Quality Owner Operated Island Reef & Dive Adventures

Whitsundays Sailing Adventures is dedicated to offering you world class, quality live aboard sailing adventures in the spectacular Whitsunday Islands of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Our vessels are all Owner Operated resulting in a focus on vessel and crew standards, fantastic food, personalised service and a truly individual and unique experience. Here’s what the Owners have to say about their cruises:

Greg & Lauren Lambert have owned & operated Kiana since January 2003. Run as a family business, Greg & Lauren’s objective is to achieve as close as possible to complete satisfaction for every guest that sails and dives aboard Kiana. “We just want to give our guests one of the best experiences that they will have in Australia. We try to meet every passenger and listen to what they have to say about their experience aboard Kiana.”

Dan & Sue Baker have been involved in the Maritime Industry for 30 years, 10 operating in the Whitsundays. They have owned and operated Pacific Sunrise since 2006. “We bought her in 2004 and spent the next two years rebuilding from the keel up.” Quality, comfort, chef prepared meals, premium customer service and value for money are the hallmarks of this top shelf operation. “We like to think that we rate as one of the premium operations and enjoy nothing better than entertaining our guests and showcasing one of the natural wonders of the world.”

Max Macintyre & Judith Van Hulst are the owner operators of Silent Night and they are a hands on operation. Max skippers the yacht every week and Judith still does the occasional trip though mainly is kept busy with the behind the scene operations. Max has been sailing in the Whitsundays for more than 12 years. Still driven by the thrill of sailing and the beauty of the region, his passion has not faded. “We aim to put a smile on everyone’s face.” Silent Night offers the perfect balance between comfort and the thrill of performance sailing with space for all to sit above and below deck.

Brad & Bri Schulz, bought Summertime in 2008 after Brad had worked in the region as a skipper for the previous three years. Brad now skippers his own boat every week and Bri takes care of the business side of things, in amongst her other duties as a young mum. Their philosophy for Summertime is fun, fun, fun, life’s short with not a moment to lose. Dive, sail and kayak a trip on Summertime is jam packed with activity followed by a soak in the hot tub with a chilled drink at the end of the day. “It’s the kind of holiday that we love to have.” A holiday cruise to remember.

Derwent Hunter & SV Whitehaven

Warren & Jo Ladd are the owner operators of this multi award winning Adventure and Eco Tourism operation. A feature of these cruises is a high level of reef, rainforest and wildlife eco interpretation by formally trained crew. “Our commitment to sustainable practices and minimal impact on the pristine areas visited helps ensure that the spectacular beauty of the Whitsunday Islands and The Great Barrier Reef can be enjoyed by generations to come.” Warren has owned and operated charter vessels in the Whitsundays for the last 15 years.

 

Wayne & Sandy Pavey sailed into Airlie Beach aboard their own cruising yacht 21 years ago. “We fell in love with the region and decided to settle. Wayne began work as a skipper and never stopped talking about one particular boat… Waltzing Matilda. By 2000 he was her skipper and in 2002 we got the opportunity to buy into Waltzing and become owners. We have set the boat up as a really comfortable cruising yacht. Our trips are laid back and relaxed, in the style that we enjoy ourselves.” Sandy meets every guest and Wayne still often skippers himself. “Happy smiling people on the trip of a lifetime, that’s what it’s all about.”

Rich & Veronica Walter have been involved in the charter boat industry since 2003 when they started offering owner operated cruises on Sydney Harbour.  Following a holiday in the Whitsundays, they decided to leave the hustle and bustle of city life behind them.  They purchased Whitsunday Getaway in 2009 and are now true owner operators, living the dream in Airlie Beach and crewing their own cruises on a regular basis.

Wings & Emperors Wings

After owning and operating Wings 2 since 2006, Mike & Amy Keyte commissioned the construction of Wings 3 (Emperors Wings) in 2009 with the aim of providing a modern, stable, state of the art live aboard dive vessel to cater to the specialised needs of divers wishing to explore the Outer Great Barrier Reef. Mike & Amy Keyte have owned, operated and skippered vessels in the Whitsundays since 1999. Their aim is to provide adventure enthusiasts with modern fast sailing catamarans that cater to the specialised needs of divers wishing to explore the Whitsunday Islands.