in Hobart for about two months, then it will be moved to Victoria until it's ready to start sailing between Geelong and Devonport in October 2026. A berth for the two new vessels is being built in Devonport. The new docking procedure in Devonport and Geelong will involve the two vessels essentially being sucked onto the wharf. The recovery team is also working closely with TasPorts and the Harbour Master on the wharf infrastructure, as it plans for berthing in rare or extreme events. Report with photos: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-30/tas-spirit-of-tasmania-hull-upgrade-needed/105833990?utm_medium=social&utm_content=sf278690797&utm_campaign=abc_hobart&utm_source=m.facebook.com&fbclid=IwY2xjawNIZWZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHkLmF-YQW5xDMlnLd6nh_--XY68qkYUk7G8RLc8YMqi1kE8Vk5o270FyMKqJ_aem_z5MpVTJb_xXG_24OKA4TdQ

The 'Spirit of Tasmania IV' will sail into Tasmanian waters on the afternoon of Aug 22, after a six-week journey that has taken it past France, Africa and across the Indian Ocean, The vessel will first make a ceremonial stop in Devonport, after passing Cape Wickham at 5:20 a.m., Rocky Cape at 12:30 p.m. and Burnie at 2:10 p.m. The welcome event will run from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and feature a Rotary sausage sizzle and children’s entertainment. From there, the ferry will head south to Hobart, where it is scheduled to dock at Macquarie Wharf on Aug 23 at 10 a.m. The new vessel is the first of two designed to boost capacity on the busy Bass Strait route between the mainland and Tasmania. Report with photos: https://pulsetasmania.com.au/news/new-spirit-of-tasmania-ferry-to-dock-in-hobart-on-saturday/

After the Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Construction has managed to rectify the issue which was detected with the liquid natural ga system of the 'Spirit of Tasmania IV'', and the ship has been undertaking sea trials, the Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff on June 22 revealed that the ferry was expected to leave Scotland and make its way to Australia in 10 days' time. The journey would take about six weeks, with the predicted arrival in Hobart in August, where it will receive final fit-outs. Its berth in Devonport is not expected to be completed until at least Oct 2026. It is unclear what will happen to the ferry until it can be used to transport passengers between Tasmania and the mainland. The two new ferries have a dual fuel system, meaning that they can run on both diesel and LNG. Upgrading the LNG facilities in Devonport will trigger more that $70 million in private investment and create 150 construction jobs and 15 ongoing roles. 50,000 tonnes of carbon emissions are to be saved by switching to LNG.

On the morning of June 19, the 'Spirit of Tasmania IV' left the Leith docks in Edinburgh. In Dec 2024 it was reported how the ship was set to be berthed in Edinburgh until next year, after it was discovered to be too big for its intended ports. The operator TT-Line confirmed it had been engaging with a broker to lease the ferry, although an agreement was not reached. The Tasmanian government then ordered the operator to relocate the ship. The situation sparked a political row in Australia after it was feared a new berth to accommodate the shop, and it's sister vessel 'Spirit of Tasmania V', may not be ready until late 2026 or 2027. Tasmania's infrastructure minister, Michael Ferguson, and the chairman of ferry operator TT-Line, which is state-owned, resigned due to the controversy in Aug 2024. TT-Line was paying A$47,534 (£24,031) per week to berth the ship at Forth Ports.

Technical tweaks were underway on both new Spirit of Tasmania vessels to fix issues with their liquefied natural gas (LNG) systems. On June 6 thr shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions had successfully rectified an issue with the LNG system on the 'Spirit of Tasmania V'. The fix has already been tested at the shipyard in Rauma and during sea trials. The same modification will now be made to the 'Spirit of Tasmania IV' in the coming days. Once the work has been finished, theship will undergo testing during a port trial. If the modification proves successful, a multi-day sea trial is then planned before the ship eventually sets sail for Tasmania.