What this guide covers
Far North Queensland Yacht Guide is an independent information site for people who own, crew or are about to buy a yacht in Cairns and the surrounding coast. It explains how yachts are prepared and maintained in the tropics, and how that preparation changes when the next stop is the Torres Strait, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia or the South Pacific.
The readers we have in mind are cruising sailors arriving from the Pacific, owners of Queensland boats planning their first offshore passage, and anyone trying to understand what a haul-out, a rig inspection or a clearance involves before they commit time and money to it.
How the content is prepared
The articles are general information, not professional advice. They are written from official and manufacturer sources: the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the Australian Border Force, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Australian Sailing and equipment makers' service documentation. Where a rule is likely to change, such as a fee, a notice period or an application process, the article says so and points to the agency that holds the current answer.
Treat every article as a starting checklist. Your own vessel, your insurer's policy schedule and the rules in force on the day you sail decide what actually applies. Before you rely on a detail, confirm it with the relevant agency or with a licensed surveyor, rigger, marine electrician, diesel mechanic or customs broker.
What this site is not
This site is not a boatyard, a charter company or a trade business. It does not do refit work, haul out boats, supply crew, quote prices or take bookings, and it does not recommend one provider over another. Where the guides mention local businesses, they do so only to describe what exists in the area, and a mention is not an endorsement.
The domain name was previously used by Yacht Services Australasia, a joint venture of Flying Fish Point Slipway and Yacht Services Thailand, based at Innisfail, Queensland. This site is not the website of that business and has no connection with it, with its owners or with any similarly named business. It does not hold the old company's records, and it cannot pass on messages, enquiries or work to it.
Corrections and questions
If you find an error, an out-of-date rule or a gap in a guide, please tell us through the contact page. The form is for questions about the guides, corrections and suggestions. Browse all articles on the guides index.