Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Come Sail with Me
Moments
If “bareboating” is a mystery to you, take heart. You're not alone, but
it simply means you are sailing the boat yourself. And if that seems
daunting, rest assured that thousands of people do it safely every
year. Most of the many bareboat-yacht-charter companies in the
islands will want one person on the boat to have a little experience at
the helm of a vessel, but don't worry if you don't know one end of a
boat from another. You do not need a license, and sailing is surpris-
ingly easy in these uncrowded waters, where the channels are deep
and hazard-free and the seas are protected from big swells by the
Great Barrier Reef. The 74 islands are so close to each other that one
is always in sight, and safe anchorages are everywhere.
If you have absolutely no boating experience, the company may
require you to take a skipper along for the first day at an extra cost of
around A$200 (US$130) a day or A$230 (US$150) for overnight. And if
you think you know what you're doing but just want extra reassur-
ance, you can take a skipper along for an extra fee for the first couple
of hours for A$60 (US$39) to help you get the hang of things. Most
companies mail you a preparation kit before you leave home, and you
have a thorough 2- to 3-hour briefing before departure and are given
easy-to-read maps marking channels, anchorage points, and the very
few dangerous reefs. Your charter company will radio in once or twice
a day to check that you're still afloat, and you can contact them any
time for advice.
Most yachts are fitted for two to eight passengers. Try to get a boat
with two berths more than you need if your budget will bear it, as
space is always tight. The boats usually have a galley kitchen, a barbe-
cue mounted to the stern, hot showers, toilet, linens, a radio and/or
stereo, a motorized dinghy, and snorkeling equipment. Sleeping quar-
ters are usually not all that luxurious and include a mix of single galley
berths and one or two very compact private cabins. You can buy your
own provisions or have the charter company stock the boat for you at
an extra cost of about A$35 (US$23) per person per day. Most opera-
tors will load a Windsurfer, fishing tackle, and scuba-diving equipment
on request for an extra fee, if they are not already standard.
with high food and drink prices. Bear in mind, too, that although most island
resorts offer nonmotorized watersports, such as Windsurfers and catamarans,
free of charge, you will pay for activities that use fuel, such as parasailing, water-
skiing, and dinghy rental.
In some places in the Whitsundays, extreme low tides may reveal rocky mud
flats below the sand line. Watersports can be limited at low tide because of the
low water level.
EXPLORING THE ISLANDS & THE REEF
REEF CRUISES Fantasea Cruises
(
&
07/4946 5111;
www.fantasea.com.
au) makes a daily trip to Hardy Reef from Shute Harbour, near Airlie Beach, in
a high-speed, air-conditioned catamaran. The boat has a bar, and a biologist
