CRUISE THEN DINING
A pair of local couples have started one-hour cruises with a large luxury motor yacht which has a difference – it can sail under the Sundale Bridge
ANEW luxury cruise has launched on the Gold Coast – specialising in sunsets, champers and limbo under the Sundale Bridge.
Local couples David and Amanda Fisher along with Grant and Kylie Wharington have started one-hour Friday night sunset trips out of Marina Mirage on their luxury yacht Crystal Blue.
Despite being an 80-footer (24 metres), Mr Fisher said a key point of difference between Crystal Blue and other vessels of that size or bigger is it is able to go under the low-slung Sundale Bridge.
“We have the option of going south under the bridge and down the canals into parts of Surfers Paradise or going north past the Seaway and left into Wavebreak Bay.
“So we have got the best of both worlds in terms of where we can take people.”
The Fishers, who have women’s fashion label Phyllis and Mimosa, moved to the Gold Coast late last year from Byron Bay after stints in Melbourne and Hong Kong.
“I’ve been around boats all my life,” Mr Fisher told Coast Weekend.
“We moved up here last October and connected with Grant and Kylie and came up with this idea.”
Soon after they bought the Crystal Blue which was built in Western Australia back in 2006 and he said they had spent the past four months “bringing it up to speed”.
They had give it a makeover inside and out including all new furnishings.
Mr Fisher said as far as pecking order went, there was the 100-foot plus Patriot luxury super yacht – chartered out by Geoff Lovett International – and also moored nearby.
“We have a gorgeous 80-foot motor yacht that we think will represent very good value – especially for what Mr Fisher sees as his reasonably-price one-hour sunset trips.
The one-hour cruises are costed at $89 for adults and $59 for children aged three to 15.
“People might be going to have dinner somewhere at Marina Mirage on a Friday night so they might mosey down for a cruise and a glass of champagne before dinner,” Mr Fisher said.
“The restaurants are right behind it,” he added.
“Or some locals might want to grab some friends or workmates and go cruising.”
Mr Fisher said the vessel was equipped with blankets for people to wrap up in.
“If people want to throw themselves on the bed in one of the master state rooms and take a photo, they are most welcome.”
DJ tunes would play during the cruise but a live music option was something he would investigate in future.
It departs every Friday from 5pm, with boarding required 15 minutes prior.
The Crystal Blue is also available for longer charters for over $1000 an hour with prices dependent on the length of the trip.