Melbourne Itineraries: Day Charters and Multi-Day Routes

Docklands to the Eastern Bay and St Kilda

Board your yacht at Melbourne City and Superyacht Marina by mid-morning. Cruise south along the Yarra River and into Port Phillip Bay, scanning the water for bottlenose dolphins as you enter the bay’s eastern reaches. Anchor off Brighton for a swim near the famous bathing boxes, 82 colourful Victorian-era structures that line the beach. Your chef lays out lunch on the aft deck with the Melbourne skyline in the distance. In the afternoon, cruise south to St Kilda. Anchor off the foreshore, tender ashore for a walk along the esplanade and a coffee at one of the beachfront cafés, then dress for dinner at Stokehouse, floor-to-ceiling bay views, startlingly fresh seafood and a ceiling of 2,000 blush-pink glass tubes. Return to the yacht for an overnight at anchor.

Dolphins, Seals and the South Channel

Depart St Kilda and cruise south into the central bay. Your captain searches for the bottlenose dolphin pod, roughly 80 individuals that hunt, play and socialise in the bay’s open waters. Once found, the yacht positions for extended viewing (coffee and pastries on the flybridge while the dolphins bow-ride). Continue south to Pope’s Eye and Chinaman’s Hat for the fur seal colonies, then cruise to the South Channel Fort, the 1879 to 1888 artificial island that once formed a ‘triangle of fire’ with the shore batteries. Your chef prepares lunch on the aft deck surrounded by seals and maritime heritage. In the afternoon, continue south toward Sorrento for an overnight anchorage off the Mornington Peninsula. Tender ashore for an evening stroll through Sorrento village and dinner at a local restaurant.

Mornington Peninsula Wine Trail and Return

Morning ashore on the Mornington Peninsula. Your crew arranges a private car for a cellar-door tour: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at two or three of the peninsula’s finest producers, with tastings, vineyard walks and perhaps a late-morning cheese platter at Montalto’s sculpture garden. Return to the yacht at Sorrento for a chef-prepared farewell lunch on the aft deck, Mornington Peninsula oysters, local cheeses, estate wines and a view across the bay. Cruise north through the afternoon, scanning for dolphins one last time, and arrive at Melbourne City Marina by early evening. The Docklands precinct and Southbank restaurants are waiting if you want one final Melbourne meal.

Docklands to Portsea via St Kilda

Board at Melbourne City Marina by mid-morning. Cruise south through the bay, stopping at St Kilda for a swim and a quick stroll along the esplanade. Continue south along the Mornington Peninsula coast, past Mornington, Mount Martha and Dromana, to Portsea at the peninsula’s tip (roughly 45 nautical miles from Docklands). Anchor off Portsea’s front beach for an afternoon swim in calm bay water backed by limestone cliffs. Scan the kelp beds off the rocks for weedy sea dragons, extraordinary leaf-like creatures found nowhere else on earth. Your chef prepares dinner on the aft deck as the sun sets behind the Bellarine Peninsula across The Heads. Overnight at Portsea.

The Heads, Queenscliff and Fort Queenscliff

Depart Portsea and cruise through The Rip, the dramatic entrance to Port Phillip Bay where tidal streams can reach six knots. Your captain times the passage for slack water (roughly three hours before or after high water) for a smooth, safe crossing. Anchor off Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula, roughly 6 nautical miles across from Sorrento. Tender ashore for a tour of Fort Queenscliff, begun in 1860, headquarters of the defence network that by 1886 made Port Phillip one of the most heavily fortified harbours in the British Empire. Walk the Victorian-era streets, visit the lighthouse, and lunch at one of Queenscliff’s harbourside restaurants. In the afternoon, explore the Bellarine Peninsula’s cellar doors: Scotchmans Hill (40-plus years, panoramic bay views from the highest point on the Bellarine), Jack Rabbit Vineyard (hill-top setting, restaurant with bay views) or Terindah Estate (sustainable viticulture, Port Phillip Bay views). Overnight at anchor off Queenscliff.

Bellarine to South Channel and Marine Wildlife

Cruise east from Queenscliff through the bay’s southern reaches. Visit the South Channel Fort, an artificial island 121.9 metres long and 76.2 metres wide, built between 1879 and 1888, now a haul-out for Australian fur seals. Continue to Pope’s Eye (Marine National Park, partially submerged annular fort, resident seal colony) and Chinaman’s Hat (seal platform erected 2002, 3 kilometres from Pope’s Eye). Spend the morning cruising among the seals and scanning the water for dolphins. Your chef prepares lunch on the aft deck surrounded by wildlife. In the afternoon, cruise north along the bay’s eastern shore, searching for the bottlenose dolphin pod in the open water. Anchor off Sorrento for the night. Tender ashore for dinner, or enjoy a chef-prepared meal on deck.

Sorrento, Wine Country and Return to Melbourne

Morning cellar-door tour on the Mornington Peninsula: your crew arranges a private car for visits to two or three estate wineries. Return to the yacht for a farewell lunch on the aft deck, Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir, local oysters, artisan cheese and your chef’s best work. In the early afternoon, cruise north through Port Phillip Bay, pausing at Brighton’s bathing boxes for a final swim if the weather obliges. Arrive at Melbourne City Marina by late afternoon with time for a sunset walk along Southbank or a farewell dinner in the CBD laneways.

Guests looking for a longer voyage can combine the 3-day bay-wine-country route with the 4-day Heads-Queenscliff-Bellarine route for a comprehensive 7-day Melbourne charter covering the full bay, both peninsulas, marine wildlife and two world-class wine regions, without repeating a single stop.