Brad & Judy Scott
July 2008

Hi CYA Team

In July this year we had a fabulous 5 night bare boat charter aboard "Beach
House", after being the extremely lucky winners at the Auckland Boat Show.
{A great 50th birthday present].

Each bay has its own individual beauty.  While in Tongue Bay one evening, we
felt extremely privileged to see Dugongs swimming into the bay.  We were
able to snorkel the coral reefs, see turtles, dolphins, aboriginal cave
paintings, Whitehaven Beach (to name a few) and every evening we saw the
most amazing sunsets.

We loved "our boat" Beach House;  she was beautifully presented and was
perfect for us inside and out.  We would have no hesitation in recommending
chartering either this yacht or any of the others that Charter Yachts
Australia have.  The team at Charter Yachts Australia are extremely
friendly, professional and helpful and the Abel Point Marina is a great
place from which to start and finish sailing the Whitsundays.

Thank you Charter Yachts Australia;  we wish we were still there.

Sam & Heather Whittle & Family
July 2008

Dear Colleen, Simone, John, Craig, and the CYA crew,

Many thanks for helping us with our Whitsundays holiday on Tranquility.
We all had a fantastic time and as novices to 'bare boat cruising' 
were able to really enjoy ourselves because of your help in preparation and
during our 'cruise'.
I now have a problem - I want to do it again!
Perhaps we will see what next year's programme has in store.
Once again - a big thank you.

Warren & Denise Levy
June 2008

Dear John, Annie and all your Great Team.

When we left Circo back in early June we slowly drove North to Cooktown and toured for a few weeks before returning home just 3 weeks ago. Then stuff overtook us and I am sorry that I have not been able to respond to the email questionnaire till now. The more so because, apart from the weather- which we do not blame YOU for! -the week with Circo was a wonderful experience. It certainly honed our skills and the boat was a dream. Your Crew was so helpful, supportive and good to talk to daily and the intro and debrief were pleasures.

We shall, and already have, sung the praises of Charter Yachts Australia and really look forward to our next occasion with you. I just hope that will not be too long away. In the meantime I attach the questionnaire and hope our comments are helpful (to follow)

Thanks again for entrusting us with your wonderful boat. I am so pleased that we were able to get it back to you in he same great state as when we departed!

Ian David
June 2008

Thanks CYA team. We had a relaxing 5 days at Hamilton to get our land legs. We are really impressed with the Charter Yachts Australia service and total experience. We will recommend you highly and will definitely be repeat customers.

William Ashton
April 2008

Thank you all very much for a wonderful sailing holiday ! Purrfection was absolutely perfect for our needs - a spacious, luxurious, well appointed vessel with wonderful sailing capability. The Whitsundays provided an excellent venue to cater for our party's various needs - sailing, swimming, snorkelling, sleeping (the teenagers!) and sight seeing. As a first time "solo" experience it has provided me with the confidence to do further bareboat charters. John's briefing provided some simply reassuring advice which took a lot of the anxiety out of my mind - although I still got up about 4 times a night to check that the boat hadn't drifted off the 40 metres of chain !

All my family have said how much they enjoyed their holiday - my daughter wants to know when we are buying the boat - and my sons girlfriend who has not sailed before - wants to know when we are sailing again. (She did look rather anxious when John disappeared after the briefing as she had somehow thought we were hiring a skipper. The "... oh, are YOU sailing us around for the next 5 days" with a worried look on her face said it all!)

I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Charter Yachts Australia to anyone. A very professional team providing an outstanding level of service. Thank you all very much indeed.

Sue & John Cooper, Janine King, Kevin Davidson, Graeme & Virginia Beissel
March 2008

Dear Colleen, Simone and Jacqui

Thank you all for organising our trip through the Whitsundays.  We have had a fabulous, restful, interesting fun week and we all appreciate the big effort you put in to make it so. 

Our Skipper ‘Darling’ has been the best we could hope to have, so called to distinguish him from the other ‘darlings’.  Four of us were not confident sailors and he has given us a confidence to enjoy the varied weather conditions.

“Encore” proved to be a great choice of boat and together with the excellent provisions we are a very happy crew.

Thank you again.

Helen Rosamond
December 2007

Apologies for the delay in my correspondence.   Myself and the crew have finally arrived back to work after the festive season and enjoying an extended holiday.  I will endeavour to complete your feedback form in the not too distant future.

Feedback received from all crew members were one of “Best holiday of their lifetime”, “fabulous”. The atmosphere on board was incredibly positive and all went very smoothly. I appreciate all of your teams dedication, commitments and professional service you provided throughout the endurance of our planning and actual sailing experience with Charters Yachts Australia.

A truly magnificent experience.

Well done to you and please pass on my thanks to your team.  It was an absolute pleasure to meet and work with you.

Bill Ritchie
November 2007

Hi Guys

Let me say first of the presentation of the boat on arrival for our holiday was 100%. And the person that gave the crew briefing (I have forgotten his name) was again very professional, he took the time to take us through the boat systems, and at the end Ross (my son) & I fully understood the workings of the vessel.

Secondly he took us through the “100 Islands” hand book, and at the end we had a very comprehensive understanding of the sailing area.

Finally he took us out into the bay and demonstrated anchoring and the tacking capabilities of the boat and I was pleased (should I say relieved) to note that we were not allowed to jybe the boat.  

To close out our briefing we discussed the better areas for snorkelling and general sailing.

Would we do it again “YES” see you next year.

The sailing area is better than the Greek Islands and the boat “Razzle Dazzle” was fantastic.

Peter Taylor
August 2007

Hi all,

Once again thanks for a very memorable holiday, Beach House was a great
boat! We all have many good memories, and we 're all in agreement that we
will charter again in the future.

I will send the feedback form shortly. Attached is a shot taken in Solway
pass after leaving whitehaven.

Barney, Mindy & Daisy Grumley
July 2007

Thanks again for a fantastic 8 nights aboard the Masquerade. We all enjoyed the trip and it was exactly what we needed.

Despite the weather not being so kind to us on the first couple of days we managed to catch up on some serious fishing, little reading and a bit of eating and drinking. And once weather fined up we all had a great time swimming and exploring the Whitsunday’s. White haven beach would have to be one of the best swimming beaches we have visited.

We caught some nice fish which included a 5 klg golden trevally which fed us for a couple of nights and with the aid of some red wine this was first class.

Found manta ray bay a great spot for snorkeling as none of us had ever seen corral like this before.

The whole crew looked forward to morning and evening scheds, quite entertaining and there certainly seems to be a few characters about on some of those charter boats.

Couldn’t have asked for a better boat, Masquerade suited our group perfectly and was very well equipped and very comfortable with heaps of storage space.

Stop off at Hamilton was also an added bonus and we took time out to have a nice night out on the town and a tour around the Island on a couple of buggies.

All in all a fantastic trip, Thank you guys

PS special thanks to Wayne for coming over to Hamilton Island and replacing one of the fresh water pumps.

Steve & Barbara Loader
August 2007

Leaving the New Zealand winter behind and wanting to try boating in Australia, we headed straight for Airlie Beach.

We had a truly amazing experience - something we could not forget in a lifetime!

After a full and comprehensive briefing, including vessel operation, navigation and safety and care for the fragile local eco system by the team at Charter Yachts Australia we headed the catamaran 'Divocean' towards the Whitsunday Islands.

On the way we were enthralled by the antics of a pair of humpback whales slapping the waters of the Whitsunday Passage, broaching their bodies out of the water and performing water ballet with their tails protruding upright from the water for long periods. The sounds of their calls resonated through the hull at morning and evening whilst at anchor.

With magnificent corals and multi-coloured reef fish surrounding these islands the view from a snorkel and mask (gear supplied) was breath taking.

From the turtles at Butterfly Bay to the powdered white sands of Whitehaven Beach there is adventure for all ages as long as we all obey the instructions given and help protect this marine wonderland. Charter Yachts Australia is very pro-active in this regard and we thank them sincerely for all their help and advice and look forward to a return visit soon.

Bob Rutter, Jean Terry, Phil Lyons & Rika Van der Meer,
January 2007

(Jean Terry won this charter by entering our competition at the 2006 Melbourne Boat Show)

Dear Everyone at Charter Yachts Australia,

On behalf of Bob, Rika, Phil, and myself I want to thank you for awarding us such a wonderful opportunity to experience the Whitsundays. I know we are all changed forever by our time on Beach House, and will look back on that trip with smiles all round.

Beach House is a wonderful boat. She was steady, comfortable, and never let us down. The only regret is that we did not take more photos of our boating holiday there.

Matthew Fox, Aleisha Boots, Temyka Belgrove & Taylor Boots
January 2007

Thanks once again for a perfect holiday where nothing was too much for you guys, thanks to all the team at Charter Yachts Australia.

Circo was a fantastic new yacht and was a dream to handle; the inclusions on board made our sailing holiday once again nothing less than Perfect. This was my third time Sailing with CYA but Aliesha's first time ever. You know I will be back again very soon.

Tony & Belinda Jones
January 2007

We just wanted to thankyou for an unforgettable holiday experience! It was
a wonderful way to spend our first wedding anniversary together.

We thoroughly enjoyed our (short 5 day) charter aboard your yacht
"BeachHouse".

The Whitsundays was everything and more that we ever imagined. Having
travelled extensively to over 20 countries over the past year, we have seen
and done some wonderful things. But, somehow nothing could ever compare to
our week long charter in the Whitsundays.

Having always been into power boats (and never sailed), we thought it would
be a nice change to charter a yacht for a week. We were not disappointed.
We can now appreciate the sheer exhiliration that you can only get from
boating with only the power of the wind in your sails and getting the salt
spray on your face.

A special thank-you to Kym for giving a us such a detailed briefing before
we set off. You made us feel confident and excited about the week ahead of
us. All of your years of sailing experience and local knowledge, truly made
our trip more fantastic!

We will definately be back soon. Hopefully we can convert more of our
friends to sailing, so that they can see for themselves the beauty of the
Whitsundays.

Thanks again and have a great year

Tim, Ruth & Jessica Sargant & Jessica Coutts
December 2006

Dear John, Annie & CYA Staff,

Thank you for helping make our time sailing around the Whitsundays perfect. 'Aria' was an ideal introduction for the 2 teenage girls we had onboard, and both of them were quite handy helping with the sails, steering and tying on fenders etc whilst docking at Hamilton Island.

I don't think either girl expected to see such beautiful sights under the water and couldn't get into their suits quickly enough every time we anchored in a new place. Speaking of which, we loved Chalkie's Beach, Whitehaven of course, and yet had the most fun at Sawmill Beach in Cid Harbour and met some lovely people who gave us some fishing tips. We did manage to catch a few fantastic Coral Trout too and the girls spent hours fishing.

For Tim & I, we enjoyed the whole sailing experience - no motors, just the wind in the sails and the splash of waves as we sailed towards Border Island - just magic and we managed to maintain 3kts so not a bad effort. Afternoon drinks on the 'poop deck' didn't go astray either - we are missing that luxury now we are back home!

'Aria' was very well presented and easy to get about on and very comfortable in every way. We do have our sights set on 'Razzle Dazzle' though - John should not have shown that one to us! Wow, how impressive.

We'll be back as soon as possible and hopefully bring some newcomers with us next time.

Take care and thank you once again for a fantastic time.

The Cooper family
October 2006

Dear Annie, John and all the staff at CYA,

We wish to thank all the staff at CYA for helping to make our first charter experience a memorable one.

It had been a dream of ours for many years to sail the Whitsundays. Unfortunately...we only chartered the "Aria" for one week and missed out on a few places we would of liked to see...so we are just going to have to do it all again...yippee! Only 47 and a half weeks to go!

We loved the whole Whitsunday charter experience so much that we would have no hesitation in recommending your company (and the Whitsundays) to friends and family alike.

The "Aria" was a very comfortable yacht for our small family of four and was everything we expected and more. The presentation was first class and the way we were greeted upon our arrival was comforting.

Our favourite spot was Nara Inlet...no...Butterfly Bay...hmm...Macona? Happy Bay? Cid harbour...now that was an experience... Seriously, "it was all good".

Till next year...

Doug & Lyne Stuckey - Sunshine Coast with Swiss guests Andreas & Christine
October 2006

After a stormy beginning the weather cleared for a wonderful Whitsunday adventure with our Swiss friends. 'No Ties' is a real beauty. Thanks very much to Colleen, Jacqui, Annie, our briefer John also Craig & Jenny for friendly & professional service.

Stuart McDonald
October 2006

Just a quick note to say how much we enjoyed our time in the Whitsundays.

Having booked it directly and predominantly online you can sometimes be a little apprehensive as to how it will pan out but we were delighted with all aspects of the trip. The boat "Circo" was better than expected, the service Simon provided both in the briefing and the debrief was great and we felt the whole experience, including things like the friendly nature of the daily scheds etc, was wonderful and added to the experience. We’d definitely recommend your services to our friends, which because I also run a service business I know is the highest level of endorsement. If ever we choose to charter a yacht in the Whitsundays again we would definitely use you once more.

Greg and Janene Charlesworth and family
September 2006

Thank you so much for making our holiday extra special - you are a
delightful team and obviously enjoy your work. You show extreme
professionalism and expertise with the handling of your charters. We
thoroughly enjoyed our experience on board 'Bahama' and having done seven
charters on monohulls over the last 10 years, never thought we would be
converted catarmaran sailors. We look forward to our next liaison!

David and Terri Ross & family
September 2006

I just wanted to drop you a note to say that we really did have a fantastic time on our yachting holiday in the Whitsundays two weeks ago. We were very impressed with the yacht, Bahama we were assigned and the overall professionalism of the Charter Yachts Australia operation. It was a most memorable experience for our whole family, which we will treasure for a long time to come.

I would particularly like to acknowledge the facilities on the boat, the excellent provisioning arrangements, the terrific briefing and instruction by Mike Currell as well as the radio and telephone support from yourself.

We are certainly hoping to have the opportunity to do another yachting adventure soon and we will certainly be contacting Charter Yachts Australia if that is the case.

Please pass on our gratitude to the rest of your team and we hope to be in contact again very soon. We do have quite a number of friends and work colleagues interested in your details so you may see a number of other Melbournians in the future.

Alistair & Donna
22 July 2006

Hi Crew

Thanks for a fantastic holiday and the professional service that you provided for us. The 35’ Catalina was great and the cleanest charter boat that I have had the pleasure of sailing, I was very impressed with the brief that Craig provided and is a great help for budding young sailors. We would recommend CYA to anyone who was thinking of a bareboat charter.

Thanks

Alistair

Bob Vigar and Barbara Fowler
June 3rd 2005

John, Annie, Jacqui ,Kerrie

Many thanks for your excellent help during our recent 10 day charter. Barbie and myself thoroughly enjoyed the Whitsunday experience aboard "Upyerkilt" and will recommend your services to our friends.

We will definitely see you again soon.

Bob Vigar and Barbara Fowler
June 3rd 2005

John, Annie, Jacqui ,Kerrie

Many thanks for your excellent help during our recent 10 day charter. Barbie and myself thoroughly enjoyed the Whitsunday experience aboard "Upyerkilt" and will recommend your services to our friends.

We will definitely see you again soon.

Michael & Lia Harman
April 24th 2005

Dear John, Annie & Kerrie,

Thank you again for a wonderful week! Our 2nd time with CYA, and we wouldn't go anywhere else. "BAHAMA" was beautiful, Mike's briefing was extremely helpful, and we all had a ball. It was the first time chartering for the kids, and they are already asking when we can come back.

We hope to see you again next year, probably on board Catalyst next time.

Pete & Leanne Imlach
March 1st 2005

Chartered "Upyerkilt" and she was everything that we had imagined. Other than some very humid weather we had a ball sailing around those beautiful islands. Annie, John and the crew made us feel very welcome.

They arranged everything for us (Transfers, Accommodation etc) we can't wait to get back to the Whitsundays for our next holiday

Marjo, Axel, Leon & Lucy
January 26th 2005

Our first bareboat experience couldn't have been better. Annie and John looked very well after us, right from the start, during the daily briefings and after returning the yacht. We had the luck of sailing an new Catalina 350 with the illustrious name "Upyerkilt".

We had enjoyed all the features of the yacht slept like roses in the cabins and on deck and sailed like pirates even on the last day with 35 knots wind and 3 meter seas "Upyerkilt" brought us safely back to Airlie Beach.

A holiday to be repeated!