Join us for 3 days of sailing through the heavenly Whitsundays Islands and Great Barrier Reef where we'll snorkel beautiful reefs, explore tropical islands, learn to sail, eat delicious food and make new friends.
Prima provides small group sailing adventures around the Whitsundays. Prima was built for charters in the Whitsundays and is comfortable, lovingly presented with plenty of seating. There is a large saloon and dining area that can seat all 12 guests at once. The deck has a shaded canopy over the helm with lots of seating, plus a cushioned area for sunbathing. Bring your own drinks and store them in the guest fridge for easy access. No two trips are the same as we take you from one carefully selected, idyllic island location to the next.
Days
- 2 days, 1 night
Group size
- Max 12
Start / finish
- Airlie Beach / Airlie Beach
- Airlie Beach, 4pm to 4:30pm on day 2
Return
- Airlie Beach, 4pm to 4:30pm on day 2
Accommodation
- 1 night on board in cabins, at anchor in one of Hook Island's bays. Fresh linen and a bath towel are provided.
Transport
- Prima, a wooden charter yacht for 12, leaving Coral Sea Marina at 8:30am. She has a saloon that seats everyone at once, a shaded canopy over the helm, a cushioned area for sunbathing, and a guest fridge for your own drinks.
Meals
- All meals and snacks are included, cooked fresh on board from locally sourced seasonal produce and usually served buffet style. There is a vegetarian option at every meal and the dessert is gluten free.
Route
Included experiences
- Hill Inlet lookout — a guided walk through National Park land to the view over Whitehaven
- Whitehaven Beach — down onto seven kilometres of silica sand
- Hook Island — sailing north along its western side after lunch
- Snorkelling in a secluded bay — coral, marine life and the odd turtle
- A second snorkel on day 2 over the fringing coral reef
- Sunset snacks and a drink at the overnight anchorage
- Stargazing from the deck before bed
Reviews
5.0
Based on 12 reviews
Verified from
Real reviews from travellers who've done this tour, gathered from around the web and paraphrased.
AI summary of 12 reviews
Travellers consistently praise the small-group setting, the knowledgeable and welcoming two-person crew, and the quality of the food, including provision for vegetarian and other dietary needs. Many highlight early morning visits to Whitehaven Beach, often arriving before other groups, along with multiple snorkelling stops and wildlife sightings such as whales, turtles and sea eagles. Reviewers describe the boat as relaxed rather than a party atmosphere, suitable for a mix of ages and nationalities, with some noting it is a family-style boat where children may be aboard. The cabins, including some with private ensuites, are repeatedly described as comfortable but very small. The most common caveats are the tiny living space and the amount of time spent travelling on the boat, with some suggesting bringing a book, sea sickness tablets and a raincoat, and a couple wishing the crew shared more sailing involvement and local facts.
How we collect and publish reviews
Where they come from. Our reviews are gathered from independent review sites and from guests who share feedback with us directly after their trip. They come from people who have actually travelled on the tour.
Why some are edited. Many of our guests travel in their second or third language. Where a review is hard to read, we lightly edit spelling, grammar and punctuation, or paraphrase a sentence for clarity. We never change the rating, the meaning or the sentiment, and we never write a review on a guest's behalf.
Reading the originals. Reviews sourced from public review sites appear there in their original form, and can be read in full at their original source at any time.
“2 night trip on Prima thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend!”
I’ve just come back from a 2 night trip on Prima, I was travelling with my elderly mother who has a few mobility issues and my partner, we all had the best time and I can’t recommend it enough! Thierry the skipper made us all feel incredibly safe, he directed a perfect trip with impeccable timing taking everyone on boards wants and needs into consideration. It was my first experience sailing and what a rush it was, so much fun and we were very grateful to be in the hands of such a skilled sailor. The rooms were very comfortable/cosy and the food was delicious thanks to our Hostie Kieran! He not only waited on us hand and foot but was a lot of fun to be around, he has us laughing our heads of for the majority of the trip! Thank you both.
“My husband and I had amazing time on board Prima!”
Our crew Tery and Kyra we super sweet, nice, funny and accommodating. Tery made sure that we get to see the sunrise on Whiteheaven beach before any other group and we also spent 3 hours at the beach almost alone. The food on board the PRIMA was very good chicken with curry, and great breakfast with eggs, toast, yogurt. We even saw a humpback whale and a pilot whale. After whiteheaven we went snorkeling and saw some beautiful fish and corals. The vibe on the boat was super chill, we were total of 12 people and 2 crew members. If you plan to book this boat note that it is a family type of sailing boat so there could be kids on board. We are in our early 30s and looked for a relaxing experience so for us it was perfect (the kids on the boat were 11-15 years old and very nice). It also didn't feel crowded at all and we had our privacy on the deck, reading a book and enjoying a beer while Tery took care of the sailing. Highly recommend the PRIMA!! We had a private bed with shared bathroom and it was great.
“Highlight of my trip”
I went on a 2 night sailing trip on Prima. This was truly the highlight of my 3 weeks on oz. Couldn't have asked for better host and skipper (Thierry & Beke) the boat was comfortable and the food was delicious. We went snorkling on a few spots and spent time on white haven beach (the sand feels like your walking ok clouds) I would highly recommend this trip!
“PRIMA Whitsundays”
Had an AMAZING time on board PRIMA.
Skipper Sas was fantastic and made everyone feel welcome she was very knowledgeable of the islands and reef and took us to some great spots for snorkelling and watching the sunset.
Food was really good thanks to crew member Becke.
I would highly recommend Prima for anyone who wants a smaller group sailing experience 10/10
“Fantastic time on Prima”
Our party of four booked two cabins on the 'Prima' which sails for three days/two nights. There were 14 in total on board (including two crew) and we had the best time imaginable!!! The crew, Nick and Jess, were wonderful, as was absolutely everything else about the trip. From the sailing, to the locations we visited, to Jess' amazing cooking it was easily one of the best experiences I've had the pleasure to be part of. The staff I encountered at Explore Whitsundays (Mel from online booking , the people at the Airlie Beach office and the aforementioned crew) were helpful at every turn, extremely professional and FRIENDLY. Thank you to everyone concerned.
“Prima is the way!”
Amazing experience on Prima. The skipper was Wassa, an absolute legend. At first he was a bit of an introvert but as soon as he opened up he showed us secret places and entertained us with his jokes and stories. We even got to watch a movie with him under the stars the last night. He really made my experience special. I would’ve stayed longer just to listen to his jokes and stories. Seriously people go on that boat, it will change the way you look at things/experience life.
“Unforgettable experience”
We took the 2-night sailboat cruise on the Prima in September 2016. The crew (2 people) were very kind to our 7-year-old daughter. She got cold snorkeling and the captain hauled her up into his raft and let her see and feed the fish from there. She also got to steer the boat and feed a sea eagle. Meals are included and they were very considerate of my diet restrictions due to health. The stop at Whitehaven Beach was the absolute highlight for us - the best beach we've ever been to. We also saw humpback whales breaching near the boat. My daughter and I shared a berth and my husband slept in the common cabin. The other passengers were all adults of every age range and all from different countries. The trip was welcoming for all ages and it was great to meet people from many different backgrounds. We had a fantastic time and were very well cared for.
“Prima Boat is a MUST!”
The prima sail boat caters for 12 people and is the ideal setting to capture the majestic beauty of the Whitsunday Islands. Our captain was Thierry and the co-captain (real captain of the ship) was Bec. They are an incredible tag team and duo.
Thierry provided us with his vast knowledge of the islands whilst highlighting environmental issues facing Australia. My partner was vegetarian and they were well catered for. It is an intimate setting and the perfect way to get to know people and see the islands. It is a must to do when travelling the East Coast.
“Saw the best of whitsundays”
An amazing fun filled time on prima!caught up with some old friends. saw sea eagles,turtles,whales with their calves just magical. the food was flavoursome & if vegetarian ....exceptional !the skipper Craig so knowledgeable & a great sense of humour!our host she was caring, thoughtful & full of sailing experience being a gypsy of the sea!sleeping rearrangements were clean & comfy !so overall company & all that prima offered exceeded my expectations. well done for a great business & thankyou
“Prima - Whitsundays Experience”
My partner Georgie and I sailed on the Prima boat for 2days and 2nights. The owner/skipper was fantastic, great energy and a world of knowledge. The hostie was great, on the ball making fresh food for everyone on board. Accomodation (we had double bed with private ensuite) was comfortable and overall great mix of different guests from many countries around the globe. The whole experience was lovely, with lots of time to just sit, relax and be out of range for a moment. Would be great if the crew more involved in the sailing throughout the trip, and told the guests more facts about the areas they visit. I would 100% recommend.
“Amazing experience onboard Prima”
We did two nights sailing on Prima. The skipper was Johnny and the hostess Chrissi. They were both excellent and did everything they could to make our trip as good as possible. Johnny really packed as much as possible into the time and we got to Whitehaven beach before anyone else so it was totally empty and stunningly beautiful. We also had 5 chances to snorkel all with slightly different features. The food was lovely and Chrissi kept everything clean, tidy and on schedule without losing the relaxed feel, basically we were looked after so we had on worries at all. BYO booze and I agree with another review which said it would be nice to share so take plenty. We had an ensuite cabin which was tiny but did give you that bit more privacy which I did appreciate. This is not a party boat which is why we chose it. We were very lucky and were part of a group that got on well together and fully embraced all the wonderful things offered to us. Can not say enough good things about the while experience!
“An amazing experience!”
I was on a boat named Prima which held 12 people and 2 crew - Johnny the skipper and Chrissy.
Though the living space was incredibly small, I had a wonderful couple of days. We went snorkelling three/four times and saw so many amazing fish and corals. We were also the first at Whitehaven Beach on the second day, because Johnny made sure to get us there early enough.
Take a book or some music though, as there's a lot of time spent on the boat travelling to the next destination. I would also recommend sea sickness tablets as it got pretty rough on the trip home, and maybe a rain coat too!
