Airlie Beach Boat Hire
Airlie Beach is the heart of the Whitsundays, and the 74 islands of the Whitsundays are best explored by boat. Airlie Beach is the perfect place to begin your boating holiday.
Airlie Beach boat hire comes in two forms. Day hire and weekly hire. If you are only looking for day boat hire,contact Airlie Boat Hire. They have a fleet of small power boats available for half or full day hire.
If you really want to explore the islands in comfort and be the master of your own adventures though, the type of Airlie Beach boat hire you want is bareboat hire!
And that’s where we, Whitsunday Escape, come in.
Imagine this…
7 nights, a group of your loved ones, charting your own course, sleeping in a different bay every night, in the comfort of your own private cabin, swimming, snorkelling, bushwalking, relaxing, eating, drinking, choosing your own adventure…
When you hire a bareboat for a week long holiday, you get to decide what you do every day, so every holiday is unique and perfectly tailored to your wishes.
Abell Point Marina at Airlie Beach has the largest fleet of boats for hire in the southern hemisphere, and Whitsunday Escape is the single biggest company offering the widest variety of boats for hire from Airlie Beach.
Whether you are wanting to hire a sailing boat, or a power boat, we’ve got dozens of boats to hire. Browse the entire Whitsunday Escape fleet here, and pick out a few favourites.
Frequently asked questions about boat hire from Airlie Beach
Do I need a licence or sailing qualification?
No you don’t! Can you believe it? To hire a bareboat from Airlie Beach, all you need is a little boating experience. You should understand the rules of the waterways, and you should have been in control of a boat before, no matter what type, and even if it was a much smaller one than the boats we have for hire. Learn more about experience requirements or call our friendly staff for a chat on 1800 075 145.
Where can I go?
You can explore all 74 of the Whitsunday Islands on a bareboat holiday. The outer limits are Gloucester Island in the north, Shaw Island in the south, and Edward Island to the east. That’s as far east as there is an island anchorage. Islands you can visit include the famous spots like Hamilton Island, Daydream Island, Whitsunday Island and Hook Island. Beyond the islands is theouter Great Barrier Reef itself, which provides protection for the islands, making it such a fantastic boating area. Explore our Interactive Map to learn more about some of the most popular places to go.
Where do you sleep?
On the boat! All of our boats have between two and four private cabins, and some have extra bunks too. Total capacity is up to 12 passengers on our largest boats. Every boat has at least one bathroom, and the larger ones have four ensuites. Some boats even have air conditioning. Talk about luxury! Every night you get to choose a protected bay, inlet or coastline to park the boat and go to sleep. We will guide you with advice over the radio every day, to help you choose the best locations.
Can you teach me how to anchor the boat properly?
Of course! Anchoring and mooring procedures are part of our standard boat briefing that everyone gets before they go. Boats have electric anchor winches, and a particular configuration of ropes, chains, cleats, and snubbers (all terminology you will understand by the time we’ve finished teaching you, we promise). There are over a hundred free public moorings dotted around the islands that you can hook up to overnight, and during the day. We will make sure you know how everything works so you can confidently anchor or moor the boat yourselves every night.
How long should I go for?
We do highly recommend you take 7 nights or longer for a fantastic bareboating holiday experience. We have a 5 night minimum, and we offer specialsthat get better the longer you go. We have lots of repeat customers who take a longer trip each time they come visit!
I have more questions…
If you have questions you’d like to ask, to figure out if a bareboat holiday is for you, please contact our friendly, knowledgeable reservations team. Bareboating is literally our favourite holiday, and we could talk about it all day. We pride ourselves on being able to answer any question you can throw at us. You can send us an email enquiry, or call us between the hours of 8am – 5pm (QLD time) 7 days a week. We’d love to hear from you to help you plan your boat hire holiday from Airlie Beach.
Want to charter a Whitsunday Escape bareboat for a holiday?
Our friendly, helpful reservations staff can recommend which boats to look at, help you choose dates to charter, and give you advice on everything from where to shop, to how to get some experience before you arrive.