Nothing short of AMAZING sums up our recent sailing adventure aboard the beautiful "Whitsunday Freedom"!!A big shout out to our phenomenal Skipper, John, and his lovely wife, Cath, for giving us an experience of a life time.The memory of sailing the Whitsundays with John, Cath and our incredible crew (our best friends) will remain with us forever.We will always sing the praises of Portland Roads ….You only have one life to live, make it count, make memories, sail with Portland Roads, you will never regret it, just do it!!Love and Miss you John and Cath!!Wayne and Janene xx

We can’t speak highly enough about our recent holiday sailing the beautiful Ngaro Sea Country around the Whitsunday islands on the 38’ catamaran Ruby Sunday. John and his friendly and professional team provided superb service from our original booking back in early 2020, despite two frustrating years of postponement due to the QLD government’s covid restrictions. During this time I’m sure my wife must have spoken to John on the phone at least a dozen times, and always commented afterwards how friendly and helpful he’d been. Finally arriving at the Coral Sea Marina on the last Friday of September, the following morning of departure we were privileged to be invited to a Welcome to Country ceremony together with the Whitsunday Freedom crew. John’s introduction of Ngaro elders Harry and Ozzie gave us an insight to the core values of the Portland Roads team, based on a genuine passion and commitment for positive social impact and protection of the local environment that has unsurprisingly attracted millions of visitors. We literally can’t wait to get back up there again and are at risk of annoying our friends, family and co-workers who must surely be getting tired of hearing about how awesomely relaxing our week in the Whitsundays truly was. If you’re considering a bareboat charter, do yourself a favour and get in touch with John and his team at Portland Roads. And we hope you enjoy your Whitsundays holiday as much as we did.

When friends of ours booked us on a fully chartered 5 day cruise around the Whitsundays, with a company called Portland Roads – I was a bit dubious – I mean did they have their transport modes mixed up? I was thinking white sailing boats, lounging among plush cushions and swimming with the fishes in great coral, but they sounded like a heavy transport company. How wrong was I! It turns out that Portland Roads - Sailing the Whitsundays, is one of the most incredible trips you will ever undertake. I have travelled much, but rarely with a company that is so invested in my holiday experience. From making every one of our party feel special, down to a fastidious care for WHS and our safety on the reef, this company offered everything.OK, to be honest I was sold the minute I was told we would have a Skipper/Chef – I mean a man who can steer as well as cook…I’m in! But it was so much more than that!We were consulted and advised on where we wanted to steer our beautiful ‘Whitsunday Freedom’ and the food was…. well in a word …. Brilliant! Dealing with a few dietary requirements was no sweat for these seasoned professionals. The food was fresh, lovingly prepared and there was plenty of it.Our on board experiences included – great beds; beautiful boat; clean and well maintained; swimming with hundreds of beautiful coloured fish; anchoring in remote coves away from all the rest; snorkelling with expert guidance; bushwalking to great locations and spending time on white washed silica beaches. The environmental aspect of caring for the reef and the shared indigenous experiences were a bonus, and yes, we did visit Uncle Harry’s shop after. Thank you to John, Cath and all the crew at Portland Roads …now I know why your company is named that… but you dear reader, will have to hire a yacht or better still do the lazy way, like us and a fully catered platinum charter to find out. Rated by this cynical, global and sophisticated traveller with an 11 out of 10! Go to it!

It’s been 3 weeks now and the experience, memories and chatter about the holiday are still so fresh.The bare boat experience is so safe from induction, tracking and advice from the Portland roads team as to where to go what to do and where to anchor.When you think Whitsundays you think of sun and sea which is absolutely true, however the landscapes, and views from above the water line just as breathtaking.The world has Ha Long Bay, the Greek isles etc, don’t miss the WhitsundaysIn short it was a bloody ripping experience.

We had a fantastic time on the Ruby Sunday.Mike was very thorough in his explanations and coaching. After his instructions we were capable of anchoring, mooring, and driving. By the end of the week, we were experts!Ruby Sunday is a lovely catamaran, well equipped with everything you need. Surprisingly big beds.

Just finished a fantastic week sailing around the Whitsundays aboard the Ruby Sunday.Definitely a must for those who want a holiday that is a little different with a bit of adventure. The change of pace is exactly what we needed. Who cares about work when you start the day planning where you want to go and what you want to do, then end it looking at a spectacular sunset with family and friends.For anyone who is a bit hesitant due to lack of experience, don’t stress! We hadn’t so much as set foot in a tinnie and by the end we were a solid crew. The briefing is thorough and the boat is in great condition. We had great advice and support from Mike throughout the trip. By the end, you will bid a fond farewell to your home away from home (until the next trip that is).

Can't more highly recommend the team at Portland Roads. As complete novices on the water, Brad made us feel so comfortable and confident and therefore, we had the most wonderful experience. He was available at all times during the trip, easing our concerns if we were to have them. Brad was extremely knowledgeable on the best places to visit considering wind and tides and Lucy was a beautiful vessel to sail in - she looked after the 9 of us brilliantly! After speaking to others at our moorings, hearing horror stories of their adventures, we were so lucky to have found Brad, John and Josh at Portland Roads. An unforgettable 6 nights around the Whitsundays!

We have had the most amazing time aboard Portland Roads! We absolutely love the Whitsundays and have travelled to the islands many times but nothing compares to chartering a boat and visiting areas you would otherwise never see. Thank you John for all of your great advice to make the most of our holiday, can not wait to do it again.