We had an awesome week on Whitsunday Freedom. Our group of 8 adults was warmly welcomed by John, the business owner. He gave us great tips for places to moor or anchor, which were quiet, on our week long adventure. John and Brad gave us a thorough briefing on our first morning so we set sail full of confidence. The catamaran is well appointed with mod cons we loved it all. The Whitsundays is a fabulous holiday for snorkelling, walking and sailing. Highly recommend this sailing adventure. We will be back!

Forget the boss, forget the office, forget the clock! You're the skipper and crew of your own boat and you decide your adventure. The Whitsunday islands are the epitome of paradise and this is the absolute pinnacle of ways to explore. Thank you so much to John, Cathy and Mike for the privilege of taking Portland Roads out in this marine wonderland. Your initial briefing and support while on the water gave us the confidence to do something so very different to a typical holiday and made this experience so special. Thanks for creating so many treasured moments.

I could not recommend Portland Roads enough. After the training with Mike, I felt confident and excited in skippering the boat. We felt safe with daily check ins and weather reports. We received plenty of info to make our boarding smooth, such as tips on timing and purchasing our provisions. I was very impressed by how stocked the boat was. I was especially happy with the kitchen. It was really well equipped with gas cook top and quality utensils including quality pots/pans and sharp knives. Sitting on the lounge out the back having cocktails at sunset was my highlight, as well as the snorkelling. The astounding array of colours and patterns on the fish took my breath away. If you’re thinking about this… just do it.

couldn’t recommend sailing with portland roads more! we all found our happy place on portland roads. never been on a boat before? no stress! mike gives you a briefing that ensures you are well equipped before embarking on your adventure. he also checks in with you daily to give you tips and advice on where the best spots will be for the day. the water was a mesmerising crystal blue and the sightings on tropical fish, turtles and whales was breathtaking. we will all be raving about this invaluable experience for a long time and will definitely be returning!

a day in the life on portland roads: it starts with some navigation over a coffee. where shall we explore today? we cook up a brekky then set sail. we spend the morning snorkelling with tropical fish of every colour, spotting whales & turtles, and taking in the scenery. we have lunch in a picturesque bay. half the crew take the tender in for a bush-walk, while some stay on board and read their novels instead. we check in with mike and find a calm place to anchor for the night. the afternoon consists of cocktails, cheese platters and a breath-taking sunset. and who can forget the star gazing? basically… this was the greatest experience of my life. you can choose your own adventure and there is something for everyone. the briefing was thorough, and with our crew working together and daily check-ins we felt confident. this company has 10/10 customer service and has imparted their passion on our crew. i also love that portland roads is an eco company and truly cares about preserving our environment. they are respectful of, and connect with, the traditional ngaro culture and people. the vessel itself is extremely comfortable, with all the comforts of home. hot showers, full kitchen, plenty of fridge/freezer space, ice machine, comfy beds and so much more. exploring this beautiful part of our world on this luxury boat just makes it so much better. take me back!!!!

Fantastic week aboard Portland Roads sailing the beautiful waters of Ngaro Sea country. Expert guidance provided by trained professionals who really care about the environment and your experience. Would highly recommend speaking to the team at Portland Roads before you book a Whitsunday charter experience!

Honestly 5 stars doesn't seem enough for the uplifting, eye opening and all-round brilliant holiday we had.As a young family of 5 with three young children (6,4, 2 years) we obviously had a few concerns around the safety and logistics of navigating a catamaran around the Whitsundays, however we cannot recommend Ruby Sunday and the entire team at Portland Roads enough.John goes above and beyond with his customer service from the moment you enquire about the booking, with quick and direct communication all the way through. He has a contagious passion for the environment and in particular the Great Barrier Reef!Our briefer Mike was so very knowledgeable, straight forward and clearly explained each step throughout the briefing. His extensive sailing and boating experience shone through, and you can literally ask him anything! Each morning and evening he touched base with weather/tide info along with confirmation around our location, it was reassuring to know he was there at any time to assist yet it never felt like an intrusion on our secluded getaway.Brad was there at the end of our trip to assist with bringing Ruby Sunday back into the marina and guided us through the refuelling process, he has a vibrant, friendly personality that makes you feel instantly comfortable, even allowing the kids to be a part of the packing up process. You can see he loves what he does, has the highest of respect for John, the boating world and the reef; his true Aussie spirit is an asset to Portland Roads.We have lengthy boating experience in particular my Husband however little to zero sailing knowledge. We found the anchoring and mooring aspect relatively uncomplicated. If you maintain polite and calm and use hand signals as communication with the other half the experience will remain a positive one. And remember 'don't panic' or in John's wise words, "If you think you are going slow enough, go slower"...worked every time.When you think of sailing the Whitsundays you think sunshine, vibrate reefs, crystal clear water and relaxation; whilst we experienced each of these attributes, we also had quiet the adventure with strong winds (between 22 and 41 knots the entire time), choppy seas and strong tides, heavy rain and at times nervous/scared children.But the 'perfect' and the 'perfectly imperfect' moments are exactly what sailing, and boating are all about! You are there to experience nature and nature is exactly what you will get!You will see an abundance of fish directly from your bed, coral lined beaches, sea turtles that pop their heads up to say a quick hello, dolphins playing in the wake of the boat, sharks as you take the dinghy to the beach, sunsets lighting up the sky as you cook dinner for the family, warm rain that rinses the sea water from your hair, bright blue inlets, deep blue ocean hues, expansive reefs, rainforest lined mountains, secluded and peaceful walking trails, birds that use the front of the boat to rest upon and above all else you will take the time to reflect on what is most important…our Planet and this special thing they call life!Our time away on Ruby Sunday has reassured us that one day the nomadic sailing life will be our permanent home. John, Mike, Brad and the entire Portland Roads crew we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making our time on Ruby Sunday an inspirational trip of a lifetime!::Our tips for families:1. Download favourite shows to use during rough seas/anchoring/mooring.2. Make them apart of the experience, show them maps, explain the tide/wind/rain etc.3. Don't use lifejackets as a safety net, they are safest when they understand the risk. Make them sit during transit (ours did) and by the last few days they were playing games in the bedroom as we navigated big swell.4. Pack light but bring more underwear than usual.5. Rain/wind jackets are a must however one jumper is plenty.6. Remember children adapt quickly; by the end of the trip our nervous eldest was sad to leave.7. Bring colouring in, cards, a few small toys.8. Make a meal plan.9. Have fun!

The Portland Roads experience is unmatched!Whether you enjoy soaking in the sun or snorkelling with Giant Trevally, there is something for everybody. Every day is refreshing and there's scarcely a dull moment (Seriously just take a flick through the photos on their website!). One of my personal highlights was having the freedom to take out the dinghy and explore the beautiful intricacies of the many unique islands. Our skipper (and now lifelong friend) John made this trip absolutely unforgettable. He personally went above and beyond to make this trip special for every single person on board. His immense wealth of knowledge and his bank of stories make for incredible dinner-time conversation. John embodies Portland Roads' steadfast commitment to sustainability and inspired us all to do better for the future generations. There's a real homely feel that you're sure to miss as soon as you step off the boat. This was our second trip and I know it won't be our last.Roshan

We were a party of 8 adults, most of whom were first-time on a sailing cruise. Our boat, Ruby Sunday was clean and well-maintained. Although it has got some years of experience, Portland Roads make sure that it is very presentable, very comfortable and everything is in sound operational condition. We really like the safety and security of checking in twice daily with our plans and our mooring/anchorage using Zoleo. This enabled us to make sure that our plans were safe and suitable for the weather. May was a continuation of some very wet weather in 2022. Despite that, we had a great time and found some beautiful coral formations along the northern end of Whitsunday Island.The flexibility of so many options of what to see and do around the Whitsundays gave us a feeling of adventure and discovery as we checked out a number of small bays, beaches, and islands. The winds were quite favourable and the Lagoon 38 handles and sails very well. The set-up is great for short-handed sailing which meant that with just one sailor with some experience all the sail controls could be handled.Mike Currell gave us not only a theoretical and verbal briefing but also took us out for maneuvers to check that we could safely anchor, moor, and retrieve a man overboard. Perhaps some brief clips from these briefings could be made into YouTube video clips so that we could repeat forgotten information. We spent one night at Stonehaven in 52-knot wind “bullets”. However, since we’d been instructed how to shorten up the bridle it prevent the mooring buoy from knocking against the hull all night. The boat rode smoothly and quietly through a very gusty night.Although we didn’t get to the famous Whitehaven Beach, due to very strong winds, we did spend a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and night at Hamilton Island Marina and thought it was well worth the visit, including an almost 2 hour (return) walk up to the summit – Passage Peak. Great to get a break ashore and experience excellent views of the Whitsundays.We have already booked our next trip to the Whitsundays with Portland Roads.