From work horse to luxury cruiser

A Queensland government workhorse will be transformed into a 41ft utility cruiser during a three month refit at Steber International, Taree.

The Serenia, built for the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage in 1993, is now owned by three partners in Melbourne. They commissioned Steber, the boat's original builder, to undertake the major refurbishment.

Owners are upgrading the boat in survey and it can now be used for charter, diving, fishing and research work and can even legally charter out to the 200 mile mark.

Staff at Steber's Elizabeth Avenue factory are in the process of upgrading engineering specs, safety equipment and electronics, as well as applying some internal and external finishing touches.

Once the refit has been completed, the cruiser will be sailed back to its home port of Mackay, Qld.

Steber general manager, Alan Steber said that the company is not only doing refits on its own boats, like the Serenia, but due to its standing in the industry, its survey work and expertise, it is winning contracts for work on other vessels as well.