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In short:
The port infrastructure for the two new Spirit of Tasmania ferries won't be ready in time for their arrival, so the state government will spend tens of millions on an interim solution.
But that temporary berth is too shallow for the bigger ships, so they'll only be able to take the same level of passengers and freight as the existing ones — something the Opposition has said is the "biggest infrastructure stuff up" in Tasmania's history.
What's next?
The refurbished port facilities are expected to be completed in early 2026.
It has been described by the Labor Opposition as the "biggest infrastructure stuff-up [in] Tasmania's history".
Two brand new Spirit of Tasmania vessels, which have been in the works for almost as long as the Liberals have been in government, are set to arrive at the end of this year and early next.
But the port infrastructure won't be ready in time.
Instead, the government will spend tens of millions of dollars upgrading their temporary home — at berth one in Devonport.
The problem is that berth is too shallow, meaning the bigger and better Spirits, which have 40-per-cent more tourism and freight capacity than the existing ones, will initially have to operate with the same number of passengers and freight as the existing ships, so as not to sit too low in the water.
"This is extraordinary," Labor leader Dean Winter said.
"We have got two brand new, billion-dollar ships about to arrive and they haven't even started on the berth facilities, and they're saying they won't have completed them until at least 2026."
But it's far from the first rough seas the new Spirits have encountered.
The state's ferry fleet is more than 25 years old and the replacement ships are long overdue.
Promises of when they'd arrive date back to 2010 — the last time Tasmanian Labor won an election.
Even back in 2017, the Liberal government was claiming the ships would arrive by 2021.
Three years later, they're still halfway across the world — with one expert estimating every 12 months of delays would cost the Tasmanian economy $350 million.
Shipbuilding drama
The contract to build the brand new ships was first awarded to German shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft in 2018.
Eighteen months later the Tasmanian government cancelled the contract, citing financial issues.
It then signed a memorandum of understanding with Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC).
Not long after that, the government pulled out, saying it wanted to try to build the ships locally.
The following year it settled, again, on RMC.
But, at the beginning on this year, the Finnish company faced its own financial troubles, leading to the ferry operator, Tasmanian government-owned TT-Line paying an additional $80 million and removing late fees from its contract.
The first ship is now set to arrive in Tasmania by the end of the year, with the second arriving early next year.
Port drama
But the ships themselves were only ever one part of the puzzle.
It's long been known that berth three at Devonport would need to be upgraded to accommodate them.
The original quote for that in 2020 was $90 million. But according to TT-Line that blew out.
Earlier this year, when the government was in the midst of an election, TT-Line ripped up its tender and went back to market.
The new quote for the completion of the works has come in at $375 million.
The port won't be ready until early 2026.
The government's interim solution is to upgrade berth one, even if it means the ships have to operate at a reduced capacity.
Labor claims those upgrades will cost at least $50 million.
In parliament on Wednesday, Mr Winter questioned why the government was spending millions on an upgrade that wouldn't provide benefit in terms of passenger or freight capability.
"Is the only purpose of this massive spend to prevent the PR disaster of having new ships floating somewhere off the coast, unable to be used like a giant floating billboard showcasing the incompetence of your government?
"Are you spending $50 million of taxpayer money to avoid an embarrassing news story?"
'Difficult project'
Premier Jeremy Rockliff told parliament the government wants the new Spirits up and running and soon as possible, which is why it directed TT-Line to upgrade berth one.
He also said there are significant benefits from having the new ships even with the temporary berth.
"Spirit IV is much more efficient when it comes to freight and a new freight loading system," he said.
"It's safer for caravans and campervans and vehicles with the wider lanes. It provides a much better customer experience and is more fuel efficient.
"Yes, it's a difficult project, as most infrastructure projects are across the nation, and the globe and indeed Tasmania, but we get the job done."