Portland Roads

AN UNBELIEVABLE BUCKET-LIST ITEM THAT YOU WILL NEVER FORGET! My family of 6 recently completed a skippered charter aboard 'Portland Roads' (Abell Point Marina) after wanting to experience The Whitsundays by boat for several years. At first we werent quite sure what to expect with our minimal boating experience, however as soon as we met John (our skipper) all the nerves were settled. John was absolutely amazing from prior to boarding, right through until our goodbyes. He shared stories, incredible local knowledge, the best snorkeling places to visit, boating information & experience and all the while allowing us to completely relax and take in the beauty of the Whitsundays! John showed us all the little intricacies of sailing to provide us with the know-how for when we travel with Portland Roads again on a ˜bare boat charter. ˜Portland Roads was incredibly an well-maintained boat with very comfortable bedding and lounges that made you feel like home. The kitchen had all the modern appliances needed and the bathrooms were immaculate. The sound system and TV were a great touch, however we didnt even turn the TV on once in 5 days due to the enjoyment of the trip! Words simply cannot describe the complete holiday that this actually was! We would like to thank John, Mick and all the team at Portland Roads for making this the perfect holiday, 5 days was simply not long enough! I HIGHLY recommend that if you choose The Whitsundays as your destination. For an experience you will never forget, contact John at Portland Roads to ensure that you are sailing with the BEST.

Our dream trip to sail the Whitsundays began in early May 2019 and we had a magical two weeks on Portland Roads a 420 Lagoon catamaran, with two other couples over our two weeks of sailing, around this amazing environment. The Portland Roads team that supported our holiday was professional, well organised and friendly and made us feel we were very well looked after. We received great hospitality and advice from Johnathon, the principal of the company. Mike inducted us the use of the boat and kept us on track. In the last 4 days of our trip when there was just two of us on board, we had Deano as our sail guide, an experience we highly recommend. As this was our first trip of bare boat sailing we received great advice from Johnathon who drew up a proposed itinerary for our trip around the Whitsunday Islands, including a visit to the lovely Palm Bay resort on Long Island, which we will definitely visit again on our next sail with Portland Roads. One of the great features of Portland Roads was access to the œOcean Club at Abell wharf, which provided full bathroom, laundry and BBQ facilities when were docked overnight at the marina. This facility, which was right next door to our mooring, allowed us to have a refreshing shower and access to washing machines, free coffee, a beautiful deck and BBQ facilities. We will certainly be re-booking over the next few years to re-visit some of our favourite places and explore some of the new places we just did not have time to visit on our first trip. Based on our experience, as a relatively new skipper, I would certainly recommend engaging a sail guide for at least first few days of a bare boat at experience. For us, this would provide us with a reinforcement for all the operations on the boat, but it also provides everyone on board the excitement of the full sailing experience. We can also get an update on the best spots in the Whitsundays where you might be able to swim with turtles, find the best coral reefs and fishing spots. We totally recommend Portland Roads for sailing adventures in the Whitsundays. Ian and Maryanne