Floatspace grows fleet of boats to meet record Aussie demand for boat hire

With up to 15 new boats being added to its fleet each week, Floatspace is riding a wave of growth as Australia’s leading online marketplace for boat hire.

As Australians embrace the rich possibilities of domestic tourism experiences, Floatspace has seen record demand for boat hire with its fleet doubling in size from 2020 to 2021.

Hugh Treseder, co-CEO and founder of Floatspace, is forecasting up to 1000 boats by the end of 2021.

“During the pandemic, Australians have realised just what we have here on our shores,” Treseder says. “Here at Floatspace we pride ourselves on making boat hire accessible and affordable to all. So we’re pleased to see such a massive growth in bookings for boats of all kinds for any event on the water – corporate events, birthday parties, hens and bucks parties, weddings, you name it.

“The demand has been outstripping supply – so we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome between 10 to 15 new boats a week to our fleet to give Australians more choices for whatever on-water events they want to have, wherever they want to go.”

Floatspace offers Australia’s largest variety of private boats for hire across locations including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, The Whitsundays, Perth and Hobart. In recent months, new locations have included some of the best holiday and weekend spots in Australia including Fraser Island and Moreton Bay in Queensland.

“We have small catamarans for family days out, luxury yachts for milestone birthdays and corporate events, and big party boats that are excellent value compared to a lot of the heavily booked-out function venues on land,” Hugh adds.

Boat hire prices can vary from around $350 per hour for small boats for family and group events, up to $1000-$3000 per hour and up for luxury yacht experiences.

With less COVID-19 restrictions in place for larger events in most states, boat bookings are especially picking up for conferences, networking events, team celebrations and even school formals for later in the year.

Recently, online marketplace Airtasker celebrated their Australian Stock Exchange listing with a staff boat event on one of Floatspace’s prestige luxury yachts, One World (see the full Airtasker event wrap-up here).

"I think what makes the difference when dealing with Floatspace is our ability to simplify the booking experience based on our technology and genuine passion for boats and events on the water," Hugh says. "We want customers to 'get on board' and that means enabling them to focus on having fun on the water, having experienced amazing service through attention to detail and bringing the customer's dream to life."

Floatspace’s real-time availability system and live pricing is also making it easier than ever to book the boat you want for the date you want, and the budget you have.

The Australian-first technology allows you to see the calendar for the boat listing you want to book, just like you would a hotel room on a hotel booking site. The dates and prices come up immediately, and you can make your reservation right away. This system is available on an ever-growing list of Floatspace boats.

Some of the new boats on Floatspace's ever-expanding roster include:

Hula Hula, Perth (from $690 an hour for up to 110 guests)

One of the most popular party boats in Perth, Hula Hula can be tailored to any event with your family, friends or colleagues. It's your party platform to make the most of those blue-sky days on the Swan River or for a few rounds of sunset drinks around Fremantle. Pull up a bar stool, it's time to have a 'cheers'.

Felix, Sydney (from $750 an hour, up to 30 guests)

This stunning 58-foot Sydney Harbour sports cruiser features an expansive indoor/outdoor open plan entertainment area that's perfect at any time of the year. Felix boasts two cabins, two bathrooms, a fully stocked central galley, a multi-zoned WiFi and Bluetooth sound system, and luxe interiors designed by one of Sydney's top interior designers, Dimity Chitty.

Kabul, Brisbane (From $587 per hour, up to 27 guests)

With the July school holidays creeping closer, book a fun half-day or full-day adventure with family, friends or colleagues on Kabul. This fast, comfortable boat is made for exploring the best of the Brisbane River and the Moreton Bay region, including the natural beauty of Moreton Island.

Le Bleu, Sydney (from $1250 per hour, up to 240 guests)

One of the newest private boats for events on Sydney Harbour, Le Bleu is a double-level floating venue catering to any large event on the water. With various areas for seating, party decks and cocktail and canape moments, Le Bleu is the kind of boat that makes onlookers' jaws gape wide open.

Rebecca, Melbourne (from $467 per hour, up to 20 guests)

Now this timber boat has history. Built back in 1948, Rebecca was once a fishing vessel, but it was restored in 2004 for a new generation. Since then, Rebecca has hosted celebrities including tennis greats Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, and plenty of local and international visitors. Have some champagne and cheese on the Yarra River or sail to the Mornington Peninsula with your nearest and dearest. Even better if her name's Rebecca.

To book a boat for your event, search Floatspace boat hire listings in your state. To list your charter boat with Floatspace, head to List Your Boat.

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