Your Questions, Answered
About the charter
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Four, maximum. Two to four is where she's happiest.
That's not a limitation we're apologising for — it's the whole idea. No crowds, no strangers, no sharing the deck with anyone you didn't invite.
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Past the Opera House, under the Harbour Bridge, around Cockatoo Island, with the Balmain shoreline behind you.
That's the usual run. If there's somewhere you'd rather be, say so — it's your charter.
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Anywhere inside the harbour - with calm waters - is fair game. We don’t go out past the Heads. Kiaoka is a harbour boat, and that’s where she’s happiest.
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Sunrise cruises run 6–8am from October to March, and 7–9am from April to September. Sunset times shift with the season, so tell us your date and we’ll work it out. Daytime charters are booked around what suits you.
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Yes. A professional skipper comes with every charter, and it’ll be one of us.
Cost and booking
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$500 per hour, two-hour minimum.
Between April and September we also run a one-hour charter for $500.
Wharf fees are $50 each way. Eastern Suburbs and Parramatta River pick-ups and drop-offs are $100 each way.
Public holidays, Boxing Day and New Year's Eve are available on request.
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Call 0409 391 304 or email ahoy@thelittleboat.com.au.
Tell us the date, roughly how many of you there are, and what the occasion is. We'll take it from there.
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A deposit of $250 secures your date. It comes off the total, and the balance is due 10 days before you sail.
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Kiaoka is a small boat, and we’d rather move your cruise than give you a bad one.
The skipper makes that call. If the forecast looks poor we’ll warn you about a week out, check in again two days before, and make the final decision on the morning if it’s still uncertain. If you’d rather call it before we do, that’s your decision and we’ll back it.
If weather stops us going out, you can move your cruise to any date in the next twelve months, or take a full refund. Whichever suits you.
Most people move it. The harbour will still be there.
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Life happens. More than 14 days out, you can move to another date at no charge or take a full refund less your deposit. Between 7 and 14 days, move at no charge or take a 50% refund. Inside 7 days, we’ll move you if we possibly can. If we can’t fill the date, we’re not able to refund it.
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Yes. Gift cards start from $500, can be any amount, and arrive digitally. Buy one on the Extras page.
On board
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Please do. We’re BYO, and we’d rather you brought what you actually like than chose from a menu we wrote. Plates, glasses, cutlery and ice are on us. If you’d rather not carry everything, add The Long Graze or another treat from our Extras page and it’ll be waiting when you step on.
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Yes. There’s a Bluetooth sound system on board, so bring your playlist.
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Yes, there’s a toilet on board.
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Yes, if the skipper’s happy with the conditions on the day and you’ve booked a cruise of two hours or more. We’ll find a quiet spot, cut the engines, and you can go in. Bring your swimmers and a towel.
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No, not on board. It’s a small timber boat and the smoke has nowhere to go.
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Flowers, a cake and a few special touches are all available as add-ons when you book. See the Gifts page. If you’d like to bring something of your own, let us know first so we can make sure it suits the boat.
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Yes. A photographer counts as one of the four guests, because the limit includes everyone aboard except the skipper. For a proposal or a wedding, that usually means the two of you, the photographer, and one spare seat.
Getting there and who can come
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Elizabeth Macarthur Public Pontoon, Birkenhead Point Wharf, Yarranabbe Park Pontoon, or Rose Bay Wharf.
Somewhere else suits you better? Ask. We can usually make it work.
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Soft-soled shoes, please. No heels. She’s a timber boat and the deck marks easily. Bring a layer for the trip home; it’s always cooler on the water than you expect.
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Boarding is from a pontoon, low, level and steady, and we’ll help you on. Seating is cushioned bench seating under a shade cover. She’s a small heritage boat, though, and may not suit everyone with limited mobility. If you’re unsure, call us and we’ll talk it through, or come down and have a look at her first.
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Yes, from 12 years and up.
Kiaoka is a small heritage timber boat with low rails and an open deck, so we’re unable to take children under 12. Guests aged 12 and over are very welcome, and we carry lifejackets to fit them. Children count toward the maximum of four, and we’ll ask parents for proof of age (a school ID, passport or Medicare card is fine) when you book. -
Sorry, no dogs on board.
