Manly · by your own boat
Manly by ferry is a queue and a timetable. Manly by your own boat is a beach nobody else can reach, lunch at the wharf, and leaving when you feel like it. No licence needed.
Getting there
Our boats leave from The Spit in Mosman, which puts you at the top of Middle Harbour. The run to Manly takes you out past Grotto Point and across North Harbour — roughly forty minutes at an easy pace, and scenic the whole way rather than a slog to be got through.
That is comfortable inside a three-hour hire if Manly is the main event: out, a couple of hours there, and back. If you want to combine it with a swim somewhere quieter on the way, take the day tripper and stop wherever you like.
North Harbour is noticeably calmer than the main harbour on a windy day, which is part of why this run works so well in a small boat. We go through the route on your map at the briefing, along with where the boat is allowed to go.
The boats
Both boats leave from The Spit in Mosman, which is the closest of our two bases to Manly. Fuel is included and a refundable $250 hold applies.
No licence needed — up to 6
Shade canopy with sides, a small cabin, lunch table and a swim ladder off the back — which is the bit that matters when you are anchored off a beach. Dogs welcome.
NSW licence needed — up to 8
More boat, more comfort and more range, for licence holders. Makes the run out and back feel like nothing at all.
Weekday rates shown — weekends, the 19 December – 26 January peak and public holidays are higher. We also keep two no-licence boats at Double Bay from October, on the eastern side of the harbour.
On the day
The reason to arrive by boat is Store Beach. It sits inside North Harbour with no road to it, so unless you have come by water or kayak you are not getting there — and on a weekday it is often close to empty. Anchor off, swim in, and it feels a very long way from the city.
If you would rather be among people, Manly Cove is right by the wharf with the restaurants and the ferry terminal a short walk up. Little Manly Cove and Collins Flat are quieter alternatives a few minutes either side.
Bring your own food and drink — there is no BYO fee, and the swim ladder means people can get in and out of the water easily rather than jumping and hoping.
Good to know
Yes. The Day Boat needs no licence, no test and no experience, and the run from The Spit to Manly takes about forty minutes. We brief you fully before you leave and mark the route on your map.
About forty minutes from our dock at The Spit in Mosman, taking it at an easy pace. That leaves plenty of time inside a three-hour hire.
Yes, and by boat is essentially the only way — there is no road access. It is one of the main reasons people take a boat to Manly rather than the ferry.
From $400 for three hours on the Day Boat, which takes up to 6, or $550 for a day tripper. Fuel is included. The Sports Cruiser is $795 for a half day if you hold a NSW licence.
No. Both boats leave from The Spit in Mosman and you cruise across — there is no Manly pick-up. Full directions are on our location page.
North Harbour is usually calmer than the main harbour, and the route stays inside the heads the whole way. If conditions are not suitable on the day we will tell you before you leave.