• Departing from Cairns our catamaran charter boat sails to 2 stunning coral reef moorings on the very edge of the outer Great Barrier Reef.
• Our Cairns charter boat caters for small group private charters with a maximum of 20 guests for special events and celebrations 
• Charter our small group boat for your family and friends to dive & snorkel the Great Barrier Reef on your time and in your way. The skipper will show you the best places to explore so you have a memorable day on the reef off Cairns 
• When you charter our boat in Cairns we include a crew of 3-4, delicious meals, snorkel & dive gear, free guided snorkel tour, spa on deck, trampoline net on deck and more.  

Our Cairns charter boat caters for the smaller groups with a maximum of 20 guests. At 42 feet (13 metres) the catamaran sails out to 2 mooring locations on the very edge of the outer Great Barrier Reef.

What to Expect

Departing from Cairns your charter boat group can spend 4 luxurious hours exploring each of these underwater locations or just spend time on the boat in the sunshine watching everybody else enjoy the Great Barrier Reef. Discover the Great Barrier Reef with an exclusive, intimate charter aboard our 42-foot catamaran, ideal for smaller groups of up to 20 guests. Departing from Cairns, this private charter boat tour offers a unique opportunity to explore two stunning mooring locations at Upolu Reef, located on the edge of the outer Great Barrier Reef. With four hours dedicated to snorkelling, diving, or simply soaking up the sun, this is a perfect choice for families, friends, or corporate gatherings looking for a personalised reef experience.

This is one of our most popular Cairns charter boats for groups so you must book it far in advance.

Start your Cairns charter boat tour at 8:00 am from Cairns Marlin Marina, where our friendly crew will provide a briefing on the day’s itinerary. Guests can relax on the forward deck’s trampoline or in the shaded saloon, taking in the sea air during the two-hour sail out to the reef.

Features and Highlights

Stunning Great Barrier Reef Locations

• Upolu Reef Exploration: Located 32.3 km from Cairns, Upolu Reef is an extension of Arlington Reef and offers diverse coral ecosystems with vibrant marine life. Discover a variety of hard and soft corals, including staghorn, plate, and brain corals, along with colourful fish, small rays, and reef sharks.
• Two Unique Mooring Sites: Enjoy the underwater beauty at two distinct mooring sites with a combined four hours of water activities or relaxation on deck, offering a well-rounded Great Barrier Reef experience.

Snorkelling Adventures

• Guided Snorkel Tours: Our marine interpreter will guide snorkellers through the reef’s highlights, identifying coral species and pointing out sea life. For beginners or those less confident in the water, flotation devices are provided.
• Resident Fish Encounters: Meet Upolu’s local marine residents, Emily and Max, the friendly batfish who love greeting snorkellers near the mooring.

Scuba Diving Opportunities

• Diving for All Levels: Both certified and beginner divers are welcome, with the option to enjoy two dives at separate locations for an immersive Great Barrier Reef experience. All diving equipment is included, and our dive masters ensure each dive is enjoyable and safe.
• Comprehensive Dive Preparation: Please review the medical requirements and ensure all divers are medically cleared, as a health declaration will be required before participating.

Exclusive Charter Boat Experience

• Small Group Setting: A maximum of 20 guests provides an intimate atmosphere, allowing you to fully enjoy the reef’s tranquillity away from larger Great Barrier Reef tour groups.
• Stable and Comfortable Sailing: As a catamaran, the boat offers stability in varying sea conditions, ideal for those prone to seasickness.
• Onboard Spa and Trampoline Deck: Unwind in the spa on the deck or relax on the trampoline at the bow, enhancing your Great Barrier Reef tour experience.

Why Our Charter Boat Is So Popular

Our private charter boat reef tours from Cairns have earned a reputation for excellence, and guests frequently highlight the following:

1. Friendly and knowledgeable crew
2. Small group size and personalised experience
3. Dual outer reef locations, providing a diverse underwater adventure
4. Stability and comfort of a catamaran in all conditions
5. Additional amenities like the deck spa and forward trampoline
6. Options for both snorkelling and diving on the same tour

Tailored Catering Options

On your Cairns charter boat we provide for special occasions, such as weddings, birthdays, or corporate events, and offer flexible catering packages. Whether you’re after a seafood luncheon, celebratory cake, or customised menu, our charter boat team can work with you to create an unforgettable dining experience onboard.

Experience the Great Barrier Reef in ultimate comfort and privacy, with activities and  amenities tailored to ensure a memorable day on the water.

See all Cairns and Port Douglas charter boats.

For luxury yachts on the Great Barrier Reef speak to the crew at YOTSPACE.

Read The Tour Specialists Blog for all the things you need to know before you go. 

Cairns Charter Boat Diving and Snorkelling Locations

Upolu Reef is approximately 32.3 kilometres from the Cairns Marlin Marina and is a continuation of the Arlington Reef. This reef system offers guests a wide variety of hard and soft corals, giant bommies, staghorn, plate, brain and boulder corals along with large and small clam shells.

Here you may see some shy black tip and white tip reef sharks, small stingrays hiding under the sand, sea cucumbers, turtles, star fish and lots of colourful pelagic fishes.

Upolu Reef provides snorkelers and scuba divers with a wide variety of marine life crystal clear turquoise water which normally offers visibility up to 15 metres and water depths of up 8-15 metres 

Be prepared when entering the water to be greeted by the friendly fish duo Emily & Max, the resident Bat Fish that just love coming up to the scuba divers and snorkelers to say hi. These fish know the best time to be at our mooring location in the hope they may have a free feed and get a bit of attention from our guests.

Your private charter boat will depart from Cairns and take you to 2 mooring locations (weather permitting) on Upolu Reef ensuring you get to see and experience the different varieties of corals and marine life that inhabit those areas and you will have a total of four hours of leisure time on the Great Barrier Reef.

Snorkellers

On a private charter dive & snorkelling tour the choice of activities is yours for the day and your guests can choose to just snorkel all day where we will provide a marine interpreter to show them around and point out all the names of the coral and the marine life under the water’s surface and for the not so confident swimmers, we can provide flotation equipment so they too can enjoy all there is to see on the reef. 

Read the travel tips for snorkellers on the Great Barrier Reef.

Scuba Diving

Both certified and non-certified scuba divers are welcome on board this small boutique style sailing boat to experience the fabulous underwater world of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

On this Cairns reef trip we have the time to provide you with 2 dives one in each location so you can really enjoy the day

All equipment is included and the price varies for certified and non-certified scuba divers. Please read the medical requirements here for scuba divers prior to booking your Cairns boat charter and ensure all of your group are aware that they need to sign a form saying they are medically fit to dive and have no medical issues. 

Why Is Our Great Barrier Reef Tour So Popular?

We are always asked why is our Great Barrier Reef tour in Cairns so popular and hard to book. The answer we give is the reasons our guests tell us why they love our dive and snorkel tours.

1.) Our guests rave about the friendliness of our crew

2.) The small number of passengers capped at only 20

3.) The fact that we visit 20 outer Great Barrier Reef locations in one day

4.) The fact the sail boat is a catamaran which makes her stable in all types of conditions

5.) The spa on the deck

6. ) The trampoline on the forward deck for relaxing

7.) The fact you can both dive and snorkel on this tour  

Cairns Charter Boat Diving and Snorkelling Locations

Upolu Reef is approximately 32.3 kilometres from the Cairns Marlin Marina and is a continuation of the Arlington Reef. This reef system offers guests a wide variety of hard and soft corals, giant bommies, staghorn, plate, brain and boulder corals along with large and small clam shells.

Here you may see some shy black tip and white tip reef sharks, small stingrays hiding under the sand, sea cucumbers, turtles, star fish and lots of colourful pelagic fishes.

Upolu Reef provides snorkelers and scuba divers with a wide variety of marine life crystal clear turquoise water which normally offers visibility up to 15 metres and water depths of up 8-15 metres 

Be prepared when entering the water to be greeted by the friendly fish duo Emily & Max, the resident Bat Fish that just love coming up to the scuba divers and snorkelers to say hi. These fish know the best time to be at our mooring location in the hope they may have a free feed and get a bit of attention from our guests.

Your private charter boat will depart from Cairns and take you to 2 mooring locations (weather permitting) on Upolu Reef ensuring you get to see and experience the different varieties of corals and marine life that inhabit those areas and you will have a total of four hours of leisure time on the Great Barrier Reef.

Catering For Your Private Charter Boat From Cairns

If you have a special occasion like a wedding or a birthday celebration or if your group is a corporate incentive get together then please discuss with us any specific catering requirements you may have such as a wedding cake or a full seafood luncheon and we will endeavour to cater to your needs.

The following menu items are provided for the guests:

Morning (check in):

• coffee, tea and danish/pastry

Lunch (tropical style buffet):

•  pasta salad
•  potato salad
•  garden salad
•  cold cut deli meat selection,
•  cold roast chicken legs and,
•  bread & butter

Afternoon (return journey):

•  tropical fruit platter
•  cheese & crackers
•  1 complimentary wine 
•  1 complementary soft drink

Alcoholic Beverages

BYO is most welcome on the vessel. Consumption of alcohol is allowed on the way home or if you have finished snorkelling/scuba diving for the day. Where possible please purchase plastic or cans.

What To Bring

A beach towel, sunscreen, hat, sun glasses, wear soft shoes or things so you can remove then once on-board the boat, bathing suits and dependant on the time of year you may need a light jacket for the sail home to Cairn in the afternoon whilst sitting on the boats bow net on the forward deck.

Foreign Language Speaking Crew

Please Note:-

We can cater for both German and French speaking guests with prior notification and of course we speak English.

Check In On Board the Vessel

Your group will check in direct on board the boat at D Finger from 07.40 am with an anticipated 08.00am departure from Cairns Marlin Marina at 1 Spence Street Cairns in Queensland Australia

Group Coach Transfers From Your Holiday Accommodation

No matter if your group is staying in Palm Cove, Cairns Beaches or Cairns we can provide you with a quote to pick up and drop off your group to the charter boat departure point.

See all the private charter boat options in Cairns, Port Douglas and the Great Barrier Reef. 

Cairns Cruise Ship Shore Tours

If you are coming to Cairns on a Great Barrier Reef cruise ship tour this private charter yacht is a good option for you to get a few of your friends or other cruise ship passengers together and charter the boat to suit the times of the cruise ship schedule so you can snorkel and scuba dive the reef.

Follow this link to see the wide range of Cairns charter boats available for day tours or overnight tours on the Great Barrier Reef.

Tour Languages Offered

• English
• German
• Japanese

Departs From

Cairns

Departure Time

Variable - on request for private charters

Departure Instructions

• We can organise return transfers from accommodation or please board on boat at Marlin Marina, Cairns, D Finger
• Check in 7:30am, departs 7:45am, returns 4:30pm

Pickup Locations

• Cairns Northern Beaches
• Palm Cove

Destinations

• Great Barrier Reef
• 2 sites at Upolu Reef, the edge of the Outer Barrier Reef (Weather permitting)

Months of Operation

January - December

Days of Operation

Daily

Duration

Approx 4 hours at Upolu Reef
1.5 - 2 hours boat cruise each way

Available for Purchase / Hire

Certified and Introductory Scuba Diving

Fitness Level Required

Low, Medium

IN-WATER RESTRICTIONS

Scuba Diving Restrictions

• Certain medical conditions and medications may preclude some people from scuba diving.
• Participation is subject to a medical questionnaire completed on board with the tour operator
• Minimum age for scuba diving is 12 years.
• Flying after scuba diving: a wait of 12 hours is recommended after one dive, 18 hour after 2 dives and at least 24 hours after multiple dives, before ascending to an altitude of 300 metres or greater.

Read more about Diving Safety on the Great Barrier Reef.

Swimming Costume, Towel, Hat, Sunscreen, Sunglasses, Camera, Dry Clothes, Money for Reef taxes and marine levy (approx $15.00) and any extras purchased on board. Certification card & log book (cert. divers only)