Before your charter

Skippered: an Allsail skipper handles the boat so you can relax or join in. The published minimum is four hours; longer, full-day and evening charters can be arranged at additional cost. Boat hire, fuel and the skipper are included in the skippered quote. A deckhand or host can be arranged if required; confirm any extra charge.

Bareboat sailing: you nominate the skipper. Allsail requires previous charter experience and evidence of qualifications and practical competence for the boat proposed. Examples listed by Allsail are IYT Skipper, ICC, Day Skipper or Inshore Certificate, or a comparable sailing-experience résumé satisfactory to Allsail. A certificate alone does not guarantee approval. Ask for the sailing résumé and have your experience assessed before committing.

Competence is also checked at handover. If the nominated skipper’s skills are insufficient, a qualified skipper or guide is required at extra cost. If you decline to proceed on that basis, Allsail’s published charter terms specify a refund of only 40% of the charter fee, subject to applicable consumer rights.

Under power: a yacht or catamaran charter for a current boat-licence holder without the required sailing skills. You must sign an agreement to operate under engine power only, not sail. Confirm the proposed boat and your competence with Allsail. This is separate from the small Polycraft powerboat membership.

Bareboat and under-power charters generally start at 9:30am and finish at 4:30pm. Confirm your arrival and return times with the office and allow time for the boat and safety briefing before departure.

Friday 2pm boarding for weekend charters may be available, subject to other bookings and an agreed fee. It is not automatic. Skippered departure times and duration are agreed with the office.

Remain within the charter area explained in your briefing: offshore use is not permitted. On overnight bareboat charters, be safely moored before dark and do not move the boat between sunset and sunrise. Docking at most jetties and wharves is prohibited; ask about permitted access, tenders and water taxis.

Allsail lists fuel and gas usage as included, with linen, towels and basic kitchen and bathroom consumables for overnight stays. Confirm the boat-specific inventory when booking.

Tenders vary by boat: the rates page lists a fee for small rowing inflatables and included RIB tenders on larger catamarans. Ask which tender, if any, comes with your boat. SUPs, floating mats and kayaks must be pre-booked, incur fees where applicable and are subject to availability.

Ask for a written quote covering skipper/crew, tender and toys, early boarding, overnight use, public holidays or peak dates, alternative pickup, security bond and any other extras. The live service pages and rate sheet differ on some charges; do not assume a generic surcharge or bond applies to your boat.

BYO food and drinks, including alcohol subject to the skipper’s safety directions. Allsail does not provide catering but can recommend caterers; arrange and pay the provider directly. Confirm refrigeration, crockery, glasses and cutlery for your boat. Leftover drinks cannot be returned or stored by Allsail.

Wear comfortable clothing and deck-friendly shoes: no black-soled or hard shoes that could mark decks or timberwork. Rigid plastic or metal food containers, hard coolers and eskies are not permitted under Allsail’s published terms; each yacht has a fridge or icebox. Ask the office how to pack your provisions.

Meet at Allsail’s waterfront office on the Ferry Wharf, Church Point NSW 2105. The fleet operates from nearby commercial moorings, not a marina berth. Confirm your meeting time and boarding arrangements with the office before travelling.

Church Point Reserve Carpark has paid parking. Northern Beaches Council advises that ordinary beach parking permits are not valid there. Some unticketed spaces near the shops, wharf and along McCarrs Creek Road have time limits ranging from five minutes to eight hours. Read the signs: a day space may not suit an overnight charter.

Allsail asks visitors to check with the team about alternatives before paying for parking. Spaces are not guaranteed. Allow time to park and carry provisions to the wharf; consult the council’s current parking guidance for permits, restrictions and transport alternatives.

Church Point is the usual skippered pickup and return point. Newport Wharf or Palm Beach Wharf may be arranged subject to weather and an extra fee; do not travel to an alternative wharf without confirmation.

Check the Bureau of Meteorology forecast and warnings for Pittwater and Broken Bay before travelling. If there is a strong wind or gale warning, or you are unsure whether your charter will proceed, call Allsail. Allsail decides whether conditions are suitable on the day; a forecast does not confirm or cancel your booking.

Allsail’s charter terms prohibit sailing when winds exceed 25 knots: find a safe mooring and call the team for instructions. Weather postponement and credit arrangements are explained in the charter terms. These links provide current conditions, not permission to sail or a substitute for the briefing.