Charter Yachts Australia

What "bareboat" actually means here

You skipper the boat yourself. There is no professional crew aboard, no chef, no deckhand. The boat comes fully equipped, you bring your own crew and your own food.

The Whitsundays is one of the few places in the world where this is legal without a licence, because the outer Great Barrier Reef kills the swell and the 74 islands give you protected water and dozens of anchorages in any wind direction. That is the whole reason the bareboat industry exists here at the scale it does.

Experience you need

No boat licence is required. What Charter Yachts Australia actually asks for:

• Basic coastal navigation, meaning you can plot a course with a chart and compass
• Some prior sail handling if you intend to use the sails
• At least two crew over 18 present for the briefing, though they encourage the whole crew to sit in

Every charter includes a four hour boat and area brief before you leave. Staff take the boat out of the Coral Sea Marina berth for you and bring it back in on return, so marina manoeuvring is not something you need to be confident about.

If you are rusty or genuinely green, two options exist. You can hire a local sail guide for the first day or for the whole charter, or you can do a "Prepare to Charter" course beforehand at a sailing school elsewhere in Australia. Booking a sail guide in advance is worth doing, since they are a finite resource in peak season.

The fleet

Over 20 vessels, roughly 32 to 48 feet, in three groups.

Sailing yachts (monohulls) Catalina 32 "RockStar", Beneteau Oceanis 37 "Little One", Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 41 "Baronga", Beneteau 41.1 "Bella Breeza", Beneteau 43 "Chirping Bird". The cheapest way into a charter, and the better feel under sail, but less deck and saloon space than a cat.

Sailing catamarans The deepest part of the fleet. Seawind 1000XL 35 "Paso Doble", Lightwave 38 "Mischief", Leopard 38 "Seafox", Seawind 1160 "In Too Deep", Seawind 1160/3 "Sea Dragon", Seawind 1250 "Harley Girl", Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40 "Mandala", Montebello 41 "Karma Kat", Fountaine Pajot Salina "Prime Time", Fountaine Pajot 44 "Vela Perfecta", Leopard 44 "Kaimana", Lagoon 45 "Galaxy", Lightwave 45 "Reflections", Leopard 48 "Waterlust". Cats sit flat at anchor, draw less water, and are the standard pick for families and mixed-ability crews.

Power catamarans Venturer 38 "Divocean" and Scimitar 1010 "Mojo". No sailing skills needed, faster passage times, higher fuel bill.

Suits couples through to groups of around 10 depending on the boat. Fleets rotate, so check the current lineup before you commit to a specific vessel.

What is included in the charter price

Linen, blankets, pillows and towels. Fully equipped galley with crockery and cutlery. Consumables like soap, toilet paper, dishwashing liquid, cleaning agents, garbage bags. Dinghy with outboard. Snorkelling equipment. Safety gear and navigational aids. Gas deck BBQ. The four hour brief.

Not included: fuel, which is payable on return, food and drink, and the Environmental Management Charge.

Costs and booking mechanics

Rates are per boat, not per person, quoted in AUD including GST, and vary by vessel and season. The published structure for 2026:

• Cruising season: 6 Jan to 2 Apr, 20 Apr to 26 Jun, 20 Jul to 18 Sep
• Holiday season: 3 Apr to 19 Apr, 27 Jun to 19 Jul, 19 Sep to 9 Oct
• Five night minimum, rising to seven nights for 19 Sep to 9 Oct 2026

Booking terms as published: $750 deposit within two days of reserving, balance due 60 days before departure with the hire agreement, Environmental Management Charge of $35 per head. A holding bond applies to every vessel. Sailing catamarans have been listed at either $500 non-refundable plus a $1,000 refundable bond, or a straight $3,000 refundable bond. Monohulls 35ft and under have been listed at $2,500 refundable, and over 35ft at $5,000 refundable. Overnight accommodation aboard before or after the charter has been listed around $200 to $300 per night.

Treat those figures as a guide only. Bonds and charges change, and the season dates shift each year with school holidays. Confirm with the operator before you budget.

Cruising ground and support

You are chartering into the Whitsunday Islands National Park and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, Hamilton Island and other island resorts, dozens of fringing reef anchorages. The company publishes suggested itineraries, an island anchorage guide and Whitsunday weather resources, and supports the NEBO cruising app for tracking and the Eye on the Reef program for reporting reef observations.

Ancillary services on offer: provisioning, rental equipment, airport transfers, and pre or post charter accommodation and tours.

For boat owners and investors

Every bareboat in the fleet is privately owned. Charter Yachts Australia runs the management side: bookings, marketing, maintenance and turnaround, with an in-house detailing team and monthly owner statements issued by the 20th of each month. They own and maintain 11 moorings directly off Coral Sea Marina Resort to reduce berthing costs in quiet periods, and they point to a low insurance claim record and repeat purchasing by existing owners as evidence the model holds up.

Boats coming out of the fleet are listed for sale on their site, which is worth watching if you want a well-maintained, commercially-surveyed cat or monohull at a used price.

Worth knowing before you book

Airlie Beach has several bareboat operators competing on the same water, and the boats themselves are broadly comparable. What differs is briefing quality, fleet age, bond structure and how the base handles you when something goes wrong at anchor at 6pm. Charter Yachts Australia's long ownership tenure and eco-certification history are the distinguishing marks here, not the boats.

Book early for holiday season. The good cats go first, and the minimum-night rules mean you cannot squeeze a short trip into the peak windows.