Australian 'fiasco' ferry leaves Edinburgh after months docked in Forth
An Australian ferry that was docked for months in Edinburgh has finally set sail from the capital.
On Thursday morning, June 19, the Spirit of Tasmania IV ship was spotted leaving Leith docks, reports Edinburgh Live.
In December 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 Down Under.
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 212-metre vessel. It was initially moved to Scotland after fears it could be damaged by pack ice.
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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.
The new Spirit of Tasmania ships have a gross tonnage of 48,000 and have the capacity to hold 1,800 passengers. The vessel is home to 301 new cabins, 118 standard recliners and 47 business recliners.
Tasmania's infrastructure minister, Michael Ferguson, and the chairman of ferry operator TT-Line, which is state-owned, resigned due to the controversy in August.
TT-Line was paying A$47,534 (£24,031) per week to berth the ship at Forth Ports, according to figures published by the Tasmanian government.
In March it was reported there was a possibility of the ferry being used to house Ukrainian refugees in Scotland.
However the Scottish government quickly dismissed this saying: "This is not true and we have no plans to lease this or any other vessel for this purpose."
Tasmania's transport minister Eric Abetz said that the government had done all it could to secure a lease that would benefit Tasmanians.
He said: "We had an opportunity to secure an agreement worth tens of millions of dollars for the Tasmanian taxpayer, and it would have been economically irresponsible not to explore this.
"Previous similar leases provided more than €50m (£41.2m) to vessel owners, and it was prudent that we sought similar arrangements for Tasmanian taxpayers.
"The relentless negativity is hurting the state's economic opportunities, and it's time to move forward together."
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