Stocking Your Boat - Whitsunday Escape
Skipper yourself bareboat charter company

Stocking Your Boat

You’ve booked the holiday, now for the food and drinks!

Stocking your boat with food and drinks is quite an important consideration before you set sail. On this page you’ll be able to find all the information you need regarding pre-packaged provisioning options, how much your boat can fit, how much to buy and where to buy it from including local supermarkets and specialty stores.

You have numerous options when it comes to stocking your boat with food and drinks for your Whitsunday Escape. You can:

  • use a provisioning company
  • shop locally at Coles, Woolworths and specialty stores
  • shop online for ‘click & collect’
  • get your drinks delivered to the marina by Harry Brown or Airlie Beach Hotel Bottle Shop

How much do I buy and how much can my boat fit?

How much can my boat fit?

Check the detailed ‘features’ of your boat on our website (see our fleet) to discover how much fridge and freezer capacity your boat has. There is sufficient storage for your cold stores and dry goods on board every boat.

How much do I buy?

If travelling for up to 7 days, you should stock up with all the food and drinks you will need for your whole charter.

If travelling for longer, you may wish to top up your provisions.  You have two options for a mid charter stop over:

Coral Sea Marina: Whitsunday Escape staff will meet you and park your boat, and its free for up to two hours between 12:00 and 14:00. Whitsunday Provisioning can arrange a re-provisioning date with you if required.

Hamilton Island: Berthing costs do apply to access Hamilton Island and you will need to berth the boat in Hamilton Island Marina yourself. Hamilton Island offers a supermarket, bakery, deli, fish shop, and a bottle shop.

Whitsunday Provisioning

Whitsunday Provisioning has been providing meals to Whitsunday holiday makers for over 25 years and they know how to provision boats. Their packages are designed to:

  • provide the perfect balance of appetising meals from light & healthy to decadent
  • accommodate different tastes and budgets
  • experts at managing dietary requirements
  • take the hassle out of planning meals for 7 nights
  • restock your boat for longer charters
  • be a one-stop-shop, they can provision your boat with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages too.

Their range of comprehensive meal plans and packages will suit all budgets, and provide an easy solution to ensure all your meals and snacks are well planned and nothing is forgotten. Their delicious fresh platters offer an indulgence option covering seafood, cheese, antipasto, tropical fruit, and more.

Whitsunday Provisioning are a reliable local company and can deliver every day of the week.

Whitsunday Provisioning

Drinks and local bottle shops

Harry Brown Reef Gateway Hotel will deliver your drinks to our office. (We don’t have cool storage so they will need to be chilled onboard).

Order through the Harry Brown App and receive free delivery with coupon code BOAT.

Call through your order to 07 4946 2633.

Airlie Beach Hotel also has a Bottle shop, order here.

There are bottle shops near all the supermarkets, and the option to stock up at Hamilton Island.

Local Supermarkets

There are four supermarkets situated within a short distance of Whitsunday Escape’s charter base at Coral Sea Marina, and one on Hamilton Island:

STORE WHERE DISTANCE STANDARD HOURS
Coles Whitsunday Shopping Centre 2 minute drive Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm
Saturday 8am to 6pm
Sunday 9am to 6pm
Woolworths Airlie Beach Central 5 minute drive Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm
Saturday 8am to 6pm
Sunday 9am to 6pm
Woolworths Whitsunday Plaza 10 minute drive Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm
Saturday 8am to 6pm
Sunday 9am to 6pm
IGA Hamilton Island Accessed by plane or boat 8am – 7:30pm everyday

The IGA supermarket and bottleshop on Hamilton Island can be used for re-provisioning mid-charter if you run out of supplies. Berthing costs do apply to access Hamilton Island.

Coles & Woolworths Online Orders

Click & Collect is the best option when hiring a bareboat if you are planning on provisioning yourself. You can collect your groceries in time to load them directly onto your boat and put your cold goods straight into the fridge.

Note: Woolworths in Airlie Beach doesn’t offer Click & Collect, instead they have Direct To Boot.
Feel free to liaise with our Reservations team to choose the most convenient time for collection.

TIP: Coles in Cannonvale is the closest shopping centre and also has an excellent butcher, a chemist and two bottle shops in the complex. It is only a short taxi ride away and therefore is the easiest option for a ‘one-stop shop’.

Home Delivery is not a good option when chartering a bareboat. You need to be able to meet them at the roundabout of Coral Sea Marina within a 2-4 hour delivery window and your boat may not be ready for you.

If you are using the home delivery service you will need to ensure that your groceries are delivered only when:

  • your boat is available for boarding so that you can store your cold goods (4:30pm if utilising the Stay Aboard) – Whitsunday Escape does not have any storage facilities for groceries.
  • one of your group members must be available (for the entire 2-4 hour delivery window) to wait for and receive the delivery at the roundabout.

TIP: If wanting to get your groceries delivered then we strongly suggest using Whitsunday Provisioning as they will deliver directly to the boat once you are on board.

Local Specialty Stores & Shops

Meat & Seafood

TIP: Order in advance, and ask them to freeze or cryovac your purchases for greater shelf life!

Fruit & Veg, Bread & More

Shops at Coral Sea Marina

There are a few shops at Coral Sea Marina for last minute supplies, and a selection of cafes and restaurants: