Reef Magic - A first for bareboats in the Whitsunday Area

Some operators have a view that a “cabin” is anywhere with a bed and that a double bed can be anything two people can cram into. Every boat in the fleet has separate full size cabins with plenty of headroom, space to walk around with a wardrobe and drawers for your clothes.

Our bathrooms have full size, full flush, domestic toilets, no pumps or buttons to operate. The showers are full size, fully enclosed with mixer taps and plenty of headroom.

Our galleys have full size stoves, microwaves and double sinks, again with mixer taps. Plenty of storage space and huge fridges and freezers eutectically operated to ensure you don’t flatten your batteries or have food waste and warm beer.

Want to freshen up to go to a resort for dinner? You will find an iron, hairdryer and plenty of mirrors on board.

Of course the boats are equipped with LCD TV, DVD. A MP3 compatible stereo/CD system with speakers on each deck is standard as are powerful reading lights above every bed should you decide to curl up with a book. A jumbo gas bar-b-que is included, well lit for evening cooking and safe.

Every boat in the fleet is designed with a special Hydrofield hull with stabilising secondary hulls to minimise rocking when at anchor and to provide a stable, safe and extremely comfortable trip when under way. This is exclusive to the Operator who continues to lead the way in luxury drive yourself boat charter.

Automatic Pilot and Chart plotter

No more losing your way or arriving at a destination only to find you are not where you wanted to be. Just identify the place you wish to visit, point the boat and engage the automatic pilot. The boat will stay on that compass heading and take you in the direction you want. You can relax and enjoy the scenery without having to make constant corrections to compensate for waves.

** NOTE: The driver should maintain a vigilant watch for other boats or obstructions and auto pilot should not be engaged within one nautical mile of landfall.

Automatic Dishwasher

You are on holidays. You don't hand wash at home, why should you have to put up with it on holidays? The 3000 litres of fresh water aboard the boats makes this little luxury possible without compromising your water supply.

Reef Magic users a Hydrofield hull design

This design has been around for around twenty years and is used extensively on vessels as diverse as ferries to blue water, game fishing boats. They are used by water police around Australia and in various Ports Authorities both here and overseas.

What is Hydrofield?

The design features two tunnels that run the length of the boat and extend in height to just below the waterline. This results in a major hull and two outboard hulls which are much smaller. The benefit is four fold.

Firstly the boat is extraordinarily stable. An inherent danger of fly bridge cruisers is overloading on the top deck making the vessel unstable and at the extreme, resulting in capsizes. In the ferry mode the testing authorities were unable to squeeze enough people onto the top deck to even begin to rate it. In other words it is impossible to capsize the vessel in still waters.

Secondly the hull design creates a very stable platform at anchor, resisting the rolling sensation when swells hit beam on (other vessels bow waves). It virtually becomes a “stabilized vessel” similar to large ocean liners.

Thirdly and of great importance in bareboat chartering, it provides an exceptionally wide beam without the disadvantage of having multiple hulls so that the Operator can feature true queen size cabins and beds, full size bathroom and galley. It also means a great deal of room below decks so the Operator can store 3000 litres of water and still have miles of room for dive bottle racks, and other storage.

Fourthly, and not a consideration here, is that at speed the Hydrofield does not dig in at the stern and lift the bow. It simply rises as the increased water flow enters the tunnels and lifts the whole vessel until it is skimming on the three points of the hull. Very much like a Hydrofoil Ferry, thus the name, Hydrofield.

So, why doesn’t everybody use them? The answer quite simply is cost. To use these hulls and create a custom designed superstructure is about 50% more expensive than buying a recreational boat and attempting to convert it. It’s like the difference between using a Holden as a taxi as compared to a purpose built unit like the London Cab. The Holden works, but is not as comfortable, as easy to get in and out of, as strong or as long lasting as the London Cab. The Holden may last three or four years, the London Cab for fifteen or twenty.

Reef Magic, with regular internal upgrades, will be as serviceable and comfortable in twenty years as it is today.

Sailing is fun, but to really enjoy a boating holiday it is nice to be able to kick back in deck chairs on a spacious, shaded top deck with a cool drink. And should inclement weather occur, there is no need to lock yourself below decks, simply retire to the huge, air conditioned saloon with LCD TV and DVD, or plug your MP3 player into the compatible stereo system and capture the view from the panoramic windows.

At the end of the day you can retire to huge queen size beds in full cabins with plenty of space to walk around and get changed. Full size, full flush toilets instead of small pump flush facilities and a full size shower recess with glass shower screen and mixer tap will make you feel like you are back at home.

Our unique hull design used on the bareboats provides a stable platform whether at rest, or travelling and is unique to the company. The Operator uses only inboard shaft drive diesels for safety and to prevent the smells and smoke that accompany outboard engines. The boats are well ventilated and easy to drive.

TRULY LUXURIOUS. The ONLY motor cruisers specifically designed for Boat Charter in the Whitsundays.

Below is just a sample of what sets this vessel apart from other vessels available for charter in the Whitsundays:

* Three times more fresh water than converted recreational boats.
* Eutectic refrigeration to ensure your food stays fresh, without flat batteries ruining your holiday.
* Plenty of room to relax, with the widest monobeam hulls in Australia, providing a full length top deck and plenty of shade for those that want it.
* Air Conditioning, dishwasher, LCD television, DVD, MP3 player auto pilot, chart plotter etc.
* Three times more fresh water than converted recreational boats. Eutectic refrigeration to ensure your food stays fresh, 240v power at sea enables you to utilise all of the facilities. Plenty of room to relax, with the widest monobeam hulls in Australia, providing a full length top deck and plenty of shade for those that want it.

Coral Reef Charters information

About The Operator

Welcome to the beautiful Whitsundays, a bareboat paradise.

The Operator is the premium motor cruiser bareboat specialist in the Whitsundays, in fact, that is all the Operator does. No yachts whatsoever, just luxury bareboat motor cruisers.

The Operator was set up to provide a luxury alternative to converted recreational motor cruisers. The vessels are specifically designed for bareboat, drive yourself operations in the Whitsundays.

With 3000 litres of fresh water (500-800 litres on other boats), fully air conditioned with an on-board generator set and huge fridge/freezer capacity, the boats do not require you to skimp on showers or to make the long return to port every few days to replenish – with the Operator you can stay out for up to three weeks at a time.

Every boat has a huge top deck with comfortable chairs and a table so you and your friends can spread out, relax and have meals with a 360-degree view.

An Introduction to the Operator

The very real difference between a recreational boat and what is required in the Whitsunday revolves around the length of time you are away from port and the relatively high number of people on board.

It was in this environment, that the Operator was launched.

Unable to find a suitable vessel for his own holiday, the founder of the company, Ken Burke, decided to have a vessel designed from the keel up to operate specifically as a bareboat. He set about including all of the ingredients he felt he, and the population in general, would like to have on a boat.

Charterers are away from port for up to ten to twelve days and facilities to call into for additional fresh water or provisions is extremely limited. A boat that is suitable for three or four days of overnighting in Sydney Harbour with three or four people on board and any number of places to stop and replenish water and provisions is virtually useless for a extended passage of ten days for up to twelve people. The only available fresh water supply is at Hamilton Island and Airlie Beach, either of which could be two hours out of your way. For that reason, all of the vessels chartered by the Operator have in excess of 2500 litres of fresh water. They also have onboard a 240 volt generator that enables refrigeration to be maximised and to provide the small comforts of home, such as hairdryer, irons and other cooking facilities that one comes to expect.

The other area that Ken felt required attention was in the provision of sleeping quarters. He felt for a 10-day holiday people would like a large comfortable bed in a private cabin with plenty of headroom and room to move around the bed plus plenty of storage and hanging space for people's clothes and their belongings.

The other area that was important was the amount of deck area where people could relax on comfortable chairs and enjoy a meal in the open. For this reason, all have a full length top deck, that will accommodate 10 to 12 people in deck chairs, comfortably without people having to sit on a towel on a hard fibreglass deck.

As many people chartering this boat will not have had much experience at sea, and may feel the effects of water movement, each boat has been designed with a Hydrofield hull, which reduces movement whilst the boat is at rest, in the same way as a catamaran without the disadvantages inherent in that design (read about Hydrofield vs Catamaran hulls) and also provides a much more stable platform when under way. These boats have been surveyed as a ferry holding upwards of seventy people, many of which are on the top deck. There has never been a more stable and seaworthy monohull boat ever built in this size range.

Of course, the bathroom and galley, two areas where it is important for the ladies to feel comfortable and to more closely resemble the home that they have left. Ken felt people wanted to experience the isolation and beauty of the Whitsunday's, but not have to live in a cave to do it. People do not want to have to pump toilets or operate electric toilets, they would much prefer to simply flush the way they do at home. This is available on all of the boats. Similarly, the shower is full size with a glass screen and a mixer tap, and because of the large reservoir of freshwater everybody on board can have a reasonable shower, wash their hair and generally not have too suffer from the restrictions of having less than thirty litres of water per person per day for a ten day cruise The galley also features for a full size double sink with mixer tap, a full size gas cook top and oven with an electric grill and full size microwave, and on some boats, even a dish washer.

Refrigeration is essential in this part of the world, and it follows that all of the boats have generous provisions for deep freezers and refrigeration in addition to being fully air-conditioned on every level. Again, it was important that this refrigeration be activated by means other than relying on batteries. One of the great complaints from people chartering vessels is to have flat batteries early in the charter, which results in the thawing of all or part of their food which cannot be refrozen leading to a scarcity of food in the last half of the charter.

Storage was also a source of complaint from people. Charterers were advised to bring soft bags and if possible to leave them ashore as there was simply no area on recreational boats, where a number of bags could be stored. Similarly, people wanting to dive, often had to have their air bottles in their cabins or strapped in the cockpit area, which further reduced the available recreational room. Storage area on the boats is vast, and feature dive bottle racks below decks to accommodate up to eight bottles, and to prevent them from moving about the boat. All lifejackets and safety equipment are stored beneath the seats, again, freeing up wardrobes, that on recreational boats are often filled with lifejackets as there is no other room on the boat to store them.

In short, there is ample room for guests to move around the boat. Enjoy a television show, watch a DVD, or just get out of each other's way. There is room aboard to find a spot on the boat, where you can snuggle up with the book a have a little bit of privacy, and not have to live on top of the rest of the party.

Although these boats charge a premium charter rate they are nevertheless the most solidly booked vessels in the Whitsunday area. This is testament to the foresight of Ken in providing people with the luxury and comfort that they expect albeit at a slightly more expensive price and than can be obtained on lesser vessels.

The boats are constantly upgraded to insure that they remain as new. Bedding is constantly changed, TVs upgraded. Carpeting is replaced as soon as it begins to look shoddy. In short, the Operator takes immense pride in the boats, in the Whitsunday's and in the customers.

We've put together a Sample Itinerary for you:

For first timers the Operator would suggest 10 or 11 nights with a combination of secluded bays and resorts. The Operator also suggests you break your anchorages up so the crew can get a bit of exercise.

Day 1.
Shute Harbour fro Airlie BeachThe briefing and familiarisation can take up to 3-4 hours. You must be anchored for the night by 4.00pm each day so if you are leaving from Airlie Beach you must be able to start the briefing before10.00am. For most flights that is difficult so it is recommended you stay the first night at a hotel or you can stay on the boat, in the marina, if it is available for half the normal nightly rate.

So assuming you get in the night before and start your briefing around 8.00am you will be away around lunchtime and head for Stonehaven. There are plenty of National Park moorings here as there are in most anchorages in the north of Hook Island. Give yourself a chance to get used to handling the boat before you have to start using the anchor. Reasonable snorkelling here very protected from the north and north east winds. You should arrive there about 2.30pm. which will ensure you should have no problem getting one of the six moorings.

Day 2.
Blue Pearl Bay Hayman IslandFrom here a nice run is up to Langford Island for lunch. This is a sandy beach but with good coral in shallow water. Again there are plenty of moorings here. Spend some time on the beach, particularly if you have children. The only problem here is exposure; if the winds are strong it can be uncomfortable. There can also be a strong current along the beach so have someone stay on the boat so they take the dinghy out and round everybody up if necessary.

If it is too windy then head to Blue Pearl Bay on Hayman Island. Gets a bit congested with day trippers, and for good reason, plenty of sea life and most of them will eat out of your hand.

After lunch head to Butterfly Bay, one of the jewels of the Whitsundays and very popular for overnighters. There are 9 moorings and you cannot anchor in the bay, so miss out on a mooring and you may have to move to the next bay.

Day 3.
snorkelling in the whitsundaysFollowing a leisurely breakfast proceed out of Butterfly east. There are two or three really good snorkel spots along there. Spend the morning in this area.

From here it depends. The nicest is to continue down the eastern side of Hook Island to Border Island. Border Island has spectacular coral and is very protected from south and south west winds. Two things to consider,

• The passage down the eastern side can be rough and a little scary for people who are not used to boats. If it looks windy and rough when you stick your nose around the corner then turnaround and head down the western side to Cid Harbour for the night. You can then pass through Hook Passage the next morning and hop over to Border Island from there.
• The second is the forecast winds, both direction and strength, for that night if they are a Northerly aspect and more than 15 knots you will be in for a bumpy night at Border Island.

Day 4.
Tongue Bay WhitsundaysAfter leaving Border stop for a while at Dumbell Island. The fish life here is spectacular, magnificent colours and so tame the little ones will bump into your mask rather than get out of your way. From Dumbell Island proceed to Tongue Bay. Once moored, follow all the other dinghies to the shore and take the walk to the lookout. Make sure you have all your cameras because the view over Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach is probably the best on the planet, especially at half tide when you get the contrast of colours.

From there walk down to the beach, shuffle in the ponds and watch as dozens of small stingrays dart away from you. Off the beach is a great place to swim, the water is just so clear and inviting.

Day 5.
Whitehaven Beach WhitsundaysCall into Whitehaven Beach for lunch or stay there the night it is usually quite safe even though it is fairly open. Take a walk (or run) along the beach to stretch your legs. In the afternoon head on to Linderman Island (Club Med) you can anchor at either end of the island depending on wind. There are great walks (more exercise) over the island and they are assessable from either end, as is the resort.

Day 6.
Generally people take a resort mooring in front of the resort. You can have either lunch or dinner there, for those who have never been to Club Med, make sure you get there running on empty, the amount of food is ridiculous. They have a great golf course and plenty of activities, or just spend time around the pool with an ice cold cocktail.

Day 7.
Motor back to Hamilton Island. You can go direct, or up the western side of Long Island and call into Club Croc. then walk around to the upmarket Peppers Resort for a cold one. Lunch on Hamilton is great at the Yacht Club, you can then hire a golf cart and tour the whole island, call into the resort and check it out. When you have had enough, proceed to Gulnare Inlet for the night, or if you missed out on Cid Harbour on the way down that is really pretty and not to be missed.

At high tide in Gulnare it is possible to take the dinghy up through the mangroves for a number of kilometres, winding toward the foot of the mountain into true wilderness areas. There are also remnants of olds timber mills and some very old aboriginal paintings accessible from the main inlet.

Swimming is very restricted here and coral non existent, but the mountains are very steep and picturesque and it is protected from winds from any direction.

Day 8.
henning-islandLeaving Gulnare it is a short hop to Henning Island. There is huge brain coral close to the shore which is best at mid tide. Some pieces are the size of the boat, so a morning snorkel here before motoring over to Sth. Molle Island is a good idea.

There are a number of very nice walks on Sth. Molle and another opportunity for some exercise. For the golfers and first time golfers there is a little 9 hole course which is generally played in bare feet. The resort has a large pool, tennis courts and put on a nice lunch. The bay makes a good anchorage for the night if the winds are from the south.

Day 9.
A short trip to visit Daydream island resort. The owners have recently spent over $80m. renovating and although unimposing from the outside it is very nice once you get ashore.

There are a number of good snorkel, swimming and picnic places on the western side of Hook Island. Taking your time to travel up this coast, stopping at a couple of nice places sees you at Nara Inlet for your final night. This is a very protected anchorage. There are Aboriginal paintings with a clearly marked path which is boardwalked for part of the way.

Day 10.
Sunset at airlie beachA two hour run back to Airlie Beach should see you arrive not later than 10.00am. for your debrief. This takes about an hour, but talking about your experiences can often stretch it to twice that time. The bus picks up for the airport around noon (depending on where you are heading) and you are off home.

Of course the above is just a suggestion; you can spend more or less time at different places. It is not unusual for people to spend a couple of days in one anchorage that particularly appeals to them, just relaxing. The thing is, the area is very large and varied. There will be places you will want to revisit. At the end of the day it is not how many places you anchor; it’s about relaxation and friendship.

Testimonials
Below are some comments the passengers have made about their holiday experience with us, and how they enjoyed it:

"Very professional [service and support], yet relaxed and Nick took the time we needed with all the questions and answers. When you go on a big holiday you feel important and we were treated like our holiday was important to your company. The whole process of ordering and receiving the food was so easy and the quality was excellent. Thanks for everything Ken, you've been great to deal with and meeting and dealing with Nick was a great pleasure as well."

G.W., September 2007

"The boat was nice and clean and the service from Nick outstanding."

M.D., September 2007

"We had a wonderful time - everything ran smoothly, assistance from staff great. We would use the Operator again."

V.T., July 2007

"Had a great time and Airlie Beach was a fantastic place to start and finish for a couple of days."

M.H., May 2007

"Very good service, good quality and reasonable priced considering the location."

A.W., April 2007

"Many personal thanks Ken to yourself and Nick for everything you have done to make our holiday very memorable. We will definitely be recommending you to friends and family. Your service, assistance, generosity and correspondence is second to none. Thank you for a wonderful holiday."

K.W., February 2007

"Service was great - boat was awesome. Nick was great and helped us out a great deal."

J.E., January 2007

"Very efficient. Email communication was prompt and informative. [staff attitude and behaviours] professional and appreciated."

G.C., December 2006

"We felt very comfortable taking control after briefing and knew help was only a phone call away. Thanks for a great honeymoon!"

G.B., October 2006

"Nick should receive a pat on the back he was excellent to deal with, nothing was a problem."

M.D., October 2006

"Very comprehensive briefing. Can't wait till the next trip. The boat was exactly what we wanted."

S.A., September 2006

"Nick's briefing and knowledge of the boat was excellent. Most enjoyable, weather was perfect."

R., August 2006