Self Drive Boat Hire Double Bay
Skipper your own boat from Double Bay Ferry Wharf — Shark Island, Milk Beach and the harbour’s best swim spots minutes away. No licence needed on either boat.
Marlow — Fully Shaded Day Boat
📍 Departs Double Bay Ferry Wharf
A relaxed, fully shaded family day boat on the eastern side of the harbour. Easy to drive, comfortable for a long lunch on the water — no licence needed.
- 👥 Up to 8 guests
- ⚡ No licence needed
- ☂️ Fully shaded
- 🚻 Toilet on board
- ⛽ Fuel included
Or call 0432 428 297
Frankie — BBQ Pontoon
📍 Departs Double Bay Ferry Wharf
A social BBQ pontoon built for relaxed harbour days — cook lunch on board, spread out, and take it slow. No licence needed, perfect for groups and celebrations.
- 👥 Up to 8 guests
- ⚡ No licence needed
- 🔥 BBQ + gas included
- ☂️ Three-quarters shaded
- 🧊 Esky on board
- ⛽ Fuel included
Or call 0432 428 297
Prices shown are starting prices — weekends and peak dates are higher, and your exact price appears the moment you pick a date.
🌞 Season opens 10 October — spring and summer dates are open for booking now.
Getting to Double Bay
Pickup is Double Bay Ferry Wharf, 80 Bay St, Double Bay NSW 2028.
- ⛴️ By ferry — the F7 stops right at the wharf.
- 🚗 Parking — metered street parking and car parks in the Double Bay village, a short walk away.
- 👋 On arrival — our crew meets you at the wharf for your briefing and short test drive; you’re usually underway within 20 minutes.
Questions? Call 0432 428 297.
How Self-Drive Boat Hire in Sydney Works
Three simple steps to get on the water.
Book Online
Choose your boat, pick your date and time. Instant confirmation — no back-and-forth.
Meet at the wharf
Meet our crew at Double Bay Ferry Wharf. Full safety briefing and a short test drive before you go.
Explore the Harbour
You’re the captain. Manly, Rose Bay, past the Bridge — maps and harbour tips provided. BYO everything.
What’s Included
Whichever boat you choose, every self-drive hire comes with the essentials.
Included on every boat
- ⛵ The boat, fuelled and ready
- 🧥 Safety equipment for everyone aboard
- 📚 Full safety briefing + short test drive
- ☂️ Shade on board
- 🌏 Harbour maps & route tips
- 📞 On-call support throughout your hire
BYO food & drinks on every boat. Fuel included (Axopar charged on usage).
Your live harbour map
Every booking comes with its own map of the harbour — built by us, for these boats. Open it in your phone’s browser. Nothing to download.
- 📍Watch your own boat move. There’s a GPS tracker on board, and the map goes live five minutes before your start time.
- 🏖️All the good spots, marked. Swim beaches, calm anchorages, free public moorings, toilets and places to eat — each with a tip from us.
- 🚫And where not to go. Your boundary for the day, no-go zones and shallow ground, drawn for the boat you’re actually on.
- 👋Send it to anyone. Friends on shore can follow along and work out where to meet you.
- ⏱️Never lose track of the time. A countdown to your return, so you come back without rushing.
A sample day on the harbour, so you can have a play before you book. On the day it’s your own boat on there instead.
What Guests Say
Rated 5.0 from 112 Google reviews across our Sydney fleet.
Which Boat is Right for You?
| Coral | Axopar 28 | Marlow | Frankie | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licence needed | No | Yes (25+) | No | No |
| Guests | Up to 6 | Up to 8 | Up to 8 | Up to 8 |
| From price | From $400 | From $795 | From $495 | From $650 |
| Departs | The Spit → | The Spit → | Double Bay | Double Bay |
| Fuel | Included | Charged separately | Included | Included |
| Toilet | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| BBQ on board | No | No | No | Yes |
| Best for | Families & first-timers | Speed & distance | Shaded family days | BBQ & groups |
Self-Drive Resources
Looking for a skippered cruise instead? Browse all 180+ boats available for hire on Sydney Harbour — from intimate yachts to large party boats with full crew.
Ready to Captain Your Own Adventure?
Book online in 2 minutes. Free cancellation if the weather doesn’t cooperate.
Or call us: 0432 428 297
Boat Hire in Double Bay — the Eastern Suburbs’ Launchpad
Double Bay is the eastern suburbs’ front door to the harbour. Leave the wharf and you’re choosing between Shark Island, the Vaucluse beaches, Rose Bay and the calm moorings under Taronga’s bushline — all within a few relaxed minutes, no long transit, no open water. It’s the easiest way for a group of friends, a family or a birthday crew to spend a day on Sydney Harbour without hiring a skipper.
Both boats are licence-free: the fully shaded Marlow for all-day comfort, and Frankie the BBQ pontoon for the floating-picnic day out. You get a proper briefing at the wharf from crew who know this water, and a live harbour map on your phone showing the best anchorages and swim spots as you go. We also run self-drive boats from The Spit in Mosman — including the Axopar 28 for licensed skippers — and you can compare the whole self-drive fleet here.
Frequently Asked Questions
➤ Do I need a boat licence to hire a boat in Double Bay?
No — both Double Bay boats are licence-free. Anyone 18+ can drive after our briefing and short test drive at the wharf.
➤ What happens if the weather is bad?
If conditions aren’t safe or pleasant, we offer a weather hold — move your booking to another day or take a credit. You won’t lose your money to rain.
➤ What’s included in the price?
Fuel, your briefing and test drive, safety gear and lifejackets in all sizes (kids included), harbour maps and the live harbour map on your phone.
➤ How long can we go out for?
The Marlow runs 3-hour hires and a longer Day Tripper; Frankie runs half-day and full-day hires. Exact times vary by season — the booking calendar shows what’s available on your date.
➤ Where exactly do we meet?
Double Bay Ferry Wharf on Bay St — our crew meets you there for your briefing and walks you onto the boat.