Preparing for Charter:
You’ve finally settled on a boat that ticks all the boxes in your wish list—Cabins, bathrooms, personal needs, budget, and even Availability (who knew that was a thing?). Your boss has graciously, Eventually signed off on your vacation plans—maybe they just want you out of the office! So, what’s next?
Time to break out the sunscreen and figure out, how to get there, what to eat, Drink, What to visit on the water and how to actually operate this floating hotel without the butler!
Getting Here:
Coral Sea Marina is the gateway to the Whitsundays, getting here is easy with Flights to Whitsunday coast airport / proserpine from Most major cities.
Heart of the Reef Shuttles offer airport transfers directly to the marina. Bookings are Essential.
If your travelling by car, long term parking is available at Coral Sea Marina or secure parking with valet Service can be arranged.
Daily flights operate into Hamilton island, from here you have the option of us bringing the yacht to you (Additional fees apply) or you can take the Cruise Whitsundays ferry to Port of Airlie, where you can then take a taxi to Coral Sea Marina. FYI There are no ferry Services operating out of Coral Sea Marina.
Food and Drink:
Provisioning options for your Charter are limited, Airlie Beach is a small tourist town, however most are high Quality.
Most items can be obtained from local supermarkets Coles or Woolies in Cannonvale or walking distance to Airlie Beach. we recommend click and collect over Delivery.
There are a couple of Specialty local stores we highly recommend providing excellent quality produce and organic choices, these are based in Cannonvale but most will deliver.
Prickly Pineapple The Prickly Pineapple is a family-owned and highly regarded gourmet grocer in the Whitsundays, Jamie and Jen are dedicated to providing fresh, premium produce for your Bareboat adventure. They source the finest fruits and vegetables from local farms and trusted producers across Australia, along with high-quality artisan products and ready-to-eat meals prepared daily by our in-house chefs. With expert knowledge, exceptional service, and a passion for fresh food, They make provisioning easy—so you can enjoy delicious, top-quality ingredients while exploring the open water.
Fishi Matt and his now growing team, started out business in 2013 with a simple aim, to supply our customers with the freshest seafood while respecting the environment. surrounded by the warm, clear blue waters of the Whitsundays, teeming with a huge variety of fish species unique to North Queensland Waters. they boast to be custodians of the water providing sustainable fishing as the forefront the business.
our local produce ‘Whitsunday Wild’ and it is our guarantee to our customers that these products are locally sourced in a sustainable way ensuring the continuity of quality we have built for our FISHI customers. We stock a wide range of seafood, and for products that are not available to us locally we source the finest from other Australian regions. We hope you will enjoy our fresh seafood as much as we do!
Organic Health Hub Hayley & Paul, the husband-and-wife team behind Airlie Health Hub, built this place from the ground up with one simple mission: to bring truly clean, nourishing food to our community. No chemicals, no shortcuts just honest food from people who care. This isn’t just a business it’s our lifestyle. Boasting Fresh paddock-to-plate produce, wholefoods & clean-living essentials. Zero-waste refills & direct local farmer partnerships. Real food, good vibes & community spirit.
Whitsunday Provisioning providing excellent one stop service, delivering 7 days a week to all Bareboat Charter Companies, Private Vessels & Holiday Homes. Coordinated, packed and delivered for you.
We also Recommend viewing Their Galley Chef tips, Kev (AKA Counsellor Kevin) is a keen Yachtie and an awesome Chef!
Getting on the Water:
So you’ve got all your food and grog arranged—what’s next, a pirate dance-off or walk the plank? Preparing for Charter is no mean feat, let us take you Through the next steps:
Review our pre charter videos and advice, get on board with the jargon and meet some of the team:
Predeparture:
Once you have checked in, met your Briefer , we’ll take you to meet “the Dive Pro” Sharpie, at the dive shop, Snorkel gear is included in the price and provided by aqua Dive at the Marina – The team will assist you in selecting sizing in store to ensure your comfort.
These guys have been outfitting the fins and masks of the rich and famous for a trillion years. They will ensure cinderella gets to the ball with the best fitting gear, quality is not a choice, its Their Guarantee. plus its Hygienically sanitized after each customer, phew That’s a Relief hey…no body wants unwelcome Crustaceans life on board…. The only “catch” (get it) you must return every item as you found it or get charged for any missing or broken stuff… sounds fair right.. Ok lets move along…
here you can also hire Snorkel suits which are recommended between Oct – May due to Jellyfish season, these can be hired prior to departure. Additional Hire Equipment such as fishing gear and paddleboards can be arranged with the team at Cumberland Charter Yachts, we highly recommend ordering these prior to your arrival to Avoid Disappointment.
If fishing is allowed on board – Bait can be obtained from the Chandlers. consider your Environment, check your zones Don’t get caught out!
Ice for your esky, can be obtained at the Kiosk. we recommend the Block as it will last longer.
your vessel is already fully Fueled upon departure, on return You’ll be assisted to the fuel dock to refuel.
During your stay on board our base will contact you via VHF radio twice a day at Specified times on channel 81, 82, or 86 … weather permitting. We will deliver the weather updates, tides and any notice to mariners.
should you need any assistance outside these times you can contact base between 8am and 5pm on the VHF channels 81,82,or 86. Outside of this time call the Emergency numbers in the manual from your cell, still no joy or out of range, use the National Emergency Channel 16 on your VHF.
During your 4 hour briefing the qualified skipper will cover all aspects of the operation of the vessel, the charter area and take you for a sail test, complete mooring and Anchoring Manoeuvres, they also provide advice on best locations and conditions depending on weather and tide.
Whilst on the water You’ll explore many historic and cultural sites take care to ensure safe and Respectful interactions at all times.
Returning to base:
Returning to base on your last day we require you to arrive at 10 am unless arrangements are made otherwise, when passing Pioneer rocks you are advised to empty holding tanks and contact base on vHF for preparation of your arrival. Once at the Coral Sea marina our skipper will board the vessel and take you to the fuel dock to refuel before parking the vessel where you will then be able to disembark.
Trolleys are available at the marina for all your loading and unloading shenanigans. Pro tip: steer clear of turning your trolley into a heavyweight champion—at low tide, trying to push a fully loaded, runabout, trolley up the narrow jetty can feel like gearing up for the Trolley Olympics! And if you run into another guest with their own trolley showdown at 110% capacity, you know it’s about to get really competitive or very WET.