9m Bass Strait rescue boat repowered with 4.2L Mercury diesels

Queenscliff Volunteer Coast Guard has repowered its 9m Bass Strait rescue boat with a pair of Mercury Diesel 4.2L QSD sterndrives. The twin 320hp engines have some big claims in the power-to-weight stakes.

With the new six-cylinder QSD diesels, the 5000kg rescue boat reportedly boasts a top speed of 37 knots (68km/h) at 3880rpm.

At 3000rpm, the Bass Strait is said to cruise at 24 knots with an effective operational range of 200 nautical miles (370km).

"As soon as the boat was handed over we spent four hours on the water familiarising ourselves with the new engine set-up and the power and performance is very impressive," said Gary Tomlins, the Flotilla’s Training Officer.

"Queenscliff has operated Mercury products in the past and we’ve been very happy with the reliability of their engines, so when it came to repowering this time we went with our experience and so far, it looks like a really good call," he added to the endorsement.

Tomlins says the new controls and engine-management systems are better than anything Coast Guard has had before.

"I would like to thanks the team at Queenscliff Marine who carried out the repower and have been very helpful throughout the process," he said.

The 4.2L, 320hp Mercury Diesel QSD engines have thermostatically optimised closed-coolant systems and the high corrosion resistance.

Advanced turbocharger technology is said to deliver seamless power, while the engine’s fuel-injection systems is designed to reduce the noise and harshness of traditional diesel engines.

Situated
at the mouth of Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay, the Queenscliff Coast
Guard flotilla receives up to 65 calls for assistance every year — or
more than one a week on average — and recently celebrated its 40th year
of active service.

For rescue vessels, engine control and reliability are of course crucial
as the emergencies can come at any time and in any weather.

More at Mercury Marine.