Have you ever hired your own sailing boat for a few days? The sensation is awesome. It’s pure freedom, pure nature, and pure beauty. However, finding the necessary information – and an affordable vessel – isn’t always easy. I’ve been through that phase of planning a few sailing holidays in Australia and decided to share my findings and experience in this guide to bareboat charter in Australia. If you have tips of your own, please share them in the comments at the end!
Level of experience needed for hiring a bareboat charter in Australia
Although no license is required for sailing in Australia, it is obviously recommended to know a bit about what you’re doing when you plan sailing holidays with a bareboat charter.
There are many yacht clubs on the east coast where you can learn more about sailing. I used to join races on Sundays as a crew member to get acquainted with the sailing language and reflexes. Along with some reading, it’s an excellent start to understanding how things work. Then, go on a small adventure hiring a tiny boat on a lake or a river for a few hours: the basic principles are the same as for a big one on the open sea.
Most bareboat chartered companies in Australia will ask for proof of experience (we had to list our two skippers’ experiences for hiring the boat in the Whitsundays), others will just say that it is recommended (our experience for hiring a catamaran near Fraser Island). It depends on the agency you rent from and on the difficulties in the area.
No one in your group has sailing experience?
You may charter a boat with a skipper included if you have the budget. Otherwise, your best option could be to join a tour. Viator* has a selection of sailing tours along the Australian coast, click here to see it.
The best sailing holidays in Australia where you can go with a bareboat charter
“Best” is always biased. But these are the destinations in Australia that came back over and over again when I was looking for great places for sailing holidays in Australia:
1. The Whitsundays
Sailing the Whitsundays is very popular and has earned a spot on many Australia bucket lists.
2. The Great Sandy Strait
It’s a great opportunity to explore the less-visited side of K’gari (Fraser Island), the world’s largest sand island located in Queensland.
3. Sydney Harbour
Sailing near the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge with the CBD in the background is not how I imagine my sailing holidays. I prefer more natural areas. But quite quickly, we could reach less busy parts of the harbour as we left the city behind.
4. Moreton Bay (Stradbroke Island / Moreton Island)
Moreton Bay is our playground near Brisbane. Not far from the city, the bay gives access to a few stunning islands and great scuba diving spots. It’s a beautiful spot for sailing; you have many options according to the wind direction.
5. Tasmania
For the Hobart region (toward the D’Entrecasteaux Channel): February/March is the best season as the weather is unpredictable during summer.
For the other regions, I only found skippered charter boats or tours – which considerably increase the budget.
Other options for bareboat charters in Australia that I haven’t checked out: Pittwater and the Hawkesbury River (New South Wales), Melbourne (Port Phillip Bay), the Gold Coast’s Broadwater, Lake Macquarie, and Lady Musgrave.
Keep in mind that with a bareboat charter in Australia, you are restricted to smooth waters, and you cannot go offshore. You will need to choose a destination close to the mainland.
6. Gippsland Lakes
Although sailing Gippsland Lakes in Victoria is not the most amazing adventure if you’re after stunning landscapes, it’s an easy one to organise. First, it’s easy to organise: you can go there for the weekend (it’s four hours away from Melbourne) and there are supermarkets and pubs easy to access by boat if you haven’t had time to plan your trip. But it’s also protected and there aren’t many dangers to worry about. We even hired a bareboat that didn’t have a GPS for navigation.
How to find a bareboat charter in Australia
Google Search is always a good start. If you are looking to sail around popular destinations like the Whitsundays or Sydney Harbour, you will get relevant results straight away with the keywords “bareboat + destination”.
The ones we have used: Charter Yachts Australia in Airlie Beach, Fraser Escapes in Hervey Bay and Moreton Bay Holidays Afloat from Brisbane.
Fraser Escapes also has a boat available to sail all the way to Lady Musgrave from Hervey Bay. We haven’t done that expedition (yet!).
For Townsville / Magnetic Island, we found out the only local company that was offering charter services closed.
I was lucky to know people who owned a sailing boat when I was in Sydney, so I didn’t hire one down there. You can visit Sailcorp website for more information about the bareboat charters options they offer from Lavender Bay.
AnyBoat is in contact with many boat owners who rent their vessels. You can send an inquiry to [email protected] for more information. I have not used their service yet, but their team has always been helpful by email.
In Gippsland Lakes, we hired a boat from Riviera Nautic in Metung.
Budget to hire a boat for your sailing holidays in Australia
Renting your own boat is not cheap, but it’s not an untouchable dream. It mostly depends on the size of the vessel and its age. Some ships are very luxurious and expensive, but some others won’t cost more than a room with ocean views in a resort. I made some comparisons in my articles about sailing the Whitsundays and sailing K’gari (Fraser Island).
When you look at prices, don’t forget you will have to add the petrol on top of that, it’s often not included.
But if you have to hire the skipper with the boat, that’s another adventure (that I can’t afford to try!).
Did you organise sailing holidays in Australia? Share your experience in the comments below!
Responsible travel tip: Keep in mind that whatever you use on the boat may end up in the water. Limit your rubbish and choose products (soap, sunscreen…) that won’t negatively impact the environment.
Where can you sail a bareboat charter in Australia?
This list is non-exhaustive. It just includes the destinations I have identified during my research. If you’re aware of another destination where you can sail a bareboat charter in Australia, please let me know. I would love to add it to that list – and even test it myself!
Did you find this article about bareboat charters in Australia helpful? Add it to your Pinterest board:
We went sailing in the Whitsundays with Whitsunday Rent a Yacht and had the most amazing week. Kids loved snorkeling every day and exploring different beaches. We didn’t have much boating experience but they trained us up and we got the hang of things pretty quickly. Such a great family holiday!