CRUISER BACK FOR NEW AUDIENCE
IT’S been 28 years since Captain Earle Douglas Smith first clapped eyes on the MV Entertainer.
And while the experienced boatie has driven everything from water taxis to bigger cruise boats, he “kept coming back” to the 1985 wooden cruiser, which is now available for cruises in the Broadwater.
“It’s quite different to anything else,” Mr Smith said of the boat, which was given a Gaelic blessing yesterday. “It has twin jet units.”
The 27m boat will ferry passengers from Mariners Cove in Main Beach to Couran Cove on South Stradbroke Island. Couran Cove CEO Matt Parsons said operations manager Steve Gibbs spotted the derelict for sale last year. Repairs took nine months.
The MV Entertainer will have live music on board and run Wednesday to Sunday each week for day cruises or a sunset cruise.
Prices are $49 for an adult and $29 for a child.