Boat History

Built on the mangrove flats of Cairns 1970-71. " M.V. Tropic Queen " at the time was the largest steel catamaran constructed in the southern hemisphere ; also the first steel catamaran to carry and sleep passenger built to survey standards and still maintained to the present.

Captain Fred La Cava motored his proud ship all round the tropical waters of far north QLD, extending  in and around the gulf of Carpentaria and up the New Guinea coast line  from his home port of Cairns. In these early years Tropic Queen carried passengers on holidays, fishing trips, family outings. Later Tropic Queen pioneered the mother ship style of fishing for large game fish. This was the beginning of marlin fishing in Cairns. Many overseas celebrities have spent, many a time and parties on board. Lee Marvin, Dr Meade Johnson, Bob Dwyer, Bill Oakley to name some of the few.

After 15yrs of charters, holidaying and fishing , Tropic Queen was purchased by Deep Sea Divers Den and refurbished as a live on board dive boat. The next 10 years it worked the reefs out of Cairns, affectionately know as "The Queen" or "Queenie" it became the pride of all dive operations and had the best parties (so what else has changed).

In 1995 Lyn and Mick bought the boat, performed a major second refurbish (still on going). Renamed "Ocean Trek" it now operates the spectacular waters of Jervis Bay Mecca of diving, as a popular live on board dive boat.

Boat history photographs and lots of information provided by Fred's family still residing in Queensland. Many thanks to Carol (Fred's daughter) and her husband Peter for maintaining such a good family album and genuine interest