Spirit of Tasmania Marine Painting

Higgins Coatings - Keeping Spirit of Tasmania looking its best

Project Overview

Operating in a marine environment presents a unique set of maintenance challenges. Constant exposure to saltwater, contaminants and demanding operating conditions means effective surface preparation and protective coatings are essential to maintaining both the appearance and integrity of an asset.

Higgins Coatings was engaged by TT-Line to undertake specialist cleaning, surface preparation and repainting works aboard Spirit of Tasmania I and II, focusing on the vehicle deck bulkheads and internal centre engine casings.

Following works completed across both vessels in 2024, our Geelong team returned in 2025 to continue supporting the maintenance of these highly operational marine assets.
Delivered around the vessels’ operational requirements, the works required careful planning and coordination to achieve a quality finish while minimising disruption.

Scope of Works

This project involved specialist cleaning, surface preparation and marine repainting across the two vessels.

Our scope included high-pressure washing, diesel contaminant removal, preparation of existing surfaces and repainting of the vehicle deck bulkheads and internal centre engine casings in accordance with the nominated International Paints specification.

A team of six Higgins painters, supported by a Project Manager and Branch Manager, delivered the works.

Challenges and Solutions

Working aboard operational vessels meant our team needed to carefully balance project delivery with the day-to-day requirements of Spirit of Tasmania.

Saltwater exposure and diesel contamination required thorough preparation before coatings could be applied, while passenger and vehicle movements created restricted access to work areas. Refuelling requirements also needed to be considered when scheduling works.

To overcome these challenges, our team coordinated works around the vessels’ operating schedules and implemented a two-stage cleaning process using Aquabreak PX and Unitor Water Blasters. This allowed contaminants to be effectively removed and surfaces appropriately prepared ahead of repainting.

Careful planning and close coordination with the onboard team allowed works to progress safely and efficiently while minimising disruption to vessel operations.

Results and Impact

The completed works refreshed the presentation of the vehicle deck bulkheads and internal engine casings while enhancing corrosion protection for surfaces exposed to challenging marine conditions.

Most importantly, Higgins successfully delivered the works across both vessels within the planned project windows and with minimal disruption to operations.

Following the successful completion of works in 2024, Higgins returned in 2025 to undertake further maintenance across the vessels, building on our relationship with TT-Line and demonstrating our ability to deliver consistently within a complex marine environment.

What our customer had to say

“Both Higgins management and on board team were amenable, flexible and eager to complete the job to our satisfaction.
The on board crew directed by their leading hand provided a consistent standard and worked well within the ship’s strict time schedules.
Overall TT-Line was pleased with their efforts and the results on board.”

- David Crane, Technical Manager - TT Line

Spirit of Tasmania