Finding a marina berth in Perth is not simply a matter of searching for the marina closest to the Perth CBD.
For a sailing yacht, the Perth berth market is divided into two very different worlds:
ocean-access marinas
and
Swan River marinas behind bridges.
That distinction can completely change which berth is practical.
A 12 metre powerboat may be able to use a river marina with little difficulty.
A 12 metre sailing yacht with an 18 metre mast cannot.
For sailors, Perth's principal ocean-access berthing areas are concentrated around:
- Fremantle
- South Fremantle
- North Coogee and Port Coogee
- Hillarys
- Mindarie
The Swan River contains additional major yacht clubs and hundreds of berths around:
- Crawley
- Nedlands
- South Perth
- Applecross
- East Fremantle
- Mosman Bay
- Claremont
but bridge clearance between the Indian Ocean and upper Swan River means many of these locations are fundamentally different propositions for a mast-up cruising yacht.
Perth also has something that strongly influences the value of its marina berths:
Rottnest Island is immediately offshore.
From Fremantle, Rottnest is only around 19 kilometres offshore. A Perth-based yacht can therefore use Rottnest, Garden Island, Carnac Island and Cockburn Sound as normal weekend sailing destinations rather than major cruising expeditions.
As in the supplied Whitsundays guide, the most useful way to judge a berth is as the yacht's cruising, maintenance and provisioning base rather than simply as somewhere to store the boat.
For owners of sailing yachts, cruising yachts and sailing catamarans, Perth can work as:
- A permanent home port
- A weekend sailing base
- A Rottnest Island cruising base
- A Swan River racing base
- A Fremantle offshore racing base
- A maintenance and refit base
- A departure point for cruising north along Western Australia
- A staging point for passages toward Geraldton and the Abrolhos
- A departure point for south-west cruising
- A base for Cockburn Sound and Garden Island
- A liveaboard base in the limited locations where this is permitted
- A temporary stop for interstate or international cruising yachts
Browse Australian marinas on YouSail
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Why Perth Is Different for Yacht Berthing
The most important geographical feature of Perth's berth market is not the city itself.
It is the relationship between:
the Indian Ocean + Fremantle + Swan River + the bridges.
Perth has an enormous recreational boating culture on the Swan River.
That can create the misleading impression that every Perth yacht club is equally suitable for an offshore sailing yacht.
It is not.
Royal Perth Yacht Club's Crawley marina, for example, has more than 360 berths and can accommodate vessels up to approximately 28 metres. It is an impressive marina in one of Australia's major sailing areas.
But a normal cruising yacht cannot simply sail from the Indian Ocean to Crawley with the mast standing.
Current Fremantle bridge works make this particularly obvious. Temporary navigation restrictions in 2026 have reduced available vertical clearances around the Fremantle Traffic Bridge and Fremantle Rail Bridge to roughly 8.1 metres and 6.9 metres above Highest Astronomical Tide in affected channels.
Even after temporary works disappear, bridges remain a permanent constraint.
A typical 40-foot yacht may have an air draft of:
17 to 19 metres.
A 50-foot yacht can easily be:
20 to 23 metres.
A performance yacht may be taller still.
This creates a basic rule for anyone searching for:
- Perth yacht berth
- Perth sailboat marina
- Perth catamaran berth
- Fremantle marina berth
- Swan River yacht berth
Check the yacht's air draft before treating a Swan River berth as an ocean-access berth.
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Perth Marina Berths at a Glance
| Marina area | Best suited to | Major consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Fremantle Sailing Club | Cruising yachts, offshore yachts, racing yachts, liveaboards, large yachts | Membership, availability, premium full-service environment |
| RPYC Fremantle Annexe | Ocean-going yachts, RPYC members, racing and cruising yachts | Smaller marina and club-based access |
| Port Coogee Marina | Cruising yachts, catamarans, long-term private berthing | Very strong demand and restricted waitlists |
| Hillarys Boat Harbour | Northern Perth owners, monohulls, some cats, Rottnest cruising | Catamaran capacity is limited |
| Hillarys Yacht Club | Club sailors, long-term berth holders, northern suburbs | Membership and pen availability |
| The Marina Mindarie | Northern Perth cruising boats and selected catamarans | Farther north from Fremantle and Cockburn Sound |
| RPYC Crawley | Swan River racing and river-based yachts | Ocean access restricted by bridges |
| South of Perth Yacht Club | Swan River sailing and club boating | Bridge restrictions for mast-up offshore yachts |
| Ocean Reef Marina | Future northern Perth marina infrastructure | Development is still evolving |
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Fremantle Sailing Club
For a serious offshore sailing yacht, Fremantle Sailing Club is one of the most important marina facilities in Western Australia.
It occupies Success Harbour at South Fremantle, immediately beside the Indian Ocean.
The club currently publishes 674 wet pens ranging from 10 metres to 45 metres, with pens available through lease, purchase and short-term visiting arrangements.
That scale matters.
A yacht based here can leave the marina without first dealing with the Swan River bridge system.
From the harbour, a skipper has access toward:
- Rottnest Island
- Carnac Island
- Garden Island
- Cockburn Sound
- Owen Anchorage
- Rockingham
- Mandurah
- Geographe Bay
- Bunbury
- Busselton
- Margaret River coast
- Geraldton and the Abrolhos to the north
For an offshore cruiser, this is a fundamentally different proposition from an upper-river yacht club.
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Fremantle Sailing Club Wet Pens
Fremantle Sailing Club publishes pens from approximately:
10 m to 45 m.
The club currently requires a person leasing a wet pen to become a Senior Member, and the vessel must be placed on the Club Boat Register before using club facilities.
The process includes:
1. Membership 2. Boat registration 3. Fire and safety self-audit 4. Pen lease application 5. Pen allocation 6. Occupancy 7. Further fire and safety inspection
This means the marina price should not be considered in isolation.
A prospective berth holder should calculate:
pen cost + club membership + levies + electricity + liveaboard fees if relevant + vessel compliance costs.
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Fremantle Sailing Club Berth Pricing
The club's current published leasing structure lists approximately:
| Berth type | Published lease rate |
|---|---|
| Club-owned berth | $74 per metre per month |
| Club-managed berth | $68 per metre per month |
| Annual rates levy | $52 per metre per year |
Actual cost depends on the pen offered and the club agreement.
Using those rates purely as a berth-cost illustration:
12 metre pen
Club-owned base lease:
12 × $74 × 12 = $10,656 per year
plus approximately:
12 × $52 = $624 annual rates levy
before membership and other charges.
15 metre pen
Base lease:
15 × $74 × 12 = $13,320
plus:
$780 annual rates levy
18 metre pen
Base lease:
18 × $74 × 12 = $15,984
plus:
$936 annual rates levy
This helps explain why berth size matters almost as much as yacht size.
Do not assume that buying a 13.7 metre yacht means you will pay for exactly 13.7 metres.
If the available pen is 15 metres, the berth economics normally relate to the allocated pen.
The Club also maintains waitlists and move-request lists for managed berths, with available berths offered through those systems before wider advertising.
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Buying a Marina Pen at Fremantle Sailing Club
Fremantle is also interesting because berth interests can appear for sale rather than being purely rental products.
This creates a completely different ownership calculation.
Instead of:
annual marina rental
an owner may potentially consider:
upfront berth acquisition + annual fees + club costs.
The economics depend on:
- Remaining tenure
- Pen dimensions
- Width
- Location within the marina
- Exposure
- Transfer conditions
- Annual charges
- Club rules
- Future resale
- Yacht size
The availability page changes regularly, so advertised berth interests should be treated as a live market rather than fixed inventory.
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Fremantle Sailing Club Facilities
For a long-term cruising yacht, Fremantle's advantage is not simply the number of berths.
It is the concentration of marine infrastructure.
Facilities include:
- Shore power
- Fresh water
- Fuel
- Harbour staff
- Liveaboard arrangements
- Waste facilities
- Pump-out
- Swing moorings
- Toilets
- Showers
- Parking
- Marina trolleys
- Security
- Boat lifting
- Hardstand
- Chandlery
- Marine trades
- Maintenance contractors
The club also provides substantial secure parking and harbour support.
For a yacht undergoing continual improvement or preparing for offshore passages, this can be more valuable than saving several thousand dollars a year at a simpler marina.
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Shore Power at Fremantle Sailing Club
Power arrangements vary between marina areas.
Certain jetties have metered permanent power arrangements, while other berth holders apply separately for shore power.
Published club information currently describes:
- Casual shore-power arrangements
- Permanent shore-power connections
- Metered usage
- Liveaboard permanent-power arrangements
For yachts carrying:
- Lithium batteries
- Large chargers
- Starlink
- Refrigeration
- Freezers
- Watermakers
- Washing machines
- Air-conditioning
- Induction cooking
- Large inverter systems
the exact shore-power pedestal becomes important.
Ask specifically:
15A, 32A, 3-phase or another supply?
Do not simply ask whether the berth "has power."
---
Fremantle Sailing Club Fuel
Fremantle Sailing Club operates a 24-hour fuel facility.
Published fuels include:
- Diesel
- High-flow diesel
- 95 octane premium unleaded
- 98 octane premium unleaded
For large cruising yachts this is useful because it eliminates the need to move elsewhere before beginning a coastal passage.
The actual fuel price obviously changes frequently, so it should be checked at the time of arrival rather than incorporated permanently into berth comparisons.
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Fremantle Sailing Club Boatyard
This is one of the strongest arguments for Fremantle as a long-term cruising-yacht base.
The club's boatyard advertises access to more than 120 marine trade professionals and operates:
- 50 tonne travel lift
- 75 tonne travel lift
- Chandlery
- Work sheds
- Wash-down facilities
- Hardstand
- Contractor access
However, there is a critical limitation for catamaran owners:
the published maximum vessel width for the travel lifts is 6 metres.
That is perfectly adequate for most monohulls.
It excludes many modern cruising catamarans.
A typical:
Lagoon 42
has a beam around seven metres.
A:
Lagoon 46
is considerably wider than six metres.
A large cat may therefore be able to berth in metropolitan Perth while still requiring a different facility for haul-out.
This is why:
berth availability and haul-out availability are two different questions.
The yard also warns that during its July to December peak season, lift bookings may carry waiting periods of up to several weeks.
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Liveaboard at Fremantle Sailing Club
This is one of Perth's most significant berth distinctions.
Fremantle Sailing Club is one of the relatively limited WA marina options offering a formal liveaboard pathway.
Its current liveaboard page states that the program is at capacity, so the existence of a policy should not be confused with immediate availability.
The published arrangement includes the ability to reside permanently aboard, permanent power connection and water access.
The page lists a liveaboard charge of approximately:
$214 per month
plus a:
$440 one-off power connection fee
but explicitly notes that the price shown is current as of April 2025, so it should be treated as an indicative historical benchmark rather than assumed to be the present quote.
This is nevertheless significant.
Someone searching for:
- Perth liveaboard marina
- Fremantle liveaboard berth
- liveaboard yacht Perth
- permanent liveaboard Western Australia
should put Fremantle Sailing Club high on the investigation list, but should not buy a yacht assuming a liveaboard position is immediately available.
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Visiting Fremantle Sailing Club by Yacht
Fremantle Sailing Club currently allows non-member visiting vessels to stay for up to 90 days per year.
It accepts yachts, motor vessels and multihulls up to approximately 25 metres under its visiting-vessel program.
Current published daily pricing is:
| Season | Member monohull | Member multihull | Non-member monohull | Non-member multihull |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March to October | $45 | $59 | $59 | $77 |
| November to February | $59 | $77 | $77 | $100 |
For vessels over 15 metres, an additional $5 per metre is published.
The club also functions as a sea port of entry, with Australian Border Force and Biosecurity arrangements for international arrivals.
For an offshore yacht arriving from Indonesia, Christmas Island or elsewhere internationally, this can be highly relevant.
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Royal Perth Yacht Club Fremantle Annexe
Royal Perth Yacht Club operates both:
Crawley on the Swan River
and
a Fremantle Annexe on the ocean side.
For cruising yachts, the distinction is essential.
The Fremantle Annexe currently provides approximately 96 wet berths for vessels roughly 10 to 27 metres long.
Facilities include:
- 24-hour marina access
- Water
- Shore power
- Hardstand areas
- Cranes
- Dinghy facilities
- Tender storage
The annexe gives RPYC members an ocean-side sailing base without the mast-clearance problem of the upper Swan River.
For someone who wants both serious yacht-club culture and direct offshore access, it is one of the strongest alternatives to Fremantle Sailing Club.
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Casual Berthing at RPYC Fremantle
RPYC's published casual berthing policy allows visiting vessels subject to availability and club approval.
Non-member and reciprocal-club vessels may be accepted for short stays.
Published requirements include proof of insurance with at least $10 million public liability cover for applicable visitors.
Visiting non-members are generally limited to around 30 days in a calendar year under the published policy.
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Port Coogee Marina
Port Coogee has become one of Perth's most important modern recreational marinas.
It is approximately 5.5 kilometres south of Fremantle, directly on Cockburn Sound and Owen Anchorage.
Most importantly for sailors:
it has direct ocean access.
The marina currently has 231 floating berths.
Facilities include:
- Floating walkways
- Shared finger jetties
- Metered shore power
- Fresh water
- Wi-Fi
- Dock trolleys
- Swipe-card security
- Shops
- Cafes
- Restaurants
- Short-stay berthing
For a cruising yacht owner who does not need the full yacht-club environment of Fremantle Sailing Club, Port Coogee is exceptionally attractive.
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Port Coogee Berth Availability
This is where the Perth berth shortage becomes visible.
As of August 2026, Port Coogee states that most of its waitlists are temporarily closed because of the number of existing applicants.
The marina is currently accepting expressions of interest only for certain categories including:
- Jet ski storage
- 18 m × 5.7 m pens
- 20 m × 5.7 m pens
with other waitlists temporarily closed.
That has an important implication for yacht buyers:
Do not buy a yacht first and investigate the berth second.
A 45-foot sailing yacht may be easy to buy.
A suitable long-term berth in the preferred Perth marina may be much harder to obtain.
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Port Coogee Marina Berth Prices
The City of Cockburn has already published the Port Coogee schedule effective 1 September 2026.
That schedule provides a particularly useful picture of Perth marina economics.
Standard double pens
| Pen size | Annual fee from 1 Sep 2026 | Short stay/day | Short stay/week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 × 3.4 m | $5,993 | $80 | $240 |
| 10 × 4 m | $7,545 | $80 | $302 |
| 12 × 4.4 m | $9,098 | $80 | $364 |
| 15 × 5 m | $11,790 | $90 | $472 |
| 16 × 5.2 m | $12,784 | $90 | $511 |
| 18 × 5.7 m | $14,700 | $100 | $588 |
| 20 × 5.7 m | $16,519 | $100 | $661 |
| 23 × 6.5 m | $20,824 | $100 | $833 |
| 25 × 7 m | $23,916 | $100 | $957 |
| 30 × 7.6 m | $30,343 | $100 | $1,214 |
Single pens
| Pen size | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| 20 × 6.9 m | $19,429 |
| 23 × 8 m | $25,007 |
These rates show an important point.
A 50-foot cruising yacht using a 16 metre pen is not necessarily dramatically more expensive to berth than it would be at some premium east-coast marinas.
The harder issue may be obtaining the berth.
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Port Coogee Catamaran Berths
Port Coogee is particularly valuable because it publishes dedicated catamaran pens.
From 1 September 2026:
| Catamaran pen | Annual fee | Day | Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 × 7 m | $12,881 | $100 | $515 |
| 12 × 7.5 m | $13,609 | $100 | $544 |
| 15 × 7.5 m | $16,337 | $100 | $653 |
| 15 × 8.5 m | $18,156 | $100 | $726 |
| 18 × 9.8 m | $24,086 | $100 | $963 |
This is extremely useful for anyone considering a cruising catamaran in Perth.
A conventional 42-foot catamaran may require approximately:
13 m LOA × 7 m beam.
A 45 to 46-foot cat may require:
14 m × 7.5 to 8 m.
Port Coogee therefore provides real multihull infrastructure rather than simply saying that cats are accepted "subject to availability."
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Port Coogee Depth
Port Coogee is also relevant for deeper monohulls.
The marina publishes depths of at least approximately 2.5 metres plus tide through most pens, with many areas deeper.
A performance yacht drawing:
2.4 metres
may therefore be workable, but the exact allocated pen and access route must be confirmed.
A boat drawing:
2.7 or 2.8 metres
should obtain specific written confirmation rather than relying on general marina depth.
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Can You Live Aboard at Port Coogee?
No permanent liveaboard arrangement should be assumed.
Port Coogee states that permanent liveaboards are not allowed.
Berth holders may stay aboard only on a limited basis, currently up to approximately 20 nights per year.
This is a major contrast with Fremantle Sailing Club.
A berth can be excellent for:
- Weekend sailing
- Cruising preparation
- Occasional overnight stays
- Boat maintenance
without being legally or contractually usable as a residence.
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Hillarys Boat Harbour
For yacht owners living in Perth's northern suburbs, Hillarys is one of the most logical ocean-access bases.
Hillarys Boat Harbour currently publishes approximately:
410 boat pens
ranging from:
10 to 33 metres.
The harbour includes:
- Two 12 m catamaran pens
- One 15 m catamaran pen
- 25 alongside berths
- Single-phase power
- 3-phase power in selected areas
- CCTV
- Fresh water
- Lighting
- Nearby toilets and showers
This is substantial marina infrastructure.
However, note the catamaran numbers.
Three specifically identified CAT pens across a 410-pen harbour immediately demonstrate why a catamaran owner should not assume that "large marina" means "easy multihull berth."
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Hillarys Boat Harbour Berth Prices
Transport WA's current 2026/27 schedule publishes berth charges by metre.
For fixed or floating pens with walkways, charges are calculated using pen length.
For alongside berths, they are calculated using vessel length.
Current rates include:
| Term | Rate per metre |
|---|---|
| 12 months | $758 |
| 3 months or more, per month | $69.15 |
| 1 month | $113.70 |
| 1 week | $34.10 |
Electricity and water are metered separately.
This produces approximate annual examples of:
12 metres
12 × $758 = $9,096
15 metres
15 × $758 = $11,370
18 metres
18 × $758 = $13,644
20 metres
20 × $758 = $15,160
These figures are useful benchmarks, but actual berth availability still needs to be confirmed with Transport WA.
The department explicitly notes that vessel accommodation is in high demand.
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Hillarys Yacht Club
Inside the broader Hillarys Boat Harbour is Hillarys Yacht Club.
Its current membership material describes approximately 272 club pens ranging from 8 to 21 metres.
Options include:
- Annual club rental pens
- Long-term leases
- Member subleases
Annual rentals generally operate around the club's May-to-April marina cycle.
The club model differs from simply renting a government-operated pen because:
- Membership conditions apply
- Pen occupancy conditions apply
- Insurance is required
- Vessel registration is required
- Safety compliance is required
- Gas and electrical compliance may be required
- Club approval is required
The current pen-rental terms specifically require registration, insurance and applicable compliance documentation.
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Hillarys for a Sailing Yacht
Hillarys can make particularly good sense for:
- Joondalup residents
- Northern Perth owners
- Weekend Rottnest sailing
- Coastal sailing north
- Owners who want yacht-club facilities
- Owners who do not want to drive to Fremantle every weekend
Rottnest lies roughly 22 kilometres offshore from Hillarys, making it a realistic weekend sailing destination.
The trade-off is that Fremantle and Cockburn Sound are farther south.
So marina selection should reflect where you intend to sail most often.
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The Marina Mindarie
Mindarie provides another major northern Perth ocean marina.
Its current published marina information advertises fully serviced:
- 10 m berths
- 12 m berths
- 15 m berths
- 18 m berths
- 20 m berths
- Catamaran berths
along with:
- Secure gated access
- Casual berthing
- Boat ramp
- Diesel
- Premium unleaded
- Toilets
- Showers
- Laundry
- Hospitality facilities
- Wi-Fi
For an owner living well north of central Perth, this can dramatically reduce the land-side inconvenience of yacht ownership.
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Mindarie Berth Pricing
The marina currently publishes multi-term pricing for standard-beam vessels.
Its longer-term structure rewards longer commitments.
Indicative current published annual figures are approximately:
| Pen length | 12-month fee |
|---|---|
| 10 m | $6,715 |
| 12 m | $7,610 |
| 15 m | $8,950 |
| 18 m | $10,325 |
| 20 m | $12,400 |
Longer two, three and five-year arrangements are also published.
Casual boardwalk berthing currently starts at roughly:
| Pen | Boardwalk/night |
|---|---|
| 10 m | $67 |
| 12 m | $72 |
| 15 m | $82 |
| 18 m | $117 |
| 20 m | $162 |
The marina specifically advertises catamaran berths but does not provide enough detail on the indexed page to assume that the standard-beam tariff applies to a wide multihull.
For a catamaran, obtain a direct quote using exact beam.
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Future Ocean Reef Marina
Ocean Reef is important to the future northern Perth berth market.
However, it should not be treated as if the completed future marina already exists in its final operating form.
DevelopmentWA continues to describe Ocean Reef Marina as a developing waterfront precinct, and marine works and access changes remain active through 2026.
For sailors evaluating Perth berth availability today, Ocean Reef is therefore better regarded as:
future marina supply and infrastructure
rather than a substitute for a currently confirmed permanent berth.
This is worth monitoring because northern Perth has substantial recreational boating demand and limited dedicated sailing-catamaran capacity.
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Royal Perth Yacht Club Crawley
RPYC Crawley is one of Australia's great river yacht-club facilities.
It currently publishes around 361 berths, with vessels up to approximately 28 metres accommodated.
Facilities include:
- Floating and fixed berths
- Water
- Shore power
- 24-hour marina access
- Hardstand
- Club facilities
For Swan River sailing, it is superb.
For an ocean-going mast-up cruiser, however, the bridge question dominates.
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Swan River Berth vs Ocean Marina
This distinction deserves its own section because it can prevent a very expensive mistake.
Imagine buying a 45-foot yacht with:
- LOA: 13.8 m
- Beam: 4.4 m
- Draft: 2.2 m
- Air draft: 20 m
You find a beautiful berth near Crawley.
Length fits.
Beam fits.
Draft fits.
The yacht still cannot navigate there from the Indian Ocean with the rig standing.
The relevant number is:
20 m air draft.
Current bridge works in Fremantle have temporarily reduced navigable clearances in some channels to less than nine metres.
Even normal bridge clearances remain nowhere near the air draft of a conventional offshore yacht.
For sailing yachts, always send the marina:
LOA + beam + draft + displacement + air draft.
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Perth's Fremantle Doctor
Perth has another feature that should influence berth selection:
the Fremantle Doctor.
The Bureau of Meteorology describes the Fremantle Doctor as Perth's characteristic afternoon sea breeze.
Summer days often begin with offshore or easterly winds before a south-westerly sea breeze establishes during the afternoon.
For yacht owners, this matters because marina approach and departure can occur in very different conditions depending on the time of day.
A summer sailing pattern may become:
morning departure + building afternoon breeze + stronger return sail.
This can be fantastic sailing.
It also means berth characteristics matter.
Ask about:
- Crosswind entering the pen
- Fairway width
- Downwind versus upwind berth
- Finger length
- Pile position
- Ability to reverse in
- Prop walk
- Neighbouring vessels
- Fender clearance
A marina berth that is effortless at 8 am can feel completely different in 25 knots at 4 pm.
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Perth Winter Sailing Conditions
Perth does not have the tropical cyclone problem faced by North Queensland.
Its major seasonal issue is different.
Winter brings:
- Strong cold fronts
- Westerly weather
- Larger Indian Ocean swell
- Rain
- Squalls
- Strong winds
The offshore wave climate around Perth and Rottnest is heavily influenced by Southern Ocean swell and tends to become more energetic during winter.
This changes the berth-selection question from:
"What is the cyclone plan?"
to:
"How protected is the marina entrance and berth during strong winter westerlies and large swell?"
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Rottnest Island Changes the Value of a Perth Marina Berth
Rottnest is central to Perth yacht ownership.
A yacht in Fremantle does not need to undertake a major coastal voyage to find a cruising destination.
It can sail offshore to Rottnest.
For many owners, that makes the permanent berth a base for a repeating pattern:
marina + Rottnest + marina
or:
marina + Rottnest + Garden Island + Cockburn Sound + marina.
This is similar to the way an island-rich cruising region changes marina economics.
You are not paying only to store the yacht.
You are paying to have the yacht positioned close to somewhere worth sailing.
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Rottnest Island Yacht Moorings
Rottnest provides both jetty pens and swing moorings.
Current infrastructure includes:
Thomson Bay
- 33 swing moorings
- Vessels from approximately 8 to 40 metres
Geordie Bay
- Four swing moorings
- Approximately 8 to 14 metre vessels
Longreach Bay
- Four swing moorings
- Approximately 8 to 14 metre vessels
Thomson Bay's Fuel Jetty also provides:
- Two smaller pens up to 7.5 m
- 10 larger pens for vessels around 12 to 16 m
- Several additional yacht-sized pens
Rottnest bookings can generally be made up to 100 days ahead.
Fuel and potable water are available at Thomson Bay, with water also available at Geordie Bay.
For a Perth sailor, these facilities greatly expand what the permanent marina berth allows you to do.
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Marina Berth vs Rottnest Mooring
A Rottnest mooring is not a substitute for a metropolitan permanent berth.
It serves a completely different purpose.
A practical ownership pattern is:
Perth marina → sail to Rottnest → use booked mooring → cruise island → return to permanent marina
The permanent marina provides:
- Security
- Power
- Water
- Parking
- Maintenance
- Storage
- Contractors
- Provisioning
Rottnest provides:
- Destination
- Overnight stop
- Island access
- Swimming
- Cruising
This distinction makes proximity to Rottnest a meaningful part of berth value.
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Garden Island and Cockburn Sound
For yachts based south of central Perth, Cockburn Sound adds another major sailing area.
A Fremantle or Port Coogee berth provides relatively direct access toward:
- Garden Island
- Carnac Island
- Rockingham
- Owen Anchorage
- Cockburn Sound
This is one reason Port Coogee can be more strategically attractive to a cruising sailor than its distance from central Perth might initially suggest.
The marina is not merely "south of Perth."
It is positioned directly beside one of Perth's core protected-water sailing areas.
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Marina Berths for Sailing Catamarans in Perth
Catamaran owners need to approach Perth berth shopping differently from monohull owners.
A normal 42-foot cruising cat might be:
LOA: 12.8 m Beam: 7.0 m Draft: 1.2 m
A comparable 42-foot monohull might be:
LOA: 12.8 m Beam: 4.1 m Draft: 2.1 m
The catamaran wins dramatically on draft.
It loses dramatically on berth width.
That affects:
- Berth availability
- Annual price
- Fairway manoeuvring
- Haul-out
- Hardstand
- Lift width
- Marina choice
Port Coogee is particularly important because it publishes a dedicated range of catamaran pens up to 18 × 9.8 metres.
Hillarys Boat Harbour, despite having hundreds of berths, currently identifies only a small number of specific CAT pens.
Mindarie states that catamaran berths are available but exact dimensions and tariffs should be obtained directly.
Fremantle can accommodate visiting multihulls, but haul-out width becomes a separate constraint.
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Typical Perth Catamaran Dimensions
| Catamaran size | Typical LOA | Typical beam |
|---|---|---|
| 38 ft | 11.5 to 12 m | 6.3 to 6.7 m |
| 40 ft | 12 to 12.5 m | 6.5 to 7 m |
| 42 ft | 12.5 to 13 m | 6.8 to 7.3 m |
| 45 ft | 13.5 to 14 m | 7.2 to 7.7 m |
| 46 ft | 14 to 14.5 m | 7.5 to 8 m |
| 50 ft | 15 to 15.5 m | around 8 m |
| 52 ft | around 16 m | 8 to 8.5 m |
These are indicative ranges only.
The marina needs the yacht's exact dimensions.
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Never Enquire About a Perth Catamaran Berth by Length Alone
Do not send:
"I need a berth for a 45-foot yacht."
Send:
Vessel: sailing catamaran LOA: 13.85 m Maximum beam: 7.55 m Draft: 1.3 m Air draft: 22 m Displacement: 13.5 t
Then ask:
1. What is the clear pen width? 2. Is that width measured between piles? 3. Does it allow fenders? 4. What is the fairway width? 5. Is the berth permanent? 6. What is the annual multihull tariff? 7. What shore power is available? 8. Where can the catamaran be hauled? 9. What is the maximum haul-out beam? 10. What is the maximum haul-out weight?
---
Catamaran Haul-Out in Perth
This can become more difficult than finding the berth itself.
Fremantle Sailing Club's travel lifts are rated to:
- 50 tonnes
- 75 tonnes
but publish a maximum vessel width of approximately:
6 metres.
That excludes many cruising cats.
A Lagoon 42 may weigh nowhere near 50 tonnes.
Weight is not the problem.
Beam is.
For multihull ownership, your berth investigation therefore needs a second parallel investigation:
Where will I lift this boat every one or two years?
Check:
- Lift beam
- Lift capacity
- Haul-out geometry
- Yard access
- Hardstand width
- Antifouling facilities
- Saildrive servicing
- Rudder clearance
- Crane access
- Contractor rules
Do this before buying the cat.
---
Deep-Draft Sailing Yachts in Perth
Performance monohulls have the opposite problem.
Their beam is manageable.
Their keel may not be.
A performance cruiser may draw:
- 2.2 m
- 2.4 m
- 2.5 m
- 2.7 m
- 3.0 m
Ask every marina:
- Entrance depth
- Fairway depth
- Pen depth
- Tidal datum
- Minimum depth
- Dredging schedule
- Siltation history
Port Coogee's published statement that most pens have at least approximately 2.5 metres plus tide is useful, but it is not permission for a 2.8 metre yacht to enter without checking the exact berth.
---
Air Draft Is a Perth-Specific Yacht-Berth Measurement
Most Australian berth enquiries focus on:
LOA + beam + draft.
In Perth, sailing yachts considering the Swan River should also place:
air draft
at the top of the enquiry.
Current Fremantle bridge restrictions provide a strong reminder of why.
A yacht with:
22 m mast height
cannot use an:
8 m bridge opening.
No amount of available berth depth or width changes that.
---
Marina Berths for a 35 to 40 Foot Sailing Yacht
This is one of Perth's easiest conventional yacht sizes.
Typical dimensions:
- LOA: 10.5 to 12.2 m
- Beam: 3.4 to 4.0 m
- Draft: 1.7 to 2.2 m
- Air draft: 15 to 18 m
Potential ocean-side options include:
- Fremantle Sailing Club
- RPYC Fremantle Annexe
- Port Coogee
- Hillarys
- Mindarie
At this size, the key questions are:
- Availability
- Location
- Price
- Membership
- Maintenance
- Rottnest access
- Distance from home
- Liveaboard policy
---
Marina Berths for a 45-Foot Sailing Yacht
A typical 45-footer may be:
- LOA: 13.5 to 14.2 m
- Beam: 4.2 to 4.6 m
- Draft: 2.0 to 2.4 m
- Displacement: 10 to 15 tonnes
- Air draft: 18 to 21 m
This is still a very manageable size for major Perth ocean marinas.
Port Coogee's 15 metre category, for example, has a published annual fee of $11,790 from 1 September 2026, although berth availability is currently the larger obstacle.
Fremantle Sailing Club also has extensive infrastructure in this size range.
For a 45-foot cruiser, Perth remains a relatively practical marina market physically.
Supply is the more serious issue.
---
Marina Berths for a 50-Foot Sailing Yacht
Typical dimensions:
- LOA: 15 to 16 m
- Beam: 4.5 to 4.9 m
- Draft: 2.2 to 2.6 m
- Displacement: 14 to 20 tonnes
- Air draft: 20 to 23 m
At this size, consider:
- True LOA including anchor roller
- Stern davits
- Tender
- Bowsprit
- Draft
- Shore-power requirements
- Fairway width
- Haul-out
- Insurance
- Contractor access
Port Coogee publishes 16 metre pens at $12,784 per year from 1 September 2026.
Fremantle Sailing Club's infrastructure also comfortably enters this category.
---
Marina Berths for a 55-Foot Sailing Yacht
A 55-foot cruiser might measure:
- LOA: 16.5 to 17.5 m
- Beam: 4.7 to 5.2 m
- Draft: 2.3 to 2.8 m
- Displacement: 18 to 25 tonnes
- Air draft: 22 to 25 m
Now actual berth availability becomes much more important.
Fremantle Sailing Club publishes pens extending well beyond this size.
Port Coogee has 18 m, 20 m and larger pens.
Hillarys publishes pens extending to 33 metres overall.
RPYC Fremantle Annexe also accommodates yachts into this size range.
The question becomes:
Which marina actually has a suitable pen available now?
---
Marina Berths for 60-Foot-Plus Sailing Yachts
Once a sailing yacht exceeds approximately 18 metres, berth choice narrows.
The marina must accommodate:
- LOA
- Large beam
- Deep draft
- High windage
- Heavy displacement
- Larger shore-power demand
- More complex haul-out
- Large turning radius
Fremantle Sailing Club is particularly relevant because it publishes wet pens extending to approximately 45 metres.
Port Coogee publishes pens as large as 30 metres.
Hillarys publishes overall pen lengths to approximately 33 metres.
For a 60 to 70-foot sailing yacht, however, never rely solely on published maximum LOA.
Confirm:
- Actual available pen
- Clear berth width
- Minimum depth
- Fairway
- Shore power
- Harbour-master approval
- Insurance requirements
- Haul-out
- Emergency procedures
---
Marina Berths for a 40 to 45 Foot Catamaran
This is a particularly important Perth category.
A typical vessel might be:
- LOA: 12 to 14 m
- Beam: 6.5 to 7.7 m
- Draft: 1.2 to 1.5 m
Port Coogee should be high on the enquiry list because it specifically publishes pens including:
- 12 × 7 m
- 12 × 7.5 m
- 15 × 7.5 m
- 15 × 8.5 m
Mindarie also advertises catamaran berthing.
Fremantle is relevant, especially for cruising and visiting multihulls, but haul-out must be investigated separately.
Hillarys has limited specifically identified catamaran pen supply.
---
Marina Berths for a 45 to 50 Foot Catamaran
Now berth width becomes much more restrictive.
A large cruising cat may require:
7.5 to 8.5 metres clear beam.
Port Coogee's published 15 × 8.5 m and 18 × 9.8 m categories become particularly relevant.
Before purchasing a large cat for Perth, obtain written answers to:
1. Is a suitable multihull berth actually available? 2. Can it be occupied year-round? 3. What is the exact annual fee? 4. Is power available? 5. Can the yacht remain occupied overnight? 6. Where can it be hauled out? 7. What is the haul-out beam limit? 8. Can the boatyard support saildrives? 9. Is there room for mast work? 10. What is the waiting-list position?
For a large catamaran, the berth may be a more difficult acquisition than the yacht.
---
Marina Security in Perth
A yacht may spend far more time unattended than being sailed.
Investigate:
- Swipe-card gates
- CCTV
- Night security
- Harbour staff
- Dock patrols
- Lighting
- Public access
- Parking security
- Contractor access
- Emergency contacts
Port Coogee publishes swipe-card marina access, while Fremantle Sailing Club maintains a highly developed club and harbour-management environment.
This becomes especially important for yachts carrying:
- Chartplotters
- Radar
- Starlink
- Lithium systems
- Tender
- Outboard
- Dive gear
- Watermaker
- Expensive sails
- Electronics
---
Insurance for Perth Marina Berths
Marinas and yacht clubs commonly require substantial public-liability insurance.
RPYC's visiting-vessel policy, for example, publishes a requirement around $10 million public liability for relevant visiting boats.
Your insurer also needs to know:
- Permanent marina location
- Yacht value
- Mooring type
- Cruising area
- Racing use
- Liveaboard use
- Offshore use
- Single-handed use if applicable
- International passages if applicable
Do not assume a policy covering:
Perth coastal sailing
automatically covers:
Geraldton + Abrolhos + Exmouth + Indonesia.
---
Liveaboard Marina Berths in Perth
Liveaboard policy varies dramatically.
Fremantle Sailing Club
Formal permanent liveaboard arrangements exist, although the program is currently described as being at capacity.
Port Coogee
Permanent liveaboard use is not permitted.
Overnight stays are limited.
Other Perth marinas
Do not infer permission simply because:
- Toilets exist
- Showers exist
- Power exists
- Laundry exists
- People sleep aboard occasionally
Ask specifically:
"Can this berth legally and contractually be used as my principal residence?"
Then ask:
- Is approval required?
- Is there a waiting list?
- Is there an additional fee?
- How many occupants?
- Can guests stay?
- Is permanent shore power required?
- Are there fire-safety inspections?
- Is gas certification required?
- Can mail be received?
- Are generators prohibited?
- Are pets permitted?
- Is parking included?
Get the answer in writing.
---
Perth Marina Berths for Racing Yachts
Perth has strong sailing-club culture.
A racing yacht has different berth priorities from a cruising cat.
Prioritise:
1. Racing program 2. Club affiliation 3. Crew access 4. Sailmaker 5. Rigger 6. Haul-out 7. Hardstand 8. Sail storage 9. Race-course location 10. Ability to move the boat easily
For offshore racing, Fremantle-based clubs have an obvious geographic advantage.
For Swan River racing, an upper-river club may make much more sense, provided the yacht will remain river-based or has a rig compatible with access constraints.
---
Best Perth Berth for a Cruising Monohull
For a conventional 40 to 55-foot offshore cruiser, the strongest areas to investigate are:
Fremantle Sailing Club
Best for:
- Full-service infrastructure
- Offshore access
- Marine trades
- Haul-out
- Long-term ownership
- Liveaboard potential
- Large yachts
RPYC Fremantle Annexe
Best for:
- Yacht-club environment
- Offshore access
- RPYC sailors
- Racing and cruising
Port Coogee
Best for:
- Modern marina
- Cockburn Sound access
- Strong berth dimensions
- Catamaran options
- Owners who do not need a major yacht-club social environment
Hillarys
Best for:
- Northern Perth
- Rottnest access
- Club sailing
- Owners who want to avoid Fremantle travel
Mindarie
Best for:
- Far northern suburbs
- Long-term standard-beam berthing
- Direct ocean access
- Local convenience
---
Best Perth Berth for a Cruising Catamaran
Start with actual width availability.
Not marina prestige.
The enquiry order should be:
1. Maximum permitted beam 2. Clear berth width 3. Available multihull pen 4. LOA 5. Annual tariff 6. Fairway width 7. Shore power 8. Overnight-use rules 9. Haul-out facility 10. Maximum lift width
Port Coogee stands out because its published infrastructure explicitly includes multihull pens up to 9.8 metres wide.
For a larger catamaran, that is more meaningful than a marina advertising 500 total pens without specifying multihull dimensions.
---
Best Perth Berth for a Liveaboard Yacht
The first place to investigate is Fremantle Sailing Club because it publishes an actual permanent liveaboard program.
However:
the program is currently at capacity.
That means the correct process is:
secure liveaboard approval first
then
make financial decisions around living aboard.
Do not purchase a yacht based on the assumption that marina residence will become available automatically.
---
Best Perth Marina for Rottnest Sailing
The practical candidates include:
- Fremantle
- Hillarys
- Mindarie
- Port Coogee
Fremantle is geographically the classic departure point, with Rottnest around 19 kilometres offshore.
Hillarys is also close, at roughly 22 kilometres.
Port Coogee adds several miles to the Rottnest passage but offers excellent access to Cockburn Sound and Garden Island.
Mindarie suits northern residents but makes southern cruising progressively farther away.
The best choice therefore depends on whether your normal weekend is:
Rottnest
or:
Cockburn Sound + Garden Island + Rottnest
or:
north-coast sailing.
---
Best Perth Base for Cruising North
For a yacht preparing to cruise toward:
- Two Rocks
- Lancelin
- Jurien Bay
- Geraldton
- Houtman Abrolhos
- Shark Bay
- Carnarvon
- Coral Bay
- Exmouth
- Broome
the berth should support serious passage preparation.
Prioritise:
- Diesel
- Water
- Marine electrician
- Rigger
- Sailmaker
- Diesel mechanic
- Chandlery
- Refrigeration
- Electronics
- Battery work
- Rig inspection
- Liferaft servicing
- Provisioning
- Freight
- Secure parking
Fremantle's concentration of marine services gives it an obvious advantage here.
---
Best Perth Base for Cruising South
A yacht cruising toward:
- Mandurah
- Bunbury
- Busselton
- Dunsborough
- Geographe Bay
- Augusta
- Albany
- Esperance
benefits from a southern metropolitan starting point.
Fremantle and Port Coogee are particularly logical because they already sit south of central Perth.
Port Coogee's location on Cockburn Sound can provide a useful first stage before moving farther south.
---
Haul-Out and Marine Maintenance
Every permanent berth decision should include the question:
Where does the yacht come out of the water?
Typical maintenance includes:
- Antifouling
- Propeller inspection
- PropSpeed
- Shaft work
- Saildrive servicing
- Through-hull replacement
- Seacock replacement
- Rudder inspection
- Anodes
- Hull polishing
- Osmosis inspection
- Structural inspection
- Survey
Fremantle Sailing Club's 50 and 75 tonne travel lifts are a major asset for monohulls.
For large catamarans, investigate wider specialist infrastructure elsewhere because lift beam, not lift weight, may be the limiting factor.
---
Sailmakers, Riggers and Marine Trades
Perth and Fremantle have a substantial marine industry.
A cruising yacht will eventually need:
- Rigger
- Sailmaker
- Diesel mechanic
- Marine electrician
- Electronics technician
- Refrigeration technician
- Fibreglass specialist
- Shipwright
- Stainless fabricator
- Surveyor
- Upholsterer
- Watermaker technician
- Battery specialist
Fremantle Sailing Club alone promotes access to more than 120 marine trade professionals through its boatyard environment.
For a yacht undergoing a major refit, access to contractors can save more money and time than choosing the absolute cheapest berth.
Search Perth marine services on YouSail
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What Should You Send When Enquiring About a Perth Marina Berth?
Yacht details
- Vessel name
- Manufacturer
- Model
- Year
- Monohull or catamaran
- Exact LOA
- Maximum beam
- Draft
- Air draft
- Displacement
- Mast height
- Hull material
Insurance
- Insurer
- Certificate of currency
- Public-liability limit
- Comprehensive cover
Berthing
- Required start date
- Expected duration
- Permanent or short-term
- Shore-power requirement
- Number of occupants
- Overnight-use requirement
- Liveaboard requirement
Catamarans
Put the beam prominently near the top of the enquiry.
Swan River berths
Put the air draft prominently near the top of the enquiry.
---
Perth Marina Berth Inspection Checklist
Yacht fit
- Confirm actual LOA
- Include anchor roller
- Include bowsprit
- Include stern platform
- Include davits
- Include tender if it remains on davits
- Confirm maximum beam
- Confirm draft
- Confirm displacement
- Confirm air draft
Berth
- Pen length
- Maximum permitted LOA
- Clear width
- Finger length
- Pile location
- Fender clearance
- Fairway width
- Fairway depth
- Minimum berth depth
- Crosswind exposure
- Afternoon sea-breeze exposure
Power
- Shore-power connection
- 15A
- 32A
- 3-phase if required
- Metered electricity
- Permanent-power rules
Facilities
- Fresh water
- Toilets
- Showers
- Laundry
- Wi-Fi
- Pump-out
- Waste disposal
- Fuel
- Gas
- Dock trolley
Security
- Gate access
- CCTV
- Night patrol
- Harbour staff
- Public access
- Secure parking
- Contractor access
Maintenance
- Travel lift
- Maximum weight
- Maximum beam
- Hardstand
- Rigger
- Sailmaker
- Marine electrician
- Diesel mechanic
- Shipwright
- Chandlery
Living aboard
- Overnight stays permitted
- Maximum nights per year
- Permanent liveaboard permitted
- Separate approval required
- Waiting list
- Additional fee
- Permanent shore power
- Guest rules
Cruising access
- Direct ocean access
- Bridge clearance
- Rottnest access
- Cockburn Sound access
- Garden Island access
---
Questions to Ask Before Signing a Perth Berth Agreement
1. What is the exact pen length? 2. What is the maximum permitted vessel LOA? 3. Does LOA include the anchor roller? 4. Does it include davits? 5. What is the clear pen width? 6. What is the maximum permitted beam? 7. What is the minimum berth depth? 8. What tidal datum is used? 9. What is the fairway width? 10. What is the fairway depth? 11. What shore power is available? 12. Is electricity metered? 13. Is water included? 14. What insurance is required? 15. Is club membership required? 16. What additional levies apply? 17. Is parking included? 18.
Is parking secure? 19. Can contractors access the yacht? 20. Is there a travel lift? 21. What is the lift's maximum weight? 22. What is the lift's maximum vessel beam? 23. Is there a hardstand? 24. Can I perform DIY work? 25. Can I choose my own contractor? 26. Is fuel available? 27. Is pump-out available? 28. Is Wi-Fi available? 29. Is short-term overnight use allowed? 30. How many nights per year? 31. Is permanent liveaboard use allowed? 32. Is there a liveaboard waiting list? 33. What is the liveaboard fee? 34. Can the marina accommodate a catamaran?
35. What dedicated catamaran pens exist? 36. What is the multihull tariff? 37. What is my position on the waiting list? 38. Can I sublease the berth? 39. Can I purchase a berth interest? 40. What is the minimum contract? 41. What termination notice is required? 42. Are annual increases indexed? 43. Are there separate service charges? 44. Does the yacht need safety inspection? 45. Does gas equipment require certification? 46. Does electrical equipment require certification? 47. Is the berth exposed to the Fremantle Doctor? 48.
What wind direction is most difficult for entering the pen? 49. Does the yacht need to pass under bridges? 50. What is the minimum available bridge clearance for my intended route?
---
Perth Marina Berth Search Terms
Main searches
- Marina berths Perth
- Yacht berths Perth
- Sailboat berth Perth
- Sailing yacht berth Perth
- Perth marina berth for rent
- Perth yacht marina
- Wet berth Perth
- Permanent boat berth Perth
Fremantle searches
- Marina berth Fremantle
- Yacht berth Fremantle
- Fremantle Sailing Club berth
- Fremantle yacht pen
- Liveaboard berth Fremantle
- Fremantle marina for sailing yacht
Catamaran searches
- Catamaran berth Perth
- Catamaran marina Perth
- Multihull berth Perth
- Wide marina berth Perth
- Lagoon berth Perth
- Fountaine Pajot berth Perth
- Bali catamaran berth Perth
- Catamaran berth Fremantle
- Port Coogee catamaran berth
Northern Perth
- Hillarys marina berth
- Hillarys yacht pen
- Hillarys Yacht Club berth
- Mindarie marina berth
- Mindarie catamaran berth
- Ocean Reef marina berth
Long-term
- Annual marina berth Perth
- Long-term yacht berth Perth
- Permanent yacht berth Fremantle
- Marina berth lease Perth
- Marina pen for sale Fremantle
Liveaboard
- Liveaboard marina Perth
- Liveaboard berth Fremantle
- Liveaboard yacht Perth
- Permanent liveaboard marina WA
Cruising
- Perth marina near Rottnest
- Marina for Rottnest sailing
- Perth offshore yacht marina
- Perth cruising yacht base
- Fremantle cruising yacht berth
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Frequently Asked Questions About Marina Berths in Perth
Where can I berth an offshore sailing yacht in Perth?
Major ocean-access options include Fremantle Sailing Club, RPYC Fremantle Annexe, Port Coogee, Hillarys and Mindarie.
What is the biggest sailing marina around Fremantle?
Fremantle Sailing Club currently publishes 674 wet pens ranging from around 10 to 45 metres.
Can I keep a 50-foot yacht in Perth?
Yes. Several metropolitan marinas have pens in the 15 to 16 metre range and above.
Actual availability is the issue that needs to be confirmed.
Can I keep a 60-foot yacht in Perth?
Potentially. Fremantle Sailing Club, Port Coogee and Hillarys all publish infrastructure that extends into this size range or larger.
Can I berth a catamaran in Perth?
Yes.
Port Coogee publishes a particularly useful range of dedicated catamaran pens up to 18 × 9.8 metres.
Is a catamaran berth more expensive?
Usually.
A multihull occupies much more marina width than an equivalent-length monohull.
Can I berth a Lagoon 42 in Perth?
Potentially, yes.
A Lagoon-sized 42-foot cat needs approximately seven metres of beam, so a dedicated multihull pen is required.
Port Coogee has published berth categories in this general range.
Can I live aboard my yacht in Perth?
Only at marinas where this is specifically permitted.
Fremantle Sailing Club publishes a permanent liveaboard program, although it is currently at capacity.
Port Coogee does not permit permanent liveaboards.
Can I keep an offshore yacht at Royal Perth Yacht Club Crawley?
The marina itself can accommodate substantial vessels, but a normal mast-up offshore sailing yacht cannot simply transit the low Fremantle bridge system.
Air draft must be considered.
How close is Rottnest Island to Perth marinas?
Rottnest is around 19 kilometres from Fremantle and around 22 kilometres from Hillarys.
Can I book a mooring at Rottnest?
Yes.
The Rottnest Island Authority provides bookable swing moorings and jetty pens, generally bookable up to 100 days in advance.
Does Rottnest accept large yachts?
Thomson Bay has swing moorings published for vessels from approximately 8 to 40 metres.
Is Fremantle Sailing Club suitable for major refits?
It has substantial refit infrastructure, two travel lifts rated at 50 and 75 tonnes and access to more than 120 marine trade professionals.
Can Fremantle Sailing Club haul a large catamaran?
Its published travel-lift vessel-width limit is approximately six metres, which excludes many modern cruising catamarans.
Is Port Coogee expensive?
From 1 September 2026, published annual prices range from around $7,545 for a 10 × 4 m pen to $16,519 for a 20 × 5.7 m conventional pen, with larger and specialist pens priced separately.
Is Hillarys suitable for a sailing catamaran?
Potentially, but dedicated multihull supply appears limited. Transport WA currently identifies two 12 m CAT pens and one 15 m CAT pen within the broader harbour.
Is Perth good for permanent yacht ownership?
Yes.
The combination of strong marine infrastructure, Rottnest, Cockburn Sound, Garden Island and direct Indian Ocean access makes Perth particularly attractive for sailors.
Berth availability can be the limiting factor.
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Perth Marina Comparison for Sailors
| Marina | Long-term berthing | Catamarans | Larger yachts | Ocean access | Liveaboard | Main strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fremantle Sailing Club | Yes | Yes, enquire by beam | Up to 45 m published | Direct | Formal program, currently capacity constrained | Full-service offshore sailing base |
| RPYC Fremantle Annexe | Yes | Enquire | Approx. 27 m | Direct | Check current policy | Yacht-club environment and ocean access |
| Port Coogee | Yes | Excellent published CAT pens | Up to 30 m published | Direct | No permanent liveaboard | Modern marina and multihull infrastructure |
| Hillarys Boat Harbour | Yes | Limited dedicated CAT pens | Up to 33 m pens | Direct | Check individual conditions | Northern Perth and Rottnest access |
| Hillarys Yacht Club | Yes | Enquire | Club pens to around 21 m | Direct | Check current rules | Club environment and long-term leasing |
| The Marina Mindarie | Yes | Advertised | Up to 20 m standard published | Direct | Check current policy | Northern-suburb convenience |
| RPYC Crawley | Yes | Enquire | Up to 28 m | Bridge restricted | Club rules apply | Swan River sailing |
| Ocean Reef Marina | Developing | Future potential | Future potential | Ocean | Not yet basis for assumption | Future northern marina supply |
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Fremantle Sailing Club vs Port Coogee
For many serious Perth cruising-yacht owners, this may be the most useful comparison.
Fremantle Sailing Club
Particularly strong for:
- Full marine-services ecosystem
- Boatyard
- 50 and 75 tonne lifts
- Rigging and sail work
- Offshore departure
- Racing
- Liveaboard potential
- International-arrival capability
- Large yacht infrastructure
- Yacht-club community
Port Coogee
Particularly strong for:
- Modern floating marina
- Dedicated catamaran berths
- Transparent published pricing
- Cockburn Sound
- Garden Island
- Secure marina environment
- Owners who do not require liveaboard status
For a 45-foot monohull, either can be compelling.
For a 45-foot catamaran, Port Coogee's dedicated wide pens become particularly attractive.
For a full-time liveaboard, Fremantle becomes much more relevant, subject to gaining actual approval.
For a major refit, Fremantle's boatyard gives it a substantial advantage.
---
Fremantle vs Hillarys
This decision can be largely geographical.
Fremantle
Better positioned for:
- Cockburn Sound
- Garden Island
- Carnac Island
- Southern cruising
- Marine trades
- Offshore racing
- Major refits
Hillarys
Better positioned for:
- Northern Perth owners
- Shorter drive from northern suburbs
- Rottnest trips
- Northern coastal sailing
- Hillarys Yacht Club activities
Both provide genuine ocean access.
The "best" marina may therefore be the one that encourages you to use the boat most frequently.
A technically superior berth 70 minutes from home may produce less sailing than a good berth 15 minutes away.
---
Fremantle vs Swan River
For a sailor, these are almost two different ownership models.
Fremantle
Best for:
offshore sailing
including:
- Rottnest
- Coastal passages
- Ocean racing
- Cruising
- Larger yachts
- Tall rigs
Swan River
Best for:
river sailing
including:
- Club racing
- Dinghies
- Sports boats
- Smaller keelboats
- River-based social sailing
The bridge system is what prevents these two markets from being interchangeable.
For a serious bluewater yacht, choose the ocean side unless you have a specific rig or operational plan that makes the bridges irrelevant.
---
The Bottom Line
A marina berth in Perth should be chosen according to the type of sailing you intend to do.
The first question is not:
"Which marina is closest to Perth?"
It is:
"Do I need direct access to the Indian Ocean?"
For most 40 to 60-foot cruising yachts, the answer is yes.
That immediately pushes the main search toward:
Fremantle + Port Coogee + Hillarys + Mindarie.
Fremantle Sailing Club provides the strongest all-round marine-service environment, with hundreds of pens, large-yacht capability, major boatyard infrastructure, visiting-yacht facilities and one of Perth's clearest formal liveaboard pathways.
RPYC Fremantle Annexe provides another serious yacht-club option with direct ocean access.
Port Coogee provides one of the clearest and most transparent modern marina offerings, particularly for catamarans, but current demand is so strong that most waitlists are temporarily closed.
Hillarys provides substantial northern Perth capacity, with more than 400 overall harbour pens and direct access toward Rottnest, although dedicated catamaran supply is comparatively limited.
Mindarie extends the marina market farther north and advertises long-term monohull and catamaran berthing.
Swan River clubs provide outstanding sailing infrastructure, but an offshore yacht owner must never confuse berth dimensions with yacht accessibility.
For a Swan River berth, add:
air draft
to every enquiry.
For a monohull berth, start with:
LOA + beam + draft + air draft + displacement.
For a catamaran, start with:
LOA + beam + haul-out beam + displacement.
Then compare:
availability + price + direct ocean access + Rottnest access + shore power + security + liveaboard policy + maintenance + haul-out + travel time from home.
And for Perth specifically, add two more considerations:
the Fremantle Doctor
and
the bridges.
The first determines what returning to your marina can feel like on a summer afternoon.
The second determines whether your yacht can reach the marina at all.
For an active cruising sailor, the ideal Perth ownership pattern can become:
marina + Rottnest + Cockburn Sound + Garden Island + Indian Ocean + marina + repeat.
That is what makes the right Perth marina berth much more than a place to park a yacht.