BAREBOATING WHITSUNDAYS
Create your own adventures on board a luxury catamaran in the Whitsundays and be the captain of your own destiny
Bareboating in the Whitsundays
What does it mean to go bareboating?
When you hire a luxury bareboat, you are the skipper of the vessel and you invite your friends or family to experience a unique, luxury style of holiday in the Whitsundays. There is no set itinerary or timetable to stick to, you simply explore the islands how and when you please.
Experience star-filled nights in tranquil anchorages. Visit secluded bays and explore rainforest tracks and national park lookouts with stunning views. Sun yourself on world famous Whitehaven Beach or snorkel the fringing coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. If that’s too much, just simply kick back and relax and enjoy the luxury and quality time with loved ones and friends.
do i need a licence?
Great news! You don’t need a formal qualification or licence to go bareboating in the Whitsundays but some boating knowledge certainly helps. Our qualified staff will take you through a comprehensive ‘brief’ on how to operate the vessel including the use of the navigation equipment, an area brief of the Whitsundays and local knowledge tips, plus mooring and anchoring skills. The brief is included in the charter fee when making a booking and the two most competent people are required to sit in on the full breifing. Depending on your skill level we allow up to 3-4 hours to 'teach you the ropes'. When the briefing is completed you are ready to go bareboating.
Sail Guides
If you don’t feel confident by the end of the brief, you may like to consider hiring a Sail Guide for a few extra hours (additional charges apply) for more tuition, or for the duration of the charter (additional charges apply) but more often than not, our guests are confident after the brief and are ready to start their holiday adventure.
Departure points
Coral Sea Marina
If you prefer to arrive in Airlie Beach, your charter will depart from Coral Sea Marina. Briefings commence at 8:30am. Meet your Briefer at the Luxury Yachts Whitsundays base and they will provide you with a trolley to load your luggage in to and take you to your vessel to start the brief.
Hamilton Island
If your flight preferences are to fly in to Hamilton Island Airport, the bareboat can be delivered to Hamilton Island Marina for an additional $965 (subject to availability). This includes the Briefer and a berth in Hamilton Island Marina the same day. You can also end your charter at Hamilton Island for $965 also.
Where am I allowed to take the boat?
There is a charter limit which the Briefer will explain to you on the morning of departure, but as a general rule, the charter limit extends from Hayman Island out to the eastern side of Hook and Whitsunday Islands. For experienced charterers, and depending on the length of your charter and weather conditions, chartering as far south as Shaw Island may also be possible.
There are 74 islands and over 40 anchorages for you to explore within the Whitsunday Island group. See a sample itinerary here.
what is included?
Each vessel is fully equipped with everything you need for a comfortable and enjoyable charter including linen, safety gear, consumables kit and a tender with outboard for you to get ashore. In addition to the items found on board your bareboat, the charter fee also includes the brief conducted by our qualified Bareboat Briefers.
See the full list of inclusions here.
What about provisioning?
There are a number of local supermarkets in Airlie Beach and Cannonvale where you can self-cater. There is also an IGA and bottle shop at Hamilton Island. If you prefer not to spend hours shopping and the cost of a return taxi fare to Coral Sea Marina, there are a number of provisioning services available where you can order everything you need. They source fresh local produce offering a number of meal packages and deliver to the boat for you on the morning of departure. Easy!
See provisioning services here.
How do I get to the whitsundays?
The Whitsundays is located along Queensland's central coast approximately 1,120km north of Brisbane and 630km south of Cairns. Access to the region is easy whether you are travelling by air, road or by rail.
Set your own pace and plan your own itinerary, confident of the backup and support only a radio call away from Luxury Yachts Whitsundays' base and our team of qualified professional mariners. Experience it all with our luxury yacht hire, power catamaran or sailing catamaran hire in the Whitsundays.
Our luxury bareboats can be hired for 3 or more nights. We can promise you 3 nights is never enough and 7 will leave you wanting more.