For all the insufferably smug social media content they generate, Sydney boat parties come with a fair share of stigma. But no matter how resistant you are to the boat-based Opera House selfie, it’s hard to deny the appeal of spending an afternoon floating around what is (in our opinion) the most beautiful harbour in the world: sun on skin and Spritz in hand. If you’re not lucky enough to own a boat (or, ideally, be friends with a boat owner and spared the financial burden), we’ve got the trick to help make your seafaring dreams a reality this summer.
Established in California back in 2013, Getmyboat is the world's largest marketplace for boat rentals, described as essentially “the Airbnb for boats.” Though it’s relatively new to Sydney, the platform is already providing a lot of fun for Sydneysiders, making renting a boat super simple and streamlined. Like with Airbnb, booking just involves setting up a profile, filtering by dates, and clicking book – with the user review system making it work for both owners and adventurers.
Right now, the app features 22 boats to rent by the hour in Sydney – with hourly rates starting at just $56 per hour. As a city that favours sparkle, the most popular style of boat on the app in Sydney is (unsurprisingly) the humble yacht, but there are heaps of different models to choose from: from two-person powerboats to sleek-a-f catamarans. No boat license? No probs – many of the boats featured include a captain, with the larger boats also including a crew member or two to help your time on board run smoothly (read: pour the bubbles and set up the cheese board).
For our Sunday afternoon harbour adventure, we booked a sunset cruise on Spellbound: a 12-metre sailing catamaran operated by the delightful Adrian and his team from Sip and Sail Charters. The booking process was easy as pie, and the pick-up at Rose Bay Wharf made it super accessible for a group of mainly Eastern Suburbs residents. If you’d rather set sail from elsewhere, you can filter by location on the app or ask to change the pick-up location with your skipper once you’ve booked.
The few hours we spent on board were, it goes without saying, ridiculously special. We sprawled out on the front of the fast-moving boat and pushed across the harbour, then docked for an hour or so at Chowder Bay while the sun began to drop behind the city and coat everything in honey. Just before sunset, Adrian asked us whether we’d like to stay put or cruise towards the bridge, so we set sail again – speeding into the sun's buttery glow with the skyline stretching out in front of us. There are a lot of beautiful spots to catch golden hour in Sydney, but the harbour is undoubtedly the best.
If you’re planning a special occasion for a bestie or a beloved, or you’ve been tasked with planning the last-minute Christmas party, Getmyboat has got you.
You can check out the app over here.
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