Business
25 September, 2025
$1.7m Reef boat refit
QUICKSILVER’S Port Douglas-based dive and snorkel catamaran Silversonic is undergoing a $1.66 million refit, including repowering with new generation engines and a bold new look.
The major investment marks the completion of the Quicksilver Port Douglas fleet’s transition to sustainable fuel-ready engines, reinforcing the company’s long-standing commitment to sustainable marine tourism and protecting the Great Barrier Reef.
Led by Quicksilver’s skilled engineering team and local marine contractors, the 29m catamaran is being repowered with two new generation Rolls Royce mtu 2000 series commercial marine engines (10V2000M72) – certified for HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) and other synthetically produced diesel fuels and new ZF marine gearboxes.
“The advances in these fuel-efficient engines position us for a more sustainable future. Even without HVO fuel, the new engine technology is achieving a reduction in fuel consumption across the fleet,” said Quicksilver Group managing director Tony Baker.
“They also provide the ability to further minimise emissions when HVO fuel becomes commercially available in Australia,” he said.
The refit follows Quicksilver’s previous investments in retrofitting these Rolls-Royce mtu 2000 Series engines into the company’s wavepiercing catamarans Quicksilver VIII and Quicksilver V, as well as the dive vessel Poseidon.
In addition to the mechanical refit, Silversonic will emerge with a bold new look – her current livery stripped and transformed with a sleek aluminium finish, a shimmering nod to her name. Silversonic is expected to return to service in early October, resuming daily dive and snorkel adventures to the world-renowned Agincourt ribbon reefs. On the edge of Australia’s Continental Shelf, these pristine outer reefs are celebrated for their crystal-clear waters, spectacular corals and abundant marine life, offering some of the very best day boat diving and snorkelling experiences on the Great Barrier Reef.
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