Portland Roads

All I can say is WOW! What an unbelievable holiday. If your thinking of holidaying in the Whitsundays and trying to choose a charter company, then look no further than John and his team at Portland Roads. We have just returned from a week of sailing on 'Lucy' in the beautiful Whitsundays and from the moment we stepped aboard Lucy we knew we had chosen the right company. The kids got a real kick out of meeting with John and learning about the Nagro people and how the islands were formed millions of years ago. Followed up with meeting our briefer Deano, who showed us the ins and outs of the boat and putting our minds at ease on where to go and to moor for the evenings. Deano even organised the best place for us to watch the fireworks for the reopening of Hayman Island (although we did miss them as we were sitting on the back of the boat enjoying a glass or two of red wine). The only thing that Deano couldn't organise was to get the fish to bite our hooks. Make sure that you get Whitsunday Provisioning to do the food as well. It maybe a little more expensive than Coles or Woolies, but the quality was outstanding and they deliver directly to the boat.We'll definitely be back

Our week on Ruby Sunday was incredible. Ive not spent much time on boats in the past so was a bit hesitant but from the moment we arrived we couldnt have asked for a better experience. Mike welcomes us and showed us the ropes before we relaxed in the Marina before setting sail the next day. While the weather wasnt ideal the first few days, sailing the boat was still no issue. Being a catamaran it was really stable and easy to operate. The islands and ocean around Airlie are spectacular. We had a great time exploring islands and snorkeling even seeing a manta ray. At night you have endless stars shining. The facilities on the boat were perfect. A huge ice chest, bbq, microwave, pod coffee machine and even a blender! Theyd thought of everything. The beds were really comfortable and easily slept a couple. It was surprising how much storage they could fit everywhere around the boat and it easily accommodated our group of 7. Having the seating and table at the back, front deck and inside table and seats meant you could spread out and relax depending on your mood. Cant recommend a sailing trip in the Whitsundays highly enough and youd do very well to go with Portland roads and Ruby Sunday - a dream holiday.

We arrived at Abell Point Marina mid-afternoon and were welcomed by Mike & Ruby who were both very accommodating. My husband & I have never done bareboating/sailing before and must admit we were a little worried but Mike made us feel comfortable and assured us everything will be fine. He was thorough with his instructions on how to operate the boat and kept us updated of the weather conditions etc everyday. The boat has tons of space and very well maintained. Absolutely loved the outdoor dining, the deck and the BBQ! Food has never tasted so good until you've tried it off the BBQ on the back of the boat. My husband even cooked for the first time in about 5 years. The kitchen is fully equipped and with ample fridge/freezer space. Our bed was comfortable. Pillows were great! Portland Roads has everything we needed - we couldn't help but have an awesome time! We had the most amazing time hopping from one island to another. We sailed, snorkeled and explored little coves near where we were anchored or moored in for the night. So many marine life encounters - dolphins, sting rays, turtles to name a few. Truly a delight for someone like us who love outdoors, photography and just being with nature. The Whitsundays is a phenomenal destination that must be seen this way and must be on everyone's bucket list. I highly recommend this trip with Portland Roads to anyone seeking an experience of a lifetime. It's simply one of those experiences we will never forget! Special thanks to John for making this trip smooth and easy - from the time we booked til the time we got back.

Our week on Ruby Sunday was incredible. Ive not spent much time on boats in the past so was a bit hesitant but from the moment we arrived we couldnt have asked for a better experience. *** *** us and showed us the ropes before we relaxed in the Marina before setting sail the next day. While the weather wasnt ideal the first few days, sailing the boat was still no issue. Being a catamaran it was really stable and easy to operate. The islands and ocean around Airlie are spectacular. We had a great time exploring islands and snorkeling even seeing a manta ray. At night you have endless stars shining. The facilities on the boat were perfect. A huge ice chest, bbq, microwave, pod coffee machine and even a blender! Theyd thought of everything. The beds were really comfortable and easily slept a couple. It was surprising how much storage they could fit everywhere around the boat and it easily accommodated our group of 7. Having the seating and table at the back, front deck and inside table and seats meant you could spread out and relax depending on your mood. Cant recommend a sailing trip in the Whitsundays highly enough and youd do well to go with Portland roads and Ruby Sunday - a dream holiday.

Our dream trip to sail the Whitsundays began in early May *** and we had a magical two weeks on Portland Roads a 420 Lagoon catamaran, with two other couples over our two weeks of sailing, around this amazing environment. The Portland Roads team that supported our holiday was professional, well organised and friendly and made us feel we were very well looked after. We received great hospitality and advice from ***, the principal of the company. *** inducted us the use of the boat and kept us on track. In the last 4 days of our trip when there was just two of us on board, we had Deano as our sail guide, an experience we highly recommend.

As this was our first trip of bare boat sailing we received great advice from *** who drew up a proposed itinerary for our trip around the Whitsunday Islands, including a visit to the lovely Palm Bay resort on Long Island, which we will definitely visit again on our next sail with Portland Roads. One of the great features of Portland Roads was access to the œOcean Club at Abell wharf, which provided full bathroom, laundry and BBQ facilities when were docked overnight at the marina. This facility, which was right next door to our mooring, allowed us to have a refreshing shower and access to washing machines, free coffee, a beautiful deck and BBQ facilities.

We totally recommend Portland Roads for your sailing adventure in the Whitsundays.