Skippering yourself with your chosen crew and sailing the Whitsundays on a catamaran or sailing yacht is an unforgettable experience. It’s called bareboating and it’s an experience everyone should try at least once!
Sailing the Whitsundays for the first time, bareboat style
Many people wonder if they’re able to enjoy sailing the Whitsundays on a bareboat without any boating experience. The short answer is yes, but it helps to do some research and a little preparation.
In this post, we’ve compiled suggestions on how you can prepare for a Whitsunday sailing adventure and what support you can expect. We’ll give you tips from our sales and operations team, details on our sail guide service and interview a family who sailed with us without any previous experience.
How does sailing the Whitsundays on a bareboat charter work?
A bareboat charter is when you hire a yacht, catamaran or motor cruiser and sail without a professional skipper or crew. In other words, you skipper the boat yourself. Bareboat charters are akin to hiring a motorhome and going on a road trip. Instead of driving, you’re sailing around a tropical island, finding secluded beaches and fishing off the boat between anchorages.
Bareboats come fully equipped with everything you need to live comfortably, including linen, kitchen appliances, safety equipment and towels. For a comprehensive list of what comes on a hired yacht or catamaran with Whitsunday Rent a Yacht, visit this page: What’s included on a bareboat.
Do I need a license to self-sail in the Whitsundays?
You do not need a boat license to charter a yacht and sail the Whitsunday Islands. This is because the Whitsundays are considered a safe sailing ground – close to the mainland, protected by the Great Barrier Reef and popular with tourism operators who ensure the safety of visitors.
How you’re trained to sail the Whitsundays on a bareboat
All guests, no matter what their boating experience, are given a 3-4 hour training session before they take their vessel out to the islands.
After the initial standard training, if a briefer feels that the crew needs more assistance, additional training can be arranged ( $70 per extra hour.). In some cases, it’s also possible to add a sail guide for the first night or two. A Sail Guide will need their own private cabin onboard, if staying overnight with you.
If you’re new to boating, It’s worth noting that you don’t have to put the sails up when you hire a yacht. All our boats have motors and can be operated without needing to understand the ins and outs of sailing.
What’s covered in the briefing with Whitsunday Rent a Yacht
The training session will cover:
- Navigation, reading maps and using depth finders.
- Boat operations such as batteries, water and fuel
- Dropping the anchor and picking up a mooring
- Understanding tides and winds
- Spots to look out for around the Whitsundays
- Operating the radios and the process of “radio scheds”
- What to do if you get into trouble
- Where to go and your itinerary considering the conditions
- The 100 Magic Miles book – a comprehensive guide on board your vessel
- Getting your boat underway and operating the sails (if this is something you want to do)
- Any questions or concerns you may have
Prepare for your bareboat charter before you arrive
Experience and practice are, of course, the best ways to learn about operating a boat; however, there are a few things beginners can do to prepare for sailing the Whitsundays.
- Read up on skills such as dropping the anchor and navigation
- Scroll our blog for informative articles covering “how-to” content, location details and packing tips
- Read the preparing for your bareboat charter page on our website.
- Read this useful blog on preparing a crew of beginner sailors.
- View the interactive Whitsundays map on our website
- Decide what things you would like to do around the Whitsundays
- If you’re really keen on knowing all about sailing the Whitsundays, purchase a copy of the “Whitsunday’s Bible” 100 Magic Miles prior to your charter. A copy of this book will be on your boat.
- Consider doing an online or physical sailing course in your local area. Some providers also go courses specifically for bareboat charter preparation.
Tips for making a booking as a first-time charterer
Please tell the sales team that you haven’t chartered a bareboat before confirming your booking.
The team may advise that you:
- Book a sleep aboard the night before your charter so that you’re able to start your briefing early in the morning, leaving plenty of time for training.
- Book extra training time with your briefer
- Consider adding a sail guide to your charter (see below)
- Give you tips tailored to your crew
- Ease any concerns and provide suggestions to ensure you feel prepared
What support is given throughout a bareboat yacht charter?
Radio Support
All guests need to radio-call our base in the morning and the afternoon each day.
The morning call is an excellent opportunity to seek itinerary advice and discuss the conditions and your plans for the day.
We ask that everyone arrives at their intended anchorage by 4 pm for the afternoon radio sched. This is so our team know where everyone is spending the night.
Radio support is available between 7:30 am – 5 pm. After-hours phone support is available in case of an emergency.
Quick call out response and support
If needed, we can send a support boat from Shute Harbour to assist with your vessel’s operations. Our base is the closest mainland port to the islands, so we can respond quickly.
Whitsunday Rent a Yacht also partners with our region’s leading support vessel business, Mars Charters, which have vessels located at Shute Harbour, Hamilton Island & Airlie Beach. Mars is available to assist bareboat charters quickly in times of need.
Help is never far away among the islands
The Whitsundays is a popular sailing ground used by many experienced sailing enthusiasts on private boats and bareboat visitors. If you did need immediate assistance, you could use your radio to communicate with nearby boats.
Don’t be scared of adding a sail guide to your sailing holiday!
When you hire a yacht with Whitsundays Rent a Yacht, you have the option to hire a fully qualified sail guide to accompany you on your charter. Guides can join you for one night or the trip duration; it’s up to you.
Don’t worry about having a stranger join your crew; all of our sail guides are amazing people who will add a positive experience to your trip. You might not want them to leave!
Sail guides are different to skippered charters. In this post, you can learn more about the difference between a skipper and a guided charter.
How does a sail guide work?
- A sail guide provides a service above and beyond your comprehensive charter briefing. They join you on your charter and assist in running your vessel or teach your crew how to sail.
- Some charterers find they’re eager to learn the ropes under the direction of a qualified mariner, while others find that they want to step back and enjoy the ride.
- You pay a nightly rate on top of your boat charter hire. All you need to do is provide your sail guide with a separate cabin to sleep in and food.
- For comprehensive information about adding a sail guide to your charter, please view our sail guide information page.
- Sail guides cost $400 per day.
What are the benefits of a sail guide?
- Having a sail guide along for the ride can take the pressure off your crew.
- A sail guide is there to help you handle the boat in a way that suits you.
- Families with children tell us it can be especially handy to have an extra pair of hands, eyes and ears!
- A sail guide can help train the crew. There may be one or two experienced sailors on deck, but it can help to have a qualified teacher to bring everyone else up to speed.
- Our sail guides know the best anchorages, the hidden gems, the pristine snorkelling spots, the top hikes and lookouts – and they can even tell you lots of interesting facts about the marine life, flora, fauna and history of the Whitsundays.
While sailing the Whitsundays, spend time at Hamilton Island
For those daunted by the idea of spending an entire week on a boat, a stay at Hamilton Island mid charter is a great way to diversify your Whitsundays sailing holiday.
There is something for everyone to enjoy at Hamo. You can berth your boat at the Hamilton Island Marina, giving access to the resort facilities, including the shops, restaurants, spas and public pools.
Learn more about enjoying the attractions on Hamilton Island here: 15 fabulous things to do on Hamilton Island.
Itinerary Planning Ideas
It’s difficult to thoroughly plan an itinerary until you know what the weather and wind will be like. However, if you’ve never sailed the Whitsundays before, it can help to become familiar with some of the anchorages and islands before your charter.
Click on these links for a pdf download with itinerary suggestions and local tips.
Our top sailing holiday tips
Here’s a quick resource list to consider when planing your sailing trip with us.
- Pack light: See our guide packing list
- Allocate a Captain and First mate to run the boat and do their research
- Read this blog with tips from past bareboaters
- Join our newsletter for seasonal offers and announcements
- Consider provisioning with a local company
- Look at adding extra equipment like fishing gear or kayaks
Interview: Sailing the Whitsundays for the first time with 4 Boys and a Caravan
We interviewed Tom from 4 Boys and a Caravan to get his perspective on what it’s like sailing the Whitsundays when you haven’t done it before.
Tom, Aimee and their 4 boys are a full time travelling family. They had always dreamed of sailing the Whitsundays, describing it as an item that has “been on their bucket list for a long time”. Sailing with us in August 2020, they didn’t let a lack of boating experience stop them from having an epic family adventure.
How did you find skippering a catamaran without any boating experience?
We had never driven or sailed a yacht before our recent charter in the Whitsundays.
The training we received from Whitsunday Rent a Yacht was excellent and gave us all the confidence we needed. Our briefing went for 4-5 hours, and our trainer made sure we were comfortable before we went out on our own.
Do you recommend sailing the Whitsundays with kids?
Chartering a yacht was an amazing experience for the kids and us. We explained how to be safe on a boat and around the water. It wasn’t long before we felt confident in the way they handled living on the water, and we didn’t have to worry about them at all. The boys loved learning about the ocean, reading maps and being a part of “the crew”.
How many nights would you recommend for a yacht charter?
There is so much to see and do around the Whitsunday Islands, from Island hopping, snorkelling, fishing, bushwalks, lookout trails, and caves.
We chartered for 7 nights and stayed the night before our booking on our boat while it was at the Shute Harbour jetty (which we highly recommend). Personally, we wouldn’t go any less to really see a lot without rushing.
Was it difficult mooring and anchoring?
We were a little nervous about picking up a mooring because it was something we had never done before. But the training covers the process well and we didn’t have any issues.
Dropping an anchor is relatively simple. There are little tricks to keep in mind, such as let out five times as much chain as the water is deep. But you just need to do it once to get the hang of it. Make sure you practise dropping the anchor in your briefing session.
Did you get seasick?
I (Tom) usually always get seasick and have to take tablets. For this trip, I never once had to take anything. I believe it helped driving the boat myself. Also, the seas around the Whitsundays are mainly calm. We were advised on the best overnight anchorages to stay out of the winds.
Do you think it’s expensive to sail the Whitsundays on a private charter?
We suggest that if you’re interested in sailing the Whitsundays, call the team at Whitsunday Rent a Yacht. They can help find a package and vessel to suit your needs.
Chartering a yacht for a week is worth every cent for the adventures and the memories it creates. Being able to explore the Whitsundays on your own terms is a truly incredible experience.
Enjoy this video from 4 Boys and a Caravan showing highlights from their trip.
Every member of the Whitsunday Rent a Yacht team is focused on ensuring you have a safe and memorable experience chartering a yacht in the Whitsundays.
If you are thinking of chartering a yacht but feel you don’t have enough experience, the best thing you can do is talk us, so we can customise your experience to suit your needs.
If you have any questions about sailing the Whitsundays, get in touch!
