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Sailing Holidays in Whitsundays

With lush green islands protected by the Great Barrier Reef, calm seas and balmy tradewinds, the Whitsundays is a sailor’s paradise.

The Whitsunday Islands are tucked between the tropical coast of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef so the sea stays calm while the balmy tradewinds are perfect for sailing. No wonder the magical Whitsundays are renowned as the finest region in Australia for sailing.

The Whitsunday Islands are part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Most of the 74 islands are uninhabited pristine national parks, but there are over 7 island resorts where visiting yachtsmen are welcomed ashore. Secluded anchorages are seldom more than 1 hour apart. Go snorkelling over dazzling reefs, walk on lonely beaches, hike on bush tracks or go whale watching from July to December.

Nautilus Yachting can package your yacht charter with flights from the UK or add a yacht charter to your existing holiday plans. Why not add a week’s sailing in the Whitsundays to your trip “down under”.

Whitsundays Yacht Charter

Overview

  •  Flights to Prosperine via Sydney
  •  Witness the breathtaking white sands of Whitehaven Beach
  •  Dive or snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef
  •  Explore the tropical paradise of Hayman Island
  •  Great for families, groups and couples alike
  •  Average distances of 13nm
  •  Level 1 sailing
  •  Temperatures rarely dip below 20 degrees-warmest weather Nov-Feb
  •  Average winds force 2-4
  •  A mixture of anchorages and marinas in this area
  •  Flexible start and finish dates possible

Suggested Sailing Itineraries

Map courtesy of Wanderlog, a trip planner on iOS and Android

 DAY 1 : Nara Inlet (13nm)

Area and boat briefing at Airlie Beach Marina. Lunchtime departure for Nara Inlet where you can explore waterfalls, Aboriginal caves and ancient rock paintings.

 DAY 2 : Cid Harbour (8nm)

Sail across the Whitsunday Passage to Cid Harbour or Gulnare Inlet (14nm). Quiet and peaceful with wonderful wildlife, bush walks and delicious rock oysters. Cid Harbour is a very large harbour and one of the all weather anchorages of the Whitsundays.

 DAY 3 : Whitehaven Beach (10nm)

Set sail for spectacular Whitehaven Beach and enjoy miles of soft, white silica sand beaches.Whitehaven is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. If Whitehaven is crowded, anchor at Chalkies which also has a magnificent beach.

 DAY 4 : Hamilton Island

Cruise over to Hamilton Island for fresh supplies or to top up water tanks. Experience a change of pace in the busy marina and a choice of restaurants and bars.

 DAY 5 : Border Island

Reach up to Cateran Bay on Border Island for great snorkelling. Border Island is one of the outlying Islands and reef protection buoys have been installed to prevent further damage to the island's excellent fringing reef.

 DAY 6 : Hook Island

Short sail to Butterfly Bay on Hook Island. Use the dinghy for more snorkelling or onshore visits. The reef and sand beaches here offer excellent exploring. Watch out for Sting rays when you walk on the sand flats (shuffle your feet).

 DAY 7 : South Molle Island

Take a leisurely cruise around the Hayman Island area or southwards across the Whitsunday Passage to South Molle Island or Palm Bay to celebrate the last night of a great cruise!

 DAY 8 : Airlie Beach

Fleet 1 2023 Prices shown are in GBP(£) per yacht for 1 week

Yacht details 01 Jan - 07 Jan 08 Jan - 11 Mar 12 Mar - 28 Apr 29 Apr - 29 Oct 30 Oct - 17 Dec 18 Dec - 31 Dec
Model / layout Year Cabins WC
Oceanis 31 2008 2 1 from
£2,332
from
£1,878
from
£2,476
from
£2,229
from
£2,518
from
£0
Catalina 350 2007 2 1 from
£2,889
from
£2,311
from
£3,054
from
£2,765
from
£3,137
from
£0

Fleet 1 2023 Prices shown are in GBP(£) per yacht for 1 week

Yacht details 01 Jan - 07 Jan 08 Jan - 11 Mar 12 Mar - 28 Apr 29 Apr - 29 Oct 30 Oct - 17 Dec 18 Dec - 31 Dec
Model / layout Year Cabins WC
Dufour 412 GL 2018 3 2 from
£4,004
from
£3,199
from
£4,231
from
£3,818
from
£4,313
from
£0

Fleet 1 2023 Prices shown are in GBP(£) per yacht for 1 week

Yacht details 01 Jan - 07 Jan 08 Jan - 11 Mar 12 Mar - 28 Apr 29 Apr - 29 Oct 30 Oct - 17 Dec 18 Dec - 31 Dec
Model / layout Year Cabins WC
Sun Odyssey 44i 2009 4 2 from
£3,467
from
£2,765
from
£3,673
from
£3,302
from
£3,756
from
£0
Oceanis 48 - 5 cab. 2014 5 3 from
£5,324
from
£4,251
from
£5,634
from
£5,077
from
£5,758
from
£0

Fleet 1 2023 Prices shown are in GBP(£) per yacht for 1 week

Yacht details 01 Jan - 07 Jan 08 Jan - 11 Mar 12 Mar - 28 Apr 29 Apr - 29 Oct 30 Oct - 17 Dec 18 Dec - 31 Dec
Model / layout Year Cabins WC
Nautitech 40 Open - 4 + 2 cab. 2022 4 2 from
£7,998
from
£5,298
from
£7,529
from
£7,527
from
£8,367
from
£0
Bali 4.1 - 4 + 2 cab. 2019 4 4 from
£8,880
from
£5,881
from
£8,364
from
£8,373
from
£9,292
from
£0
Lagoon 40 - 4 cab. 2023 4 2 from
£9,434
from
£6,259
from
£8,894
from
£8,897
from
£9,882
from
£0
Lagoon 450 - 4 cab. 2015 4 2 from
£9,802
from
£6,501
from
£9,248
from
£9,245
from
£10,277
from
£0
Bali 4.2 OW 2022 3 3 from
£11,061
from
£7,326
from
£10,419
from
£10,422
from
£11,577
from
£0
Fountaine Pajot Saona 47 - 5 cab. 2020 5 5 from
£14,714
from
£9,741
from
£13,856
from
£13,868
from
£15,395
from
£0

Please note: Prices may be subject to change. Compulsory and Optional extras will be added to your quote.

Sailing conditions in the Whitsundays

Situated on the same latitude as Tahiti, you can expect sunny tropical weather all year round, with temperatures seldom below 20°C even in the winter months. The South-east trade winds usually blow slightly stronger from March to May at about 20 knots. Lighter E-NE breezes September-December. July is the coolest time, January the warmest.

We have rated this destination a 'Level 1' (levels info)

Getting There

Getting to the Whitsundays

British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Qantas have direct flights to Sydney. Jetstar and Virgin Blue operate onward connections to Proserpine.

Transfers

Transfers take approximately 45 minutes.