Once you’ve spent a day with a group of friends boating around Sydney's beautiful harbour beaches, it’s hard to imagine a more magical way to spend a day in the Harbour City. But if you don’t own a ship of your own (us neither), it’s easy to think your options are limited to the huge, Cruiser-fuelled boat parties when you’re looking for an accessible day on the water. Enter Boatlife: a subscription-based boat club giving Sydneysiders access to a fleet of high-spec vessels, so you can live like a skipper without auctioning off your organs.
So how does it work? First up, you’ll need a boat licence. Once you’ve crossed that bridge, you can sign up as a Boatlife member by paying the one-off joining fee of $495. Your next job is to choose your membership level, signing up for access to Boatlife’s fleet of either five-metre ($395 per month) or six-metre ($650 per month) machines. After you’ve completed an induction with the Boatlife team (they’ll talk you through the nuances of their boats, and give you tips on the best secret beaches to explore), you’re good to go – and can start booking your boat days. Each time slot is worth a different amount of points, with your monthly membership plan allowing you up to four bookings.
One of the main selling points of Boatlife is the lack of hassle – book online, pack your picnic and jump aboard. The Boatlife team takes care of maintenance and mooring, meaning the boat will be waiting for you on the water when you arrive at the marina. Plus, the time slots are super-flexible: morning fish? No problem. Sunset swim? Lock it in. The two marina locations (Sydney Boathouse in Rozelle and Akuna Bay on the Hawkesbury) give you access to countless stunning swimming spots, so you can give the crowded shores of Bondi and Manly a miss. Wondering about the boats? The fleet of powerful motorboats can carry between six and seven passengers (depending on your membership level), and are fitted with swim ladders, ice boxes and sunbeds for fun, comfy days on the water.
Although $300+ per month (plus joining fee) might feel like a lot, it’s pretty good value if you’re going out on the water once a week, and definitely cheaper than investing in a boat (bring out another thousand) yourself.
Interested? You can learn more and sign up as a member over here, and you can check out other ways to get on the water this summer via the Discover Boating website.
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