So you're planing a bareboating holiday in the Whitsundays but your questioning your level of experience? In Queensland there are no boating licence requirements and qualifications for charter hire however, your experience and boating know how is important to ensure everyone’s safety and enjoyment on board.
From initial enquiry with us, we will ask about your level of boating experience and help find a suitable vessel based on your answers and your other charter vessel requirements such as the number of people on the charter with you. Take the time to try our experience calculator and take our hints for increasing your experience level if it indicates a low score.
As part of our preparation with you, our qualified and experienced Bareboat Briefers will show you how your vessel operates, explaining the detailed workings of your particular vessel, plus some practical operations such as picking up a mooring, dropping and raising the anchor and hoisting, tacking and jibing sails if you have hired a sail boat. This not only gives us a visual indication of how confident you are, but that you can undertake these tasks safely. The briefing can take between 3 - 4 hours and commences at 8:30am on the day of departure.
As captain of your own craft you will have many decisions to make. If you feel apprehensive about your ability to handle your vessel why not take advantage of our Sail Guide hire? Even the most experienced skippers can find the first couple of days charter quite daunting and exhausting taking in the safe operation requirements of an unfamiliar vessel, whilst also training the crew (whether family or friends) to safely assist with boat handling. Take the stress out of learning new boat skills, get your crew up to speed and feel confident in your boat handling skills. Hiring a Sail Guide could be the perfect solution to exploring the Whitsundays under the guidance of a local, qualified mariner.
Our Sail Guides will:
Provide you with a wealth of knowledge and information about the beautiful Whitsundays
Give you the 'inside info' on all the best snorkel locations, best anchorages and maybe some tips on the best fishing locations
Familiarize you with the yacht, its systems and handling
Help with the sails and anchoring (every boat is unique)
Anchoring and mooring techniques
On board safety (man overboard etc)
Sailing tecniques
You can hire a Sail Guide for $200 ( up to +3 hours in addition to the brief), or $375 per day (a private cabin on board and food must be provided by you for the Sail Guide)
More often than not, charterers are confident after their briefing and are ready to set sail. After all, we are only a VHF radio call away if you need assistance with anything. Our experienced staff can talk you through any operational aspects of the boat you have hired.
Introductory Skipper and Navigation Course
Partnering with NAVatHOMEAustralia, the Fundamental Skipper and Navigation course is the perfect introduction to helming your own yacht around the Whitsundays. Covering basic navigation fundamentals and chartwork, tidal height calculations, use of on board safety equipment and weather systems, this online course can be used to prepare for your charter and later upgrade to a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) accredited Day Skipper and the perfect accompaniment to your bareboat charter.
Use '2023ccysailing' as the referral code and receive a 10% discount.
