Sailing Holidays in Whitsundays

The Whitsundays are in the Coral Sea on Australia's East coast, on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef. The starting point for yacht charters in the Whitsundays is usually Airlie Beach, a coastal town in Queensland considered the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.

Some of the top things to do on a yacht charter in the Whitsundays are sail, swim and snorkel.

The Whitsundays are the heart of the Great Barrier Reef and consist of 74 islands. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and you may well find your own deserted tropical island for the night. Once you've picked up a mooring buoy for the night, turn on the BBQ and watch the sun set.

There are an abundance of stunning beaches to relax on such as Hill Inlet and Whitehaven beach. Their never ending shades of turquoise are unlike any other beaches in the world. Enjoy watching the green turtles riding the waves or the dugong eating the seagrass.

In the winter months of April to August temperatures range from 17-26 degrees Celsius with bright blue skies and sunshine. This period is the dry season. The summer months of January to March is the wet season with frequent tropical rainfalls and temperatures averaging between 24-30 degrees Celsius.

Visit Whitsunday island and head to shore to explore and enjoy the infamous Whitehaven beach, often named the most beautiful beach in the world. Take some shoes with you so you can climb up to Hill inlet lookout and take in the full panoramic view and the stunning colours. Take a short walk round to the secluded Bettys beach and enjoy the pure white sands.

Take your snorkel and fins and using your reef guide take the time to snorkel on one of the many beautiful coral reefs, perhaps between Hayman Island and Hook Bay and then continue round to Butterfly bay to enjoy the batfish swimming around your boat. If you are there in May to September take time to look for the humpback whales on their migratory journey.

For yacht charters in Australia you do not need any formal qualifications however you will need to submit a resume of your sailing experience. When you arrive at the base a skipper will come onboard your yacht with you for a few hours to test your competence. When they are happy they will return to shore and you can commence your charter.

The Whitsundays have some of the best sailing conditions in the world - warm, dry days with steady breezes. For most of the year the winds are South to South Easterly. During the peak summer months they come round to the North/North East. It is a tidal area and there are some stronger currents between the islands that need to be taken into account when passage planning. There are anchorages and mooring buoy fields providing shelter on either side of the islands depending on the wind.

The best time to sail in the Whitsundays is between April and November.

There are only short sailing distances between the main islands of the Whitsundays so a week's charter will give you time to enjoy the different anchorages, explore the reefs and relax on the beautiful beaches in between some excellent sailing.

Yacht charters in the Whitsundays start from Airlie beach in Northern Queensland. Brisbane is 1000km away and Cairns is 600km away. Often people combine their sailing holiday with a road trip on the East coast from either of these destinations. There are domestic flights available to Whitsunday Coast Airport from where it is just a 45 minute transfer to Airlie beach.