Catamaran Charter Australia

Catamaran Charter Australia

With so much to enjoy in this huge country, a catamaran charter Australia can mean a host of things. You may wish to enjoy some winter sun in Sydney, a southern hemisphere winter escape to Hamilton Island, or have a blast at the resorts of the Gold Coast. Book your catamaran charter Australia with Borrow a Boat today!

Even just focussing on the east coast and ignoring the rugged coastline of Western Australia, desolate Northern Territory or lush Victoria, an Australia yacht charter will be an unforgettable experience. Let's focus on three areas - mainland Queensland, the Whitsundays and Sydney Harbour.

Queensland

Reaching from Thursday Island off North Queensland down to the Gold Coast, Queensland has plenty to offer as a charter destination.

To the south of Brisbane is the Gold Coast. With 44 miles of golden beaches, this is a surfer's paradise with beachside pubs, great water sports and a number of shoreside attractions from theme parks to fine dining.

Heading north past Brisbane you soon reach Moreton Bay. This is 330 square kilometres of excellent sailing and with 360 islands and a place you could visit time and again for years and never fully 'know' it. The more adventurous should head for Moreton Island, one of the larger sand islands locally, though on St Helena Island there is plenty to enjoy including excellent walking and a population of wallabies.

North again from Moreton Bay and you will hit Fraser Island. Fraser Island is the world's largest sand island and amongst other strage phenomena has the only rainforest on sand dunes in the world. It also has half the world's 'perched lakes', rainwater lakes in sand dunes.

An hour north of Cairns by road is Port Douglas in North Queensland. Port Douglas is the gateway to the Daintree Rainforest world heritage site, and it has a superyacht marina where the comfortably off come to explore Australias Great Barrier Reef.

Whitsundays Yacht Charter

A Whitsundays yacht charter is all about the Great Barrier Reef, the largest barrier reef in the world. The mainland town of Airlie Beach is the main hub for those on a sailing holiday here - Coral Sea Marina has a plethora of charter yachts available including sailing catamaran charter. Shute Harbour down the coast is another main yacht charter hub for access to the Whitsundays Islands.

The largest Whitsunday island is Hamilton Island that has a number of resorts, wild open beaches and of course access to the Great Barrier Reef.

On Whitsunday Island itself you will find Whitehaven Beach, arguably the most beautiful beach on the Whitsundays. Head over to Tongue Bay and walk to the Hill Inlet lookout for spectacular views over Whitehaven beach.

The island is protected as a national park and you will find a host of marine life and land life that only live in this part of the world.

Hook Island is another Whitsunday island of note. On your Australia yacht charter you will the protected Butterfly Bay, which thanks to its topography is protected from S and SE winds so is a lovely place to go snorkelling or scuba diving. Nara Inlet on Hook Island is a sacred place for the First Nation people to live here with a cave at the back of Nara Inlet.

Near South Molle Island is Daydream Island, one of the Molle Island subgroup of islands. Daydream Island is tiny - just 1km long by 400km wide - and is perhaps more typical of the 74 Whitsunday Islands as it is small, uninhabited bar the resort here and utterly beautiful to behold. Other islands to enjoy here include Hayman Island, Long Island and Langford Island - all of which have their unique charms.

Sydney

When discussing an Australia catamaran yacht charter holiday, you couldn't really ignore Sydney Harbour could you?

One of the most impressive cities in the world, Sydney has it all, including elite racing and gentle dinner cruises all under the eye of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Among the dozens of other locations to consider on a New South Wales sailing holiday is Middle Harbour Yacht Club, one of the biggest yacht clubs in Australia. Whether picking up your charter yacht or going for sailing lessons, Middle Harbour is one of those spots you should explore as part of a wider sailing trip.

Let's now look at the technicalities of an Australia yacht charter.

Catamaran Charter Australia

A crewed yacht charter is one of the best ways to enjoy an Australia boat charter holiday. With an often large vessel just for you and your fellow charter guests' use, on a private yacht charter the skipper and crew will look after your every need afloat. They will look after the tender as you venture ashore in at Whitehaven Beach or Fraser Island, and perhaps make suggestions as to the best spots to enjoy a first class meal or water sport activity of your choice.

On a bareboat catamaran charter you will have the space and added privacy to get the luxury yacht from A-B at your own pace.

Australia Catamaran Charter Types

Bareboat

Though you will often have to have a sailing license and enough sailing experience for a larger vessel, a bareboat charter will give you complete freedom and privacy to do what you want. Unlike a monohull sailing yachts, a catamaran charter yacht will often come with en suite heads in all the cabins, an AC generator and all the comforts of home as you captain your own ship.

Skippered

A skippered yacht charter can range from a 46ft+ catamaran. The skipper aboard will look after the sailing and make suggestions as to your next destinations, with you playing as much or as little a role in getting from A-B as you want - you don't need to be an experienced sailor. It is customary to pay a tip at the end of the trip, on top of the AU $150-$220 a day fee for the skipper you pay as well as the basic charter fee.

Crewed

A crewed catamaran charter could mean a 60ft yacht with skipper and crew, but could also mean a luxury yacht charteror private yacht charter with a team of people looking after your every need. As well as sailing the vessel, they will cook, look after the housekeeping and water toys, and provide you with the service you expect at the top end of crewed charter holiday experiences.

Catamaran Types in Australia

Sailing Catamaran

Ranging from a 40ft yacht to much, much larger, this will be enjoyable to sail (particularly with the wind aft of the beam) and unlike a monohull sailing yacht will often have en suite heads in all the staterooms. You will have plenty of entertainment space aboard and even the smaller vessels will have room for water toys such as paddleboards and kite surfing gear or even diving gear and jet skis. If the windage of the cruising catamaran sailboat gets too much, powerful twin engines will be able to get you upwind to your next destination too!

Motor Catamaran

Ranging from 46ft to over 100ft LOA, you can charter a luxury motor yacht catamaran with crew or bareboat. Thanks to the wider beam they are more stable than a monohull motor yacht (no one going green at sea unless too much drink was involved!) and much faster. This could allow for longer legs, perhaps including a visit to Port Douglas from the Whitsundays as part of your sailing holiday.

What can you do on a Catamaran charter in Australia?

In Sydney Harbour you can enjoy a range of things from dining afloat on a dinner cruise to sailing a tall ship. You can even race down to Hobart on the famous Boxing Day yacht race!

Around the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast it is about beaches and watersports as well as life ashore tasting the excellent food and having fun.

Heading north again to Moreton Bay and the Whitsundays it is a lot more chilled, enjoying the natural environment and the outdoors.

What does an average day on an Australia Yacht charter look like?

This is hard to say in a nutshell.

In North Queensland you will be enjoying the coastline and wilderness perhaps on a crewed charter. This could mean early starts, a morning on the water and then an afternoon at a chosen destination. Sleep and repeat.

Around Brisbane and Sydney this can be a lot more cosmopolitan with breaks ashore for fine dining as well as enjoying the wilder parts of the coastlline in varying amounts as you go.

The Gold Coast is a little less chilled and can be a lot more fun! This could be a day surfing or kite surfing, or playing ashore at one of the entertainment venues, perhaps with a bit of alcohol involved in true Aussie style!

Why Australia is superb for a Catamaran Charter

Australia is a yacht charter destination with a difference. From watching marine life in its perfect element to the great hospitality of your hosts, as well as the Great Barrier Reef, there is so much to explore on a catamaran charter Australia. Book your boat charter with Borrow a Boat today!

Do You Need A Licence To Charter A Catamaran In Australia?

If you are on a skippered or crewed catamaran charter you do not need a license to sail on the Indian Ocean - you can just turn up at the marina and go.

You do need a license if you are on a bareboat catamaran charter and in some cases a Day Skipper or ICC may not be enough for charter boats over 45 feet in length, you will need to check with the charter agent but here are some examples of typical sailing qualifications that will allow you to charter in most countries:

International Certificate of Competence: This is issued on request by your European sailing authority and you should automatically qualify with certain national sailing qualifications.

RYA Qualifications: If you have the following qualifications you will typically be able to take a bareboat charter out of Rhodes (but it is worth checking as per above), these include Day Skipper (sail or motor endorsement), Coastal Skipperor Yachtmaster.

American Sailing Association (ASA): The ASA 104 Bareboat certificate is commonly accepted but also check as per above

US Sailing: The International Proficiency Certificate is widely accepted and The Bareboat Cruising Certificate is also accepted in many cases.

Best Time to Book Your Australia Catamaran Yacht Charter

The summer here is December to February. Within these months, it can be a bit stormier and wetter in February but drier in December, January and the autumn in March.

Given schools go back in early January this means that it can be a bit quieter in late January. If you want things at full throttle, a Christmas sailing holiday could be your thing with everything busier!

The Climate

The sailing season runs from November to May. In summer, temperatures are between 21 degrees C and up into the 40s in a heat wave. Late summer brings the rains so you can expect short, sharp rain showers in the afternoons. It does get quite humid in summer too.

In March the temperatures and humidity ease off yet the sea is still warm. Expect cooling sea breezes and less rain come autumn, which for the Northern European could be more comfortable than the heat of summer.

Why Use Borrow A Boat For an Australia Catamaran Charter:

Borrow A Boat is the leading boat rental and yacht charter marketplace worldwide with over 35,000 boat listings across 65 + countries worldwide. Launched in 2017 by yachting and boating enthusiasts with decades of yachting experience, Borrow a Boat acts as a charter broker for the world’s most impressive superyachts and motor boat charters. We cover North America, the Mediterranean, Caribbean, South Pacific and French Polynesia.

Wherever in the world you want to sail, we have a luxury yacht and superyacht to take you there via our trusted network of industry contacts. We are an independent company which ensures you receive the maximum choice of vessel at the most competitive prices.

Alongside our passion for yachting, our commitment to service and decades of luxury yacht experience ensures your luxury yacht charter will be an unforgettable experience. Most importantly, all our luxury yachts and superyacht charters meet stringent and current safety and insurance requirements in their respective locations.

Our captains and crew have personal experience of the world’s best and safest anchorages and marinas, alongside in-depth local knowledge of cultural attractions, shore dining and entertainment opportunities.