Why Own a Bareboat in the Whitsundays?

Owning a bareboat is a unique opportunity to be part of an enviable lifestyle and will reward you with the pleasure of owning your own boat while producing income at the same time.

  • Use of boat for 4 weeks every year outside of peak booking times.  Additional times are available at short notice on a standby basis.
  • Ownership offers you substantial savings on operating costs in comparison to private ownership.
  • Cost effective business advantages in regard to taxation, interest, depreciation, repayments, insurance and operating costs.
  • Potential to earn realistic & achievable returns on your vessel.
  • You have unlimited access to one of the premier and safest cruising grounds in the World, offering you the freedom to explore over 74 Whitsunday islands inside the Great Barrier Reef Marina Park at your own pace.
  • Opportunity to experience some of the best snorkelling, diving and fishing in the world.
  • Your chance to visit world class resorts including Hamilton, Hayman and Daydream Island and located within easy access to mainland townships and airports.
  • Enjoy year round tropical climate for which Queensland is famous for, onboard your own boat.

Relaxing under sail in the Whitsundays on a Charter Yachts Australia bareboat

Reasons to Choose Charter Yachts Australia

Buying a boat is a large investment and, to many owners, their boat is like a member of their family. You’ll want to have complete confidence in the charter company you choose to look after your “baby”. Here are the things that make us special:

Our Business

  • Peace of mind knowing you are part of a well-established, highly organised and respected business that will look after your vessel to the highest standards. Charter Yachts Australia has been operating successfully since 1992 and under the management of John Mol for the past 20 years, since 2000.
  • Assistance from our team throughout your ownership journey, from boat building contracts, survey requirements & obtaining appropriate permits.
  • We have developed one of the most modern & highly maintained fleets in the Whitsundays, with 21 vessels ranging from Monohull Yachts, Sailing Catamarans and Power Boats. Our expertise is comprehensive & varied no matter what type of vessel you choose to own.
  • Our mission is to maintain a boutique sized fleet allowing us to offer personalised and attentive full service to our customers and stakeholders.
  • Our centrally located base of Coral Sea Marina (formerly Abell Point Marina) Airlie Beach allows for easy & efficient access to maintenance providers & services such as mechanics, electricians, shipwrights, sail makers, chandlery & boat yards.
  • Along with our central base for maintenance purposes, our Coral Sea Marina office provides visibility & access to potential customers and ease and convenience for charterers and owners when taking the boat out including parking, laundry & storage facilities. Other facilities within walking distance of our base include major supermarkets and provisioning options, restaurants & shops, hotels & other accommodation. Airports servicing our region include Whitsunday Coast Airport (40 minutes by car/taxi) and Hamilton Island (1 hour by ferry or option to have your boat delivered to you).
  • We are recognised as an exceptional operator in the Whitsunday charter industry being both a finalist in the 2013 Whitsunday Tourism Award for Unique Accommodation & People’s Choice categories and industry innovator as the first company in Australia to attain Eco Certification.

Our Sales & Marketing

  • Our experienced sales & marketing team will promote & market your boat to encapsulate realistic returns, with over 30 years’ experience between them specific to the Charter Industry.
  • Our marketing channels include print and digital marketing & media, trade shows and active association and involvement with key tourism & industry bodies on a local, state and national level. We do not charge owners for advertising and marketing materials and projects.
  • We have established strong customer relationships evident in our loyal repeat and referral business that is a major source of annual income, along with actively seeking new markets as part of our ongoing marketing strategy.
  • Ability to achieve average bookings of around 20 – 25+ weeks annually for the duration of contract achieving realistic returns with significant lead time in our forward bookings.
  • Modern & up to date reservations systems in place ensuring reliability and ability to keep track of your past and forward bookings, including supply of monthly reports to owners.

Our Operations & Maintenance

  • Our structured maintenance protocols ensure that resale values will be optimised at the end of the contract period and minimise expenditure throughout your ownership period.
  • We pride ourselves on our transparency through our thorough documentation and communication, ensuring you are fully aware and informed of any work and maintenance carried out on your vessel.
  • We only use qualified and highly experienced staff and trades people to deal with your boat on both a maintenance and operations level.
  • We encourage your involvement in the management and maintenance of your vessel. We acknowledge and understand this is your investment and are very much a part of our business.
  • We have a proven low record of insurance claims, acknowledged in our low fleet policy & premiums.
  • Charter Yachts Australia also own & maintain a total of 11 moorings to minimise berthing costs during quiet periods. These are located directly out the front of Coral Sea Marina Resort allowing easy accessibility and movement of vessels.

Our Investment Plan

  • Charter Yachts Australia do not claim any commissions for placement of vessels into our fleet allowing you to negotiate the best purchase price for your vessel.
  • Strong, well established connections with Australian and International boat builders and brokerages who supply charter vessels to the industry that are known for their quality and durability.
  • Assured reliable referrals for taxation advice and lending options.
  • We have developed a financial plan for potential investors that is realistic and achievable.
  • Level of owner satisfaction is proven and one of the best within the Industry, supported with new boats being purchased by existing and previous owners.
  • We will be there for you ever step of the way. So when it comes time to set sail across the horizon, we guarantee that your boat will be in immaculate condition and that you’ll have the confidence to be Master and oversee your own vessel in search of adventure.

What We Provide

Our management agreement includes

  • We provide advertising, promotion & marketing of your boat to domestic and international markets.
  • We provide an office and shed facilities at Coral Sea Marina, Airlie Beach in order to conduct sales, greet charterers and to facilitate all aspects of the day to day running of your charter boat.
  • We administer and pay all third party charges on behalf of owner. We provide monthly statements outlining income, expenditure and GST.
  • We provide two-way radio communication to maintain contact with charterers twice daily, 7 days a week.
  • We maintain and co-ordinate daily operations and any breakdown services as required.
  • We supply a valid Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Permit for each vessel to operate in the Whitsunday charter area.
  • We claim a management commission of net charter fees (after agent commissions) for the above services.
  • We pay a balance of funds to owner, less all associated costs. We list estimated costs on income projections, which we can supply on request.

Costs relevant to owner

  • Insurance, annual fees, berthing, repairs and maintenance, annual lift, admin fees.
  • Briefing, cleaning, hull inspections, linen, staples and after charter turnarounds.

We are happy to supply a copy of our Management Agreement and outline of maintenance schedules

Your Taxation Obligations

Option 1. Small Business Model

The Charter Boat Industry now operated under tax ruling TR2003/2004: this ruling can be viewed online at http://law.ato.gov.au/atolaw/view.htm?docid=TXR/TR20034/NAT/ATO/00001

We can refer you to a trusted accountant who has an established relationship with the ATO and offered current & past owners for advice the “business test” and on private ruling classifications.

In summary:

  • The activity is to be operated for commercial reasons and in a commercially viable manner.
  • The investor has a prepared business plan to demonstrate the realistic expectation of profit for the life of the business.
  • The investor is entitled to a GST rebate on the purchase price of vessel.
  • The investor needs to be involved in and demonstrate running of the business and participate in decisions relating to rates, sales, operation & maintenance.
  • The investor has private use of vessel provided they keep records and adjust tax return.
  • Depreciation of up to 30% may be claimed and losses offset against boats income.

Option 2. Passive Business Model

This model of ownership places the vessel in charter without the need for business plans, documentation or owner-involvement required by option 1.

This option is suited to owners who chose or are not in a position to devote time required to run the operation as a business.

  • May combine lifestyle benefits of ownership while covering holding costs of boat ownership through income stream.
  • The ATO will not consider this model as a business and will limit tax benefits.
  • If reasonable expectation for profit can be substantiated, then the boat owner could be entitled for GST registration and eligible for appropriate GST credits on purchase price.
  • All deductions pertaining to this model are effectively “ring fenced” or quarantined and can only be offset against the charter boat income.

Note: The above outline is only our view of the rulings and we highly recommend that you seek your own independent financial advice.

Our Managing Directors

John Mol

John Mol is Managing Director with over 40 years’ marine industry experience in the fishing and offshore oil industries. He holds Master Class V, MEDII & Briefing tickets and prides himself on being a hands-on manager, overseeing the operations and maintenance in association with the Operations Manager and consulting frequently with both the Sales, Reservations and Marketing teams.

Annie Judd

Annie Judd’s Sales and Marketing skills were honed in family companies prior to managing Retail and Business Development for the Corporate Sector at Flight Centres for 8 years. Annie has applied this expertise in overseeing the training and development of the Sales and Reservations team and works in association with the Marketing Co-ordinator for all marketing plans and ventures. Annie handles all Boat Ownership dealings and is your port of call for any queries and assistance.

John and Annie’s joint business acumen, integrity and ability to work with all facets of the marine industry, inclusive of owners, suppliers and clients is well-known and respected.

Both are active members of Local, State and Federal industry associations, keeping abreast of Tourism initiatives and legislative updates to grow marine tourism for the area.

Our Crew

Our team are all long term staff members and are the best in the industry. They take pride in their professional service and high standards.

Sales & Reservation Team

Mel, Kim, Lisa & Antonia look after our sales & reservations and are among the most experienced and skilled in the industry, with some of the highest conversion rates. All have strong backgrounds in Whitsunday Tourism – specifically in the charter industry. Their goal is to ensure the right person is put on the right boat and the booking process is effortless.

Marketing Team

Mel oversees and maintains all facets of advertising and marketing including boat shows, print, digital & social media, keeping abreast of advancing technologies for charterers to log their trips. We actively seek and grow new corporate markets while maintaining Charter Yachts Australia’s strong customer relationships with loyal clients and stakeholders.

Operations, Maintenance & Briefing Team

Brett is Operations Manager and leads our team of Kane, Rolly & Tiago in the ongoing care and maintenance of the vessels. All are well experienced and qualified holding a minimum of Bareboat Briefers Certificates, First Aid, Radio Operators with several staff holding higher Marine Master & Engineers tickets

Abby our delightful Radio Operator will chat with you twice a day on our Scheduled Radio calls.

Cleaning & Detailing Team

Our Eco Team are our long serving and experienced in-house boat detailers who maintain the highest standards to keep your boat in pristine condition.

Accounts & Investment

Mandy administers all the financial side of business including monthly boat owner’s statements completed by 20th of each month

Mandy & Mel oversee entire Company Financials and deals with all new investor enquiries

Which Types of Boats Make the Best Bareboats?

Charter Yachts Australia are actively seeking new & quality second-hand charter vessels to replace and add to existing stock. We are more than happy to advise best contacts to approach when seeking purchase of a vessel.

We're Seeking

  • 44’ – 46’ Sailing Catamaran 4 cabin 4 bathroom e.g. Fountaine Pajot, Lagoon or Leopard models
  • 50’ Lagoon Sailing Catamaran – www.themultihullgroup.com
  • 38’ Sailing Catamaran – 3 cabin 2 bathroom i.e. Lightwave, Lagoon, Seawind models
  • 40 – 44’ Power Cat, 4 cabin 2 or 4 bathroom

We're Offering

Vessels currently in our fleet that are “for sale” with ongoing long-term contacts with Charter Yachts Australia

Charter Boats For Sale

Enquire Now

For further information, please contact: Melanie West or Mandy Helman

Email Us

melanie@cya.com.au

Free call within Australia

Call 1800 689 520

Call from outside Australia

Call +61 7 4946 6666

Meet Us in Person

Charter Yachts Australia
Shop 10, Coral Sea Marina Resort
Airlie Beach Queensland 4802