Wild weather: Spirit of Tasmania timetable still unclear
Two cranes are being used to repair the damage to Station Pier after the Spirit of Tasmania came off its moorings in last night’s wild weather.
The vessel was at right angles to its pier at one stage, and tug boats were needed to swing it back.
Station Pier webcam. Spirit of Tasmania, normally sitting alongside the pier, now swung around and barely in shot! pic.twitter.com/YBQNXVbaUE
? 3AW Melbourne (@3AW693) January 13, 2016
Most of the 650 passengers took up the offer of a free night aboard the boat.
Passengers are also stranded in Tasmania, from where the ship was unable to leave until the facilities in Melbourne were repaired.
Steve Finnigan from Williamstown Cranes says he doesn’t yet know how long it will take his crews to fix it.
‘We’re hoping hours,’ he said.
Broadcaster Tracee Hutchison was on the Spirit at the time, and described the ordeal as ‘surreal’.
‘We were on the passenger terminal at that point and heard the ‘bang’,’ she told Tony Jones.
‘We saw the ship doing a quarter-turn and colliding into the drawbridge.’
Not looking great at Station Pier #spiritoftasmania pic.twitter.com/AgDThXsfBV
? Tracee Hutchison (@traceehutch) January 13, 2016
Wild weather wreaked havoc across Melbourne last night.
Although temperatures topped 40 degrees during the day, a dramatic change blew in from the west.
There were 450 calls for help during yesterday’s storm, most between 5pm and 9pm.
Williamstown beach just went from 500 people to nearly none in about 5mins as sand-whipped swimmers fled the wind. pic.twitter.com/InrD3cnOyI
? 3AW Melbourne (@3AW693) January 13, 2016
The apocalypse closing in on Melbourne pic.twitter.com/M427miKOCJ
? Shane McInnes (@shanemcinnes) January 13, 2016
It has now hit the CBD. Picture from Crown. @7NewsMelbourne @3AW693 @theheraldsun @BOM_Vic pic.twitter.com/aSmqvt4a8k
? Andrew Park (@ajparky) January 13, 2016
Lots of dust west of Tarneit #melbweather @3AW693 pic.twitter.com/60jAGpgMJa
? Ben (@thecattery) January 13, 2016
@3AW693 storms are coming was 44 in Geelong currently 40 pic.twitter.com/r6K2wRAitf
? richardlisabearman (@lisarichbearman) January 13, 2016
@3AW693 madness at Safety Beach boat ramp pic.twitter.com/9ERQbbB3hv
? Bardy (@jay_bardy) January 13, 2016
Dust storm sweeps across Melbourne as seen from Footscray Road Docklands.#duststorm#weather#melbourne pic.twitter.com/JrWUpkwdFL
? Ian Currie (@iancurrie66) January 13, 2016