Pontoon Boat Hire Sydney
Meet Frankie — Sydney’s own self-drive BBQ pontoon. No licence needed, up to 10 guests, cook lunch on board and take the day slow. Plus larger pontoon-style boats for bigger groups.
Frankie is part of our self-drive boat hire fleet — four boats you drive yourself, three of them with no licence needed.
Sydney’s Self-Drive BBQ Pontoon
Frankie is a flat-deck pontoon you drive yourself — no licence, no experience, full training included.
Frankie — BBQ Boat for 10
📍 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 10 guests
- ⚓ Stop at approved wharves & swim spots
- 🔥 BBQ + gas included
- ☂️ Shaded deck
- 🧊 Esky on board
- ⛽ Fuel included
3 hours works out at about $50 a head with 10 on board — the only no-licence boat for a group of 10.
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.
Why Choose a Pontoon Boat?
Flat, stable and roomy — a pontoon is the most relaxed way to spend a day on the harbour.
Rock-steady
Twin hulls mean almost no rocking — ideal for nervous boaters, kids and grandparents.
Loads of space
A big open flat deck to spread out, set up lunch and move around freely.
Easy swimming
Low, level deck makes getting in and out of the water simple for everyone.
BBQ on board
Frankie has a BBQ on deck — cook lunch on the water, no catering needed.
Got a bigger group?
Frankie carries up to 10 self-drive. For 20, 40 or 100+ guests we also have a fleet of larger pontoon-style catamarans — wide, flat, party-ready decks with a skipper included, perfect for birthdays, corporate days and celebrations.
Pontoon vs a Regular Boat — Which Should You Pick?
A pontoon sits on two (or more) hulls instead of one, so it barely rocks and gives you a big, flat, open deck at water level. That makes it the calmest, roomiest option on the harbour — ideal if you’ve got kids, older guests, or anyone who gets a little uneasy on a normal boat. You trade a bit of top speed for a lot more space and stability, which is exactly what you want for a relaxed day of swimming, lunch and lazing about.
Frankie is our self-drive pontoon — you drive it yourself with no licence and full training, from $495 for three hours, departing Double Bay. If you’d rather someone else skippers, or you need room for a big crowd, our larger party pontoons have you covered.
What a Day on Frankie Actually Looks Like
Frankie runs in fixed windows, so you know exactly what you’re getting. A 3-hour hire starts at 10am or 1:30pm, with a 5pm evening hire while the evenings are long. A Day Tripper is six hours in summer (10am–4pm) and five in winter (10am–3pm). You collect her from Double Bay, we run you through a hands-on briefing and a short test drive, and then the day is yours.
She tops out at around ten knots, and that is the whole point of her. You are not going to cover the harbour end to end, and you would not want to — a pontoon is built for anchoring up somewhere pretty, swimming off the back, cooking lunch and staying put. Most groups pick a bay, settle in, and move once or twice all day.
The morning slot vs the afternoon slot
The 10am start usually gets flatter water and quieter anchorages, which suits families and anyone bringing kids or older guests. The 1:30pm slot runs into the best light of the day and is the better pick for a birthday or a long lunch that turns into sunset. In summer the afternoon window is the one that books out first.
Where You Can Get To From Double Bay
Double Bay sits in the middle of the eastern harbour, which is the calmest and prettiest stretch of water in Sydney — and conveniently, the part with the most sheltered anchorages. At Frankie’s pace, everything below is comfortably within a three-hour hire.
Shark Island and Clark Island are both a short run out. You can anchor nearby and swim; if you want to actually land, both are national park and need a separate booking through NSW National Parks. Rose Bay is a few minutes away and is where the seaplanes come and go — good entertainment from the water. Point Piper and Seven Shillings Beach are closer still.
Push a little further east and you get Parsley Bay, Nielsen Park and Vaucluse — sheltered, swimmable, and the classic Sydney picnic anchorages. Watsons Bay is the far end of a comfortable three hours.
The Opera House and Harbour Bridge are a longer run west. They are very doable on a full day, but if the bridge photo is the main event, book the Day Tripper rather than three hours so you are not watching the clock. Prefer to start closer to the north side instead? Coral and the Axopar leave from The Spit at Mosman.
The BBQ, and What to Bring
The BBQ is on deck and the gas is included — there is nothing to hire, set up or pay extra for. There is an esky on board, and Frankie is fully BYO with no corkage, so the food and drink are entirely your call. Most groups do exactly what you would expect: snags, steaks or prawns, a couple of salads made at home, and a bag of ice.
Worth packing
Ice and drinks · food prepped at home so you are not chopping on board · tongs and a couple of platters · sunscreen and hats (the bow is open to the sun) · a speaker · towels if you plan to swim · and a bag for rubbish, which we ask you to take with you.
Fuel is included in the price, so there is no refuelling stop and no bill at the end. Lifejackets for everyone on board come with the boat. Our own rule — stricter than we need to be — is that under-12s wear theirs any time the boat is moving.
What Frankie Costs
Prices are per boat, not per person, and fuel is included in every one of them.
| Hire | Times | Mon–Fri | Sat/Sun & peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-hour hire | Summer: 10am–1pm, 1:30pm–4:30pm or 5pm–8pm (31 Oct – 8 Mar) · Winter: 10am–1pm or 1:30pm–4:30pm | from $495 | from $560 |
| Day Tripper (6 hrs summer · 5 hrs winter) | Summer: 10am–4pm, or 1:30pm–7:30pm while the evenings are long · Winter: 10am–3pm | from $695 | from $790 |
Peak covers Saturdays, Sundays and every day from 19 December to 26 January. Public holidays — including New Year’s Eve and Australia Day — are 20% on top. Christmas Day is by request only. Your exact price shows the moment you pick a date, so there are no surprises at checkout.
Frankie or Marlow? Both Leave From Double Bay
We run two no-licence self-drive boats out of Double Bay, and people regularly ask which one to take. Frankie carries ten guests to Marlow’s eight and neither needs a licence, so it comes down to what your day looks like.
Take Frankie if the food is the event. She is the flat-deck pontoon with the BBQ on board, the most deck space of anything we hire out, and the easiest boat to get in and out of the water from. She is the party and long-lunch boat.
Take Marlow if comfort matters more than cooking. She is an 8-metre timber-trimmed Mariner Pacer, fully shaded rather than an open-sided shaded deck, and she has a toilet on board — which matters more than people expect on a long day out with kids or older guests. Both start from $495 for three hours.
Still deciding? The full self-drive comparison puts all four boats side by side, or just call and we will tell you honestly which one suits your group.
Pontoon Boat Hire — FAQs
What’s the best self-drive pontoon on Sydney Harbour?
Frankie — our flat-deck BBQ pontoon at Double Bay. It carries up to 10 guests, needs no licence, has a BBQ on board and is one of the most stable, relaxed boats you can drive yourself. From $495 for three hours, fuel included, BYO.
Do I need a licence to hire the pontoon?
No. Frankie is a no-licence boat — we give you a full hands-on training briefing before you leave the dock. Anyone aged 18+ can drive. No experience or qualifications needed.
Are pontoon boats good for parties and families?
They’re ideal. The flat, open deck gives everyone room to move, the twin hulls keep it steady, and the low deck makes swimming easy. Frankie suits up to 10; for larger celebrations we have skippered party pontoons and catamarans for much bigger groups.
Are pontoon boats stable in the harbour?
Very. Sitting on two hulls, a pontoon barely rocks compared with a single-hull boat — which is exactly why they’re the go-to for nervous boaters, kids and anyone who wants a calm, relaxed day.
Can I BYO and use the BBQ?
Yes — Frankie is fully BYO with no corkage, and there’s a BBQ on board so you can cook lunch as you go. Bring your food, drinks and an esky, and take the day slow.
How long do I get, and what times?
A 3-hour hire starts at 10am or 1:30pm, with a 5pm evening hire while the evenings are long. The Day Tripper runs 10am–4pm in summer (six hours) and 10am–3pm in winter (five hours). The briefing and test drive happen inside your window, and you collect from Double Bay.
Is fuel included, or is there a bill at the end?
Fuel is included in the price on Frankie. There is no refuelling stop and nothing extra to settle when you get back. The gas for the BBQ is included too.
How far can we actually get in three hours?
Frankie cruises at around ten knots, so three hours comfortably covers the eastern harbour — Shark and Clark Islands, Rose Bay, Point Piper, and out as far as Parsley Bay, Nielsen Park or Watsons Bay. If you want the Opera House and Harbour Bridge in your photos, book the Day Tripper instead.
What is the difference between Frankie and Marlow?
Both leave from Double Bay — Marlow takes up to eight, Frankie up to ten — and neither needs a licence. Frankie is the flat-deck pontoon with the BBQ and the most open space. Marlow is fully shaded, has a toilet on board and starts from $495 for three hours. Frankie for a cook-up, Marlow for a comfortable cruise.
What if the weather turns?
Give us a call and we will talk it through honestly. A pontoon is the steadiest thing we hire, but she is a flat-water boat and there is no sense taking her out in conditions that will spoil the day. We would rather move you than have you sit through a bad one.
Ready for a day on the pontoon?
No licence needed, BBQ on board, full training included. Book Frankie online in minutes.