It’s a popular time of year for cruising Australia’s East Coast, with interstate journeys appealing to both power boat owners seeking warmer weather and yachties heading north for Queensland’s regatta season. “We have definitely seen an increased interest in casual berthing and seasonal cruising across our network over the last few years,” confirms David Joyce, Head of Marketing, d’Albora. “The trend towards larger vessels with enhanced capabilities means people are using their vessels to their full potential and travelling further and cruising for longer periods. Overall, there’s now an ease of travel with interstate cruising and desire from boat owners to make their vessels part of their travel experiences.”

With d’Albora’s network spanning Australia’s East Coast, their marinas are ideally placed to cater for casual berthing, with Joyce highlighting the Southeast Queensland (SEQ) region as a particularly appealing stopover destination. We asked Joyce to share some more insights about interstate cruising and their two full-service marinas in SEQ: d’Albora Pacific Point Marina & Boatyard and d’Albora East Coast Marina.

Why is SEQ a great stopover location for boaters?

SEQ’s accessibility, year-round warm weather and lifestyle offerings both on and off-water, make it such an attractive location offering for cruising, berthing and boatyard maintenance. It also offers boaters an abundance of natural beauty with long sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, reefs and many islands providing shelter and anchorages.

Please give us an overview of d’Albora Pacific Point Marina & Boatyard and d’Albora East Coast Marina and how they cater for casual berthing.

d’Albora Pacific Point has an especially large marine precinct with full-service boatyard facilities and marine services and trades so we see a lot of casual berthing vessels coming in here for annual maintenance or travelling maintenance opportunities.

d’Albora East Coast Marina’s location is centralised to Moreton Bay and North Stradbroke Island, providing instant access to fantastic cruising, sailing and fishing locations. A lot of our casual transiting customer base are either moving north or south and d’Albora East Coast Marina as a casual base, being located only 20 minutes from both Brisbane Airport and Brisbane’s CBD, provides great access.

What about extended stopovers?

We offer very flexible berthing solutions, which can be tailored to your individual needs and boating requirements. Sometimes vessels may require additional maintenance while cruising, due to general use or unexpected circumstances, and need to access boatyard facilities. Or you may be enjoying a certain stopover destination more than anticipated and want to extend your stay – we can easily cater for this need too.

Reciprocal berthing rights is a key benefit for annual d’Albora members. Is this a popular time of year for your members to take advantage of this benefit?

Being Australia’s largest marina group, one of d’Albora’s greatest strengths lies in our network of 15 locations across the East Coast. Our reciprocal berthing program gives our annual members reciprocal berthing rights for up to 30 nights each year at any d’Albora marina. This allows our annual members to travel to different locations in their own vessels without having to pay additionally for the experience. Many of our annual members take advantage of our reciprocal berthing during this busy period, with the SEQ region being especially popular as boaters head north to follow the warm weather.

All interstate cruisers should have contingencies, including alternative stopover locations. How has d’Albora made late notice bookings easier through your Book a Berth online portal?

We see a lot of cruising customers needing to make unplanned stops due to factors out of their control. Our Book a Berth system works 24/7 and many boaters now have access to high-speed internet services like Starlink aboard their vessel, allowing them to make booking requests in real-time. Our team is also very flexible and accommodating, we understand that plans can change and work with boaters the best we can. Bookings are of course subject to availability, however if we are full, we will always try our best to assist customers with alternative solutions.

Top Tips

Things to consider when planning your cruising journey.

  • Begin by deciding when you would ideally like to reach your destination. You can then reverse engineer your trip planning from this point and consider stopover locations.
  • Factor in fuel locations and travel distances your vessel can achieve in any conditions.
  • Consider alternative stopover options in case you need to make a late change to your plans.
  • Know where boatyard facilities are located along the journey should unexpected maintenance issues arise.
  • Before leaving, run through your vessel departure checklist, inspect your safety gear and check provisions.

d’Albora Pacific Point Marina & Boatyard Facts

  • Conveniently located just 45 minutes from Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
  • 554 wet berths for vessels up to 30m.
  • 334 vessel dry storage capacity.
  • Full-service boatyard – 70t travel lift, including detailing, repairs, maintenance and chandlery.
  • Dockmaster assistance seven days a week.
  • 24/7 premium fuel.
  • 24/7 security with swipe-card access.
  • Waterfront dining at The Anchorage Café.
  • Public boat ramp access. The site also offers a four-lane boat ramp with courtesy pontoons for easy access (digital payment onsite at ramp).
  • Recently renovated amenities block including new shower and bathroom suite. Convenient laundry facilities.
  • Secure parking.

d’Albora East Coast Marina Facts

  • Conveniently located in Manly Boat Harbour.
  • Direct access to Moreton Bay Marine Park and surrounding locations.
  • 295 wet berths for vessels up to 18m.
  • 240 vessel capacity dry storage stacker racks.
  • 20mins from Brisbane CBD and Brisbane Airport.
  • Full-service boatyard, with 25t travel lift and hardstand.
  • Annual or casual berthing solutions.
  • Waterfront dining at Cafe La Mer.
  • Members lounge.
  • Dockmaster assistance.
  • Open seven days a week. 24/7 security.
  • Secure parking (member-only overnight access).
  • Easy walk to nearby local shops and eateries.

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