Australian seafarers have a deep knowledge and appreciation for boating.

__

Source Superyacht Australia.

What distinguishes an Australian owner? What are their preferences and characteristics? Are they putting their yachts on the charter market? For more insight, we asked those who interact with them on a daily basis – the captain, the broker, the agent, the yard and the designer. Yet the final word and most comprehensive word goes to the owner of M/Y SILENTWORLD who is a keen adventurer, proud Australian owner and happy for others to charter the yacht for their own adventure.

The Captain – Michael Gooding, M/Y SILENTWORLD
Australian owners are an emerging group and new to the experience but they are learning fast. Most have their yachts in the Mediterranean and Caribbean as, if they want to charter, these are large markets. However, the Pacific is unique and is growing in popularity. Therefore, they will be looking for yachts that can be out at the reef or venture to offshore places so the purpose and design will be a little different. I expect to see more interest in larger yachts as their experience and knowledge grows.

The Yard – Gulf Craft, builder of M/Y GHOST II
Australian yacht owners distinguish themselves from other owners by the outside lounging area available on any yacht. With Majesty 122 (M/Y GHOST II), the owners were very happy to find a standard superyacht with a significant outside area to which they could add their own touches. We believe this feature will not just meet Australian demands but also international clientele alike.
Australia’s market continues to grow in importance for Gulf Craft with an increase in the number of yachts and boats sold and delivered to Australia in recent times. With access to stunning coastlines and pristine waters, Australian seafarers have a deep knowledge and appreciation for boating. We see this continuing.

The Owner – 40m Astilleros MCIES, M/Y  SILENTWORLD
We have a yacht to go to the places that would otherwise be almost impossible to get to. Some people like to be seen in the harbour of a busy Mediterranean port which we like too, but our preference is the wilderness, being miles out to sea surrounded only by nature, diving pristine reefs, and exploring uninhabited Pacific Islands where one feels that very few humans have walked before. Usually, in summer in Sydney we enjoy entertaining family and friends and Sydney harbour and neighbouring waterways such as Broken Bay have to be amongst the most spectacular places to do this. There are not many other capital cities where one can anchor a yacht in a small bay an hour from the CBD and have the bay and the beach all to oneself. Then, in the Australian winter, we go looking for adventure – the further and the more remote the better. Our hobby is hunting for early colonial shipwrecks and there are few places better for this than the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea.

SILENTWORLD

AKIKO

GHOST II

Previously, we have owned smaller Australian built yachts and would do so again. I think that a new build would be our only real consideration today however. We like steel hulled superyachts with long range and great sea-keeping characteristics so we can explore our island continent and the huge Pacific. Only an experienced builder can produce this sort of quality and adaption.

Like us, I think more and more Australians will purchase yachts. With a few notable exceptions at the top end of the market, Australians have traditionally not been superyacht owners despite our huge coastline. I think that this is changing and mid-size superyacht ownership will grow as such vessels offer a completely different experience than that which can be had on a land-based resort – no matter how luxurious. Successful people are always looking for the new frontier and the next new experience.

Speaking with anyone who is associated with the Australian yachting industry they echo M/Y Silentworld owner’s thought and reveal the growth anticipated. More yachts owned by Australians will mean more yachts kept close to home. This growth flows onto the charter market as the options increase in one of the world’s most sought destinations. Even more so as the Australian Government has just opened up specific anchorages in the Whitsunday Islands to yachts up to 70-metres.

A recent economic impact study clearly showed the growth in the Australian charter market echoing the industry’s comments. Currently, the domestic charter market generates AUD$46 million yet would see huge growth if the government made changes to the regulations simplifying it for international superyachts to charter in Australia. This is an issue high on the agenda for Superyacht Australia and they certainly appear to have gained a lot of momentum with both state and federal governments.

We are surrounded by sea and by being so we are more than just a destination for the yachting market. We are a charter and brokerage market – small by global standards but growing and punching above our population-limited weight. Ask any Australian and this is a position we most relish.

SILENTWORLD and GHOST II are available for charter through Ocean Alliance, on the details below.