Charter Chatter

Events on Sydney Harbour on Australia Day 26 January include a Ferrython, Awesome Forces displays, best dressed vessels competition, tall ships race, 174th Australia Day Regatta, Sydney Ports Jazz on the Water Concert. For details see AustraliaDay.com.au.

Port Macquarie NSW offers visitors a range of water activities offshore and on the rivers, estuaries and lakes, including fishing, whale watching, dolphin watching, fast coastal cruises on a jet boat and cruises up the shallow sections of the rivers to the National Park and Wauchope/Timbertown. Sailing catamarans, windsurfers, fishing dinghies and barbecue pontoons are available for hire. Check out 52things2do.com.au.

Skipper yourself and crewed charters are available for Sail Port Stephens on 12-19 April in non-spinnaker divisions. The sailing and socialising at the event are structured so that participants can join in for a few days or for the whole program: SailPortStephens.com.au.

A romantic overnight boat charter on Sydney Harbour is a popular Valentine's Day indulgence. Skipper a boat yourself or hire a skipper for a twilight cruise before being left alone at anchor overnight with a gourmet dinner. The skipper will return in the morning to take you back to the charter base. Other on water options for February 14 include dining while cruising the Harbour or Pittwater, chartering a boat to take you to a picnic spot or to a restaurant.

The holiday low season in the Whitsundays is from 9 January to 31 March. During this time most bareboat charter companies offer extra free nights if chartering a yacht or motor cruiser for five or more nights.

Captain Cook Cruises is celebrating its 40th birthday in 2010 with a massive sale offering up to 40 per cent off Sydney Harbour, Murray River and Fiji Islands discovery cruises. The sale is valid to 28 February 2010 and valid for travel to 31 March 2011.

In 2009 Sunsail Sailing Holidays moved its Phuket base to the new ground-breaking Ao Po Grand Marina, situated at the entrance to Phang Nga Bay, just 30 minutes from Phuket airport. A total of ten new yachts joined the Thailand fleet in 2009, the most recent being a 384 catamaran, built by Robertson & Caine exclusively for Sunsail.

North Star Cruises is offering a 20 per cent discount on its 2010 cruise season opener, the West Coast Explorer, departing Fremantle on 27 February on a ten day voyage to the Abrolhos Islands, Shark Bay World Heritage Area, Ningaloo Reef, Montebello Islands and finishing in Dampier.

Eastsail in Sydney is adding another three new Beneteau 40s to their fleet in 2010.

Sunsail Sailing Holidays now offers one-way sailing charters from its base in Langkawi, Malaysia, to its base in Phuket, Thailand, or vice versa. Guests are advised to allow ten days to enjoy the experience. The weather and sailing conditions are at their best anytime from now until the end of February.

Photograph courtesy of