Long waiting times for caravans and large vehicles on Spirit of Tasmania due to delay in launch of new ferries

Melissa Cunningham’s dog transport business depends on her being able to book weekly vehicles on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry.

But the lack of space on ships for tall vehicles makes The Dog Transporter unviable.

“We’re practically going to close it down. It’s just impossible to get stains on Spirit,” she said.

“We have one car this week – we could fill three.”

A woman holds a dog in front of a van with a sign: "Dog carrier". — Melissa Cunningham’s dog transport business is dwindling after she failed to secure enough seats on the Spirit of Tasmania. (Delivered)

Long wait times to book spaces for larger vehicles on the Spirit of Tasmania have frustrated travelers and business owners amid delays and high costs for two new larger ships.

Although the first of the new ships has already been built, the new ferries are not expected to enter service until 2026 due to delays at Devonport berths.

Ms. Cunningham was banking on new, larger Spirits to keep her business going.

“We would still be operating if they were in working order. We could have cars,” Ms. Cunningham said.

Tasmanian couple nearly ended up stranded for eight months

Christina and Brian Bodger, who live in Dover in the south of the state, were traveling in a caravan on the mainland when they developed problems with their car in August this year.

A man and a woman hugging and smiling at the camera. — When Brian and Christina Bodger were considering changing their return date, the next available booking was seven months away. (Delivered)

They tried to delay the return trip to Tasmania to allow time to fix their car, but did not find the next available car and caravan site until March – seven months later.

“We thought maybe we’d leave the car somewhere and come back later and buy another car so we could come home with the caravan on October sixth,” Ms Bodger said.

Luckily, their car was repaired in time to get home as originally ordered.

“If we were stuck on the mainland for six months, it would be quite a challenge for us to store cars and caravans and probably fly home and fly back to pick them up later,” Mr Bodger said.

He believes given the number of people traveling in caravans, the difficulty in securing a place on the Spirit of Tasmania is hurting local businesses and Tasmania’s tourism industry.

“We read advertisements all the time about coming to Tasmania and seeing all the beautiful country we have and so on, and we think to ourselves, how can they get here?” – he said.

“If the state wants tourism, it should provide them with the means to get here.”

It is estimated that for every year the release of new Spirits is delayed, the Tasmanian economy loses $350 million in revenue.

Travelers in Tasmania struggle to find the right time

The Spirit of Tasmania website encourages travelers to book in advance during peak times such as the summer and school holidays and for those with motorhomes, caravans and campervans.

Many people told the ABC they have no problem getting a seat on Spirit in a larger car when booking well in advance of their trip.

A young man and woman are smiling in front of a house, with three small children next to them. — Arianna Boreham and her family secured a spot for their car and caravan on the Spirit of Tasmania after joining the waiting list. (Delivered)

But this is not always possible.

When Arianna Boreham landed a nursing contract in Hobart, she went to book the Spirit of Tasmania ferry so she and her family could move from Brisbane.

Trying to book flights to Tasmania at the end of August three months in advance, they had no availability in a car and van before she was due to start her new job.

They were placed on the cancellation list and thereby managed to secure a sailing a month before Ms Boreham was due to start work, but the timing did not coincide with the end date of her work in Brisbane.

“I couldn’t go because it was still during work,” she said.

She managed to find a place for herself a week after the rest of her family left with the caravan.

“It was very inconvenient because my husband had to travel alone with three children and a caravan to Geelong and then spend a week in Tasmania without me,” she said.

The new Spirits have more space for transport.

The booking website currently states there are no spaces available for the 10m long x 2.1m high motorhome from Geelong to Devonport until March and no return flights until June.

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But the new Spirit of Tasmania ships will be longer, taller and wider.

Details released by ferry operator TT-Line show passenger capacity will increase from 1,400 to 1,800 and the number of cabins will rise from 222 to 301.

The number of traffic lanes for passenger and freight transport will also increase by 60 percent.

Unlike current ships, all lanes will be high enough for caravans and campers.

Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions has completed construction of the first of two new vessels, but the ship must sail to Tasmania by November to avoid icing during the northern hemisphere winter.

The second ship is scheduled to be completed by early next year.

Aerial view of a distant red ship moored on a river at sunset, with houses and coastline in the foreground. — The existing berths at Devonport are too small for the new Spirits. (ABC News: Morgan Timms)

The revamped Devonport pier is expected to accommodate larger Spirits, but its implementation has faced a number of delays.

The state government’s temporary decision to upgrade existing berths used by smaller Spirits to allow new ships to berth has raised safety concerns and has also been delayed.

The government commissioned a report into problems with mooring facilities at Devonport, which it received last Friday.

The report is expected to outline the cost of temporary port upgrades and construction timelines, as well as an estimate for storing boats overseas until permanent infrastructure is ready.

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliffe said the report was being reviewed and he would “set out the path forward” on Thursday this week.