Sunsail's yacht charter base is located in the Marina
Village, just a short drive from the island's jet airport.
Upon arrival at either the airport or marina (if arriving
by ferry), a Sunsail representative will greet you and
transfer you and your luggage to the Sunsail base. So
don't forget to provide all of your arrival and departure
details to the Sunsail team before your holiday!
At the base, at least one member of your party will
undergo a yacht charter briefing with a Sunsail staff
member. This is an important opportunity to learn about
the yacht and the local cruising area.
The Sunsail base is very close to all of the conveniences
in the Marina Village. There are shower/toilet facilities
for guests, and the village also has a grocery store,
National Australia Bank, post office, TAB, medical centre,
bottle shop, bakery, souvenir store, newsagents and much
more!
Sunsail
operate their yacht charters and sailing holidays in
The Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef, which is a
World Heritage National Park. The Whitsundays are situated
on the north east coast of Queensland, Australia, inside
the Great Barrier Reef, between latitude 20° and
21° south and longitude 148° 48’ and 148° 30’ east.
Sunsail's cruising area is three times larger than other
Whitsunday yacht charter companies, meaning you have
the freedom to explore hundreds of islands and inlets
between Bowen and Mackay.
In addition, Sunsail's sailing hours are longer, extending
from an hour after sunrise to an hour before sunset.
Explore deserted islands, sandy beaches or simply relax
aboard your yacht as you soak up the sunshine in this
aquatic wonderland.
With so many islands and anchorages, you will need to
return to the Whitsundays many times before you think
you have seen it all!
The most informative cruising guide for the Whitsundays
is "100 Magic Miles" by David Colfelt. This
book clearly outlines all islands, reefs and features
in the sailing area making navigating through the Whitsunday
Islands a breeze.
The book also details fishing guidelines and snorkelling
spots plus has loads of information on the local area
and individual destinations.
All Sunsail vessels have this guide onboard, but we
do recommend you purchase and read the book prior to
your charter.
The book can be purchased for AUD$85.00 (within Australia)
by simply emailing us at sunsail@sunsail.com.au or calling
1800 803 988.
It
has never been easier to get to the Whitsundays
By
Air
Hamilton Island is only a 1.5 hour direct flight from Brisbane, 2.5 hours from
Sydney and 3.5 hours from Melbourne.
Fly
Directly to Hamilton Island:
Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Blue all offer direct flights to Hamilton Island's
jet airport from most Australian capital cities.
Fly
to to Proserpine Airport:
Fly Jetstar, Virgin or Qantas to Proserpine airport (Whitsunday Coast airport),
which is located on the mainland. Proserpine is a 30 minute coach ride to Shute
Harbour followed by a 40 minute ferry to Hamilton Island. Alternatively you
can fly in a light aircraft from Proserpine airport to Hamilton Island airport.
Fly
to Mackay Airport:
Fly Jetstar, Virgin or Qantas to Mackay airport which is also on the mainland.
Mackay is a 120 minute coach ride to Shute Harbour followed by a 40 minute
ferry to Hamilton Island. Alternatively you can fly in a light aircraft from
Mackay airport to Hamilton Island airport.
Sailing
through the waters of the enchanting Whitsunday Islands
is the holiday of a lifetime and careful provisioning
is an important part of preparation. Why not pre-order
all of your food and beverages with our fantastic
range of self-select or package options? Sailing
through the waters of the enchanting Whitsunday Islands
on a Sunsail yacht is the holiday of a lifetime and
careful provisioning is an important part of the
preparation for your trip.
Running
out of food, forgetting basic ingredients, or having
to put up with unappetising meals can spoil the most
idyllic holiday.
There
are a number of options when it comes to stocking your
yacht with food and beverages for your sailing holiday.
You
can bring your stores with you, you can spend part
of your holiday shopping in Hamilton Island, Airlie
Beach and Cannonvale, or you can have Whitsunday Provisioning
do the legwork for you.
No
official qualifications or licenses are required
to charter a yacht or catamaran in the Whitsundays.
However, Sunsail does insist that at least one member
of your party has sailing experience to Level 3-4.
Level
1: Handling a yacht under motor, basic wind
awareness, mooring and anchoring skills and/or flotilla
course at a Sunsail Club or Sailing School.
Level
2: Handling a yacht under sail, reefing,
reading a chart, line of sight navigation, competent
at bows to and stern to mooring.
Level
3: As above plus previous skipper experience
on flotilla holiday or equivalent experience. You
will need to be competent of handling a yacht in
close quarters and picking up a mooring buoy in varying
conditions. Passages are longer with more varied
conditions and stronger winds.
Level 4: More taxing sailing areas
where extended coastal experience is beneficial.
RYA Day Skipper or equivalent experience, you should
be able to:
* handle longer passages cope with tides and currents
* call on navigation and pilotage skills
* know your position at any one time
If
you have any queries about your level of skill, please
don't hesitate to contact the Sunsail Team for more
information.
Sheltered
by the magnificent Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsundays
offer smoother seas for spectacular sailing all year
round With line of sight navigation, the islands
of the Whitsundays are ideal for novices and experienced
sailors alike.The region's tidal nature means that
you should consult the tide tables prior to planning
each day's itinerary.Wind direction from March to
September is generally south-east to east, while
September through February brings more north-easterly
winds.
