Cairns: The perfect superyacht home port?

The Super Yacht Group Great Barrier Reef has highlighted Cairns as a truly viable superyacht home port, for those vessels visiting the likes of Thailand, Indonesia and New Zealand.…

As the superyacht industry is bombarded with reports of busy ‘milk run’ marinas, Australia-based Super Yacht Group Great Barrier Reef (SYG GBR) is looking to understand what owners, guests, captains and crew truly want from a home port marina, and whether they might consider Cairns as the ideal home port.

The group, which is essentially a non-profit, members-based association, is working to increase awareness of Cairns as a viable home port, with the required supporting infrastructure, for those superyachts visiting the nearby areas of Thailand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti and New Zealand. "Our goal is to increase visitation, and until foreign-flagged charter is resolved, we are trying to sell Cairns as a destination and the best place to use as a home port for private and charter vessels, while they are visiting [the afore-mentioned] nearby areas," Joanne Drake, manager at SYG GBR, tells SuperyachtNews. "These places are very popular for cruising, however they lack the convenience, attractiveness, expertise, experience, safety and capability to dock a large vessel – all of which we can offer."

The team at SYG GBR is working to highlight how the Cairns port is a strong option for crew, captains and guests alike. “We have all of the infrastructure and services, uniquely and conveniently, located within a 10-minute radius of the marina, and this even includes an international airport,” Drake says. “Having worked on superyachts myself for nine years, and then three years in training and recruitment, I know that a place like this is not easy – but very advantageous – to find around the world.”

For the those at the helm, Drake states that the port, quite simply, “makes life easy”. The port boasts a private gated marina, with CCTV, vehicle access to the vessel at all times, duty-free bunkering at the dock, deck supply stores fives minutes away and a heli-pad, not to mention superyacht-experienced providers and tradesmen, something a number of captains have recently bemoaned when visiting destinations less familiar to welcoming superyachts.

The port, quite simply, makes life easy.

For the crew, Drake describes the area as “so much fun”, with a complimentary lagoon swimming pool minutes from the marina, not to mention the complimentary exercise facilities, running tracks and bike trails – and that’s before the crew hit the restaurants, bars and shops. And let’s not forget the added benefit of two world heritage listed areas: The Great Barrier Reef and The Wet Tropical Rainforest.

In short, it’s offerings such as the above that the team at SYG GBR believe captains, crew and owners alike should get excited by, because if you can keep all parties happy, you have a happy owner, which, let’s not forget, is always the end goal.

The team at SYG GBR is continuing to work to understand what captains, crew and owners want from a perfect home port (see its social media campaign – #PerfectHomePort). In fact, the team is offering one lucky person a free trip to to the Cairns port – simply fill in this short questionnaire about what makes your ideal home port and enter the prize draw.