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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jan/14/spirit-of-tasmania-ferry-damaged-as-storm-rips-it-from-melbourne-moorings
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| Spirit of Tasmania ferry damaged as storm rips it from Melbourne moorings | Spirit of Tasmania ferry damaged as storm rips it from Melbourne moorings |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Spirit of Tasmania II has been taken out of service after being badly damaged when it broke its moorings with passengers on board during a wild storm in Melbourne. | The Spirit of Tasmania II has been taken out of service after being badly damaged when it broke its moorings with passengers on board during a wild storm in Melbourne. |
| Bass Strait ferry services will resume with just one ship doing double duty. | Bass Strait ferry services will resume with just one ship doing double duty. |
| A wind gust of about 100km/h caused the Spirit of Tasmania II’s moorings to snap on Wednesday night, swinging the ship 90 degrees from the side of Station Pier, buckling the “sky bridge” ramp between the shore and the ship’s vehicle hold. | A wind gust of about 100km/h caused the Spirit of Tasmania II’s moorings to snap on Wednesday night, swinging the ship 90 degrees from the side of Station Pier, buckling the “sky bridge” ramp between the shore and the ship’s vehicle hold. |
| Spirit of Tasmania appears to have broken its mooring & is drifting towards the beach pic.twitter.com/8ZmS74LUyf | Spirit of Tasmania appears to have broken its mooring & is drifting towards the beach pic.twitter.com/8ZmS74LUyf |
| Passengers on the Spirit of Tasmania II and its sister ship in Devonport remained on board overnight. | Passengers on the Spirit of Tasmania II and its sister ship in Devonport remained on board overnight. |
| Many decided to fly to Tasmania on Thursday morning rather than wait for its sister ship to sail in the evening. | Many decided to fly to Tasmania on Thursday morning rather than wait for its sister ship to sail in the evening. |
| Tracey Hutchison, who was at the passenger terminal when winds pushed the vessel towards the shore, said she stayed on the vessel overnight and was on her way to the airport. | Tracey Hutchison, who was at the passenger terminal when winds pushed the vessel towards the shore, said she stayed on the vessel overnight and was on her way to the airport. |
| “It was pretty weird, waking up this morning after an overnight trip that you expect to be in Devonport and you are in Port Melbourne,” she told 3AW on Thursday morning. It’s like something out of the Twilight Zone.” | “It was pretty weird, waking up this morning after an overnight trip that you expect to be in Devonport and you are in Port Melbourne,” she told 3AW on Thursday morning. It’s like something out of the Twilight Zone.” |
| Mark Baker said he and his two girls would take a refund instead of waiting for another ship to arrive. | Mark Baker said he and his two girls would take a refund instead of waiting for another ship to arrive. |
| “We’re going to go to the airport now to get to Tassie ... we just want to get there, we’ll just use the money for a flight,” he told 3AW. | “We’re going to go to the airport now to get to Tassie ... we just want to get there, we’ll just use the money for a flight,” he told 3AW. |
| TT Line spokesman Nicolas Turner said Spirit of Tasmania I would operate a double sailing schedule on Thursday night which would continue while the other vessel was repaired. Attempts would also be made to remove passengers’ cars from the Spirit of Tasmania II. | TT Line spokesman Nicolas Turner said Spirit of Tasmania I would operate a double sailing schedule on Thursday night which would continue while the other vessel was repaired. Attempts would also be made to remove passengers’ cars from the Spirit of Tasmania II. |
| TT Line said the ship would not operate until further notice. | TT Line said the ship would not operate until further notice. |
| The Australian Maritime Safety Authority confirmed inspectors were on site checking the ship for damage and would investigate what caused the ship to snap its moorings. | The Australian Maritime Safety Authority confirmed inspectors were on site checking the ship for damage and would investigate what caused the ship to snap its moorings. |
| An engineering assessment would be conducted on the pier, a Port of Melbourne spokesman said. | An engineering assessment would be conducted on the pier, a Port of Melbourne spokesman said. |
| Damaging winds and dry lightning strikes accompanied thunderstorms that affected a vast area of Victoria on Wednesday afternoon and evening, spanning from the Mallee to the northeast and from the surf coast to metropolitan Melbourne and Gippsland. | Damaging winds and dry lightning strikes accompanied thunderstorms that affected a vast area of Victoria on Wednesday afternoon and evening, spanning from the Mallee to the northeast and from the surf coast to metropolitan Melbourne and Gippsland. |
| Gusts peaked at 107km/h in Hopetoun and 100km/h in St Kilda, but gusts over 90km/h were common in many parts of Victoria. | Gusts peaked at 107km/h in Hopetoun and 100km/h in St Kilda, but gusts over 90km/h were common in many parts of Victoria. |
| A murky mist of dust blew into Melbourne with the storm that brought a cooling wind change to the city, where the top temperature was 42 degrees. | A murky mist of dust blew into Melbourne with the storm that brought a cooling wind change to the city, where the top temperature was 42 degrees. |
| State Control Centre spokesman Gerard Scholten said the State Emergency Service had 400 calls for assistance to 9pm on Wednesday. | State Control Centre spokesman Gerard Scholten said the State Emergency Service had 400 calls for assistance to 9pm on Wednesday. |
| Of those, 195 were for fallen trees and 53 for minor building damage. | Of those, 195 were for fallen trees and 53 for minor building damage. |
| The worst-hit areas included Melbourne’s outer east and northeast, Colac, Warragul and Mildura. | The worst-hit areas included Melbourne’s outer east and northeast, Colac, Warragul and Mildura. |
| Lifesavers rescued 13 people from rough seas off the beach at Altona, with several of them caught in choppy water under a pier. | |
| Strong wind gusts from a cool change at 6pm blew many objects off the pier. Several of the people who had to be rescued had jumped from a pier into the water to try to retrieve their belongings. | |
| None needed hospital treatment. |