Yacht & Boat Delivery
Your vessel delivered anywhere in Australia on her own bottom — inspected by our engineers before she leaves the dock, skippered by experienced delivery crew, and handed over ready to use. New-purchase collections, seasonal relocations and interstate passages, from the Gold Coast.
Yacht and boat delivery from the Gold Coast — Australia-wide
Marine Solutions Australia delivers yachts and motor vessels anywhere in Australia from our base at Gold Coast City Marina, Coomera — skippered deliveries on the vessel's own bottom, for new purchases, seasonal relocations and interstate moves. East coast passages between Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria are our most common runs.
What makes our deliveries different is what happens before the lines come off: we're a marine engineering company first, so every delivery starts with a pre-departure engineering inspection and ends with a documented handover — and any servicing or repairs the vessel needs can be completed either end of the passage.
Whether it's a sailing yacht coming up from Sydney, a new motor cruiser collected from an interstate broker, or a superyacht repositioning for the season, the passage is planned, quoted in writing and run on suitable weather — with our Coomera workshop behind the skipper the whole way.
A delivery backed by a workshop, not just a skipper
Most delivery outfits are a skipper and a phone. The passage still depends entirely on the state of the boat — and that's the part we're built for. Our engineers inspect and prepare the vessel before departure, the passage is planned and supported from our Gold Coast base, and anything the trip shows up can go straight into the workshop on arrival. One company responsible for the boat from her current berth to her new one.
AMSA-qualified crew · Engineering pre-departure inspection · Written quote · Documented handover
More than a skipper on the dock
A delivery is an engineering exercise as much as a passage. Everything below is part of the job — not an extra.
Skippered on-water delivery
Your vessel delivered on its own bottom by an experienced delivery skipper and crew — coastal hops, interstate passages and longer bluewater legs, run to a proper passage plan rather than a hopeful weather window.
Pre-departure engineering inspection
Before any passage, our engineers go through the vessel — engine and fuel systems, steering, electrics, pumps, rig and safety gear — and rectify what needs attention. A delivery is only as reliable as the boat that leaves the dock.
Passage planning & weather routing
Route, fuel and provisioning planning, realistic weather windows and bar-crossing and port decisions made on experience — with the plan agreed with you before departure and updates as the passage runs.
New-purchase & relocation delivery
Bought a boat interstate, sold one to a buyer up the coast, or relocating for the season? We collect from the broker, marina or previous owner, and deliver to your berth — one point of contact door to door.
Berth-to-berth service
Fuel, pump-outs, marina bookings and arrival formalities handled along the way, and the vessel handed back washed down, tidied and secured in her berth — not just left at the fuel dock.
Service & repairs either end
Because we're a marine engineering workshop first, servicing, repairs and upgrades can be completed before departure or on arrival — antifoul, engine service, electronics — so the boat arrives ready to use, not ready for a to-do list.
Bought a boat interstate, or need one moved?
Tell us the vessel and the two ports — we'll tell you what the passage involves and quote it in writing.
How a delivery runs
From first call to handover — planned, inspected, weather-routed and documented, with you informed at every stage.
1 · Scope & written quote
Tell us the vessel, where she is and where she needs to be. We scope the passage — distance, crew, likely weather and any work the boat needs first — and quote the delivery in writing before anything is booked.
2 · Inspection & preparation
Our engineers inspect the vessel and deal with anything that would compromise the passage — with your approval on any work — then fuel, provision and lodge the passage plan.
3 · The passage
The delivery runs to the agreed plan, moving on suitable weather windows rather than a fixed date at all costs. You're kept informed at each port and at key decisions along the way.
4 · Handover & follow-up
On arrival the vessel is secured, washed down and handed over with a report on how she ran — and anything the passage showed up can be booked straight into the workshop or a mobile visit.
On her own bottom, or on a truck?
Boat delivery and boat transport get used interchangeably, but they're different services. We deliver vessels on the water; road freight is a job for a specialist carrier. Here's how they compare — and we'll tell you straight which suits your boat.
| Consideration | Skippered delivery (on the water) | Road transport |
|---|---|---|
| How it moves | On her own bottom, skippered berth to berth | Hauled out, cradled and trucked by a specialist carrier |
| Best suited to | Larger cruisers, sailing yachts and motor yachts already in the water | Trailerable boats and vessels within road height/width limits |
| Size limits | Effectively none — if she can make the passage, she can be delivered | Hard limits on beam, height and weight; permits and pilot vehicles beyond them |
| What the boat needs | To be seaworthy — which our pre-departure inspection confirms | Haul-out, decommissioning of rig/flybridge, cradling and re-commissioning |
| Timeframe | Driven by distance and weather windows | Driven by carrier scheduling and permits |
A skippered delivery also doubles as a proper shakedown — by the time she's in her new berth you'll know exactly how the vessel runs, documented in the handover report. If the passage flags anything, the engineering team can deal with it on arrival.
Vessels we move, prepare and support
Recent passages and crew placements — vessel details kept private, as our clients expect. Deliveries draw on the same team that handles engineering, refits and superyacht support from Gold Coast City Marina.
Airlie Beach – Sydney, and back
Repeat relocations of a private motor yacht between Airlie Beach and Sydney — several passages over the past two years for the same owner, in both directions.
Port Douglas – Gold Coast
A 75-foot motor yacht from Far North Queensland down the coast to the Gold Coast — a multi-leg passage planned around reef waters and weather windows.
Relief engineering crew
Fill-in engineering crew placed aboard a cruising superyacht for six to eight weeks — the same engineers who prepare and support our deliveries.
Superyacht sea trials
An AMSA Class 3 marine engineer placed aboard a 56-metre superyacht as onboard engineer so she could complete her sea trials.
Yacht & boat delivery — common questions
Where we deliver, what it costs, sea versus road, passage times, who skippers the vessel, how insurance works and what happens before departure.
What areas do you deliver boats and yachts to?
We deliver Australia-wide from our Gold Coast base — the east coast runs between South East Queensland, Sydney, and on to Melbourne, Tasmania and North Queensland are the most common, but we also take on longer coastal and interstate passages in both directions. Deliveries can start or finish anywhere: we regularly collect newly purchased vessels from interstate brokers and deliver them to their new home berth, or move a vessel north or south for the season.
How much does yacht or boat delivery cost in Australia?
There's no flat rate — every delivery is quoted in writing before anything is booked. The main drivers are the distance and likely passage time, the vessel and how she's equipped, crew requirements, fuel, and any work needed to make her ready for the passage. Tell us the vessel and the two ports on 07 5612 7161 and we'll talk you through what the passage involves and quote it properly.
Is it better to deliver a boat by sea or transport it by road?
It depends on the vessel. Road transport suits trailerable boats and vessels within road height, beam and weight limits, but it means haul-out, decommissioning, cradling and re-commissioning at the other end — and beyond legal road dimensions it needs permits and pilot vehicles. For larger cruisers, sailing yachts and motor yachts already in the water, a skippered delivery on her own bottom is usually the practical option, and it arrives commissioned and ready to use. We're straight about which suits your boat: if road freight is genuinely the better answer for a small trailerable, we'll tell you so.
How long does a yacht delivery take?
Passage time depends on the distance, the vessel's comfortable cruising speed, and the weather. As a guide, Gold Coast to Sydney is typically several days in reasonable conditions, but we plan around suitable weather windows rather than promising a fixed arrival date at all costs — pushing a schedule into weather is how vessels and crews get hurt. You'll get a realistic passage estimate with the quote and updates as the delivery runs.
Who actually delivers the vessel?
Every delivery is run by Marine Solutions Australia with an experienced delivery skipper and crew matched to the vessel and the passage — sail or motor, coastal or offshore. Our delivery and engineering crew hold AMSA-recognised qualifications including Marine Engine Driver Grade 2 and Certificate III, IV and Diploma-level maritime engineering, and the team includes a Class 3 marine engineer for larger and more complex vessels. Behind the skipper sits our Gold Coast engineering team: the boat is inspected before departure, the passage is planned and supported from base, and any issue that arises en route has a workshop behind it, not just a phone that rings out.
Is the vessel insured during a delivery?
Delivery passages run under the vessel's own insurance policy — insurance and liability stay with the vessel, as is standard for skippered deliveries in Australia. Before departure we confirm with you that the policy covers the planned passage (some policies have cruising-area or crewing conditions worth checking with your insurer), and our pre-departure engineering inspection and passage plan are exactly the sort of preparation insurers like to see documented.
What happens before the boat leaves the dock?
Every delivery starts with a pre-departure engineering inspection — engine, fuel and cooling systems, steering, electrics, bilge pumps, ground tackle, rig on a sailing vessel, and the safety equipment for the passage. Anything that would compromise the trip is raised with you and rectified before departure. It protects the vessel, the crew and the schedule, and it's the part of a delivery a standalone skipper simply can't offer.
Can you service or repair the boat as part of the delivery?
Yes — that's the point of using a marine engineering company for the job. Servicing, repairs and upgrades can be completed at our Gold Coast City Marina workshop before departure, or booked for arrival: engine servicing, electronics, watermakers, air conditioning, antifoul coordination and anything else on the list. A new-to-you boat can be collected, brought up to standard and delivered ready to enjoy in one arrangement.
Can you deliver a boat I've just bought interstate?
Yes — new-purchase deliveries are one of the most common jobs. We liaise with the broker or seller, inspect the vessel before she sails (which regularly catches things worth knowing about early), handle fuel and marina stops along the way, and deliver her to your berth with a report on how she ran. If you'd like work done before you first step aboard, the workshop can schedule it either end of the passage.
Didn’t find your answer? Call 07 5612 7161 (Mon–Fri 7am–3pm) or email [email protected] — we’re happy to talk it through.
Get your vessel where she needs to be
Tell us the boat, where she is and where she's going — new purchase, relocation or a seasonal move. We'll inspect her, plan the passage, quote it in writing and deliver her ready to use.