Sail down the Brisbane River on an electric picnic boat

Be the captain of your own picnic boat. GoBoat Australia has opened up a pop-up location at Dockside Marina Kangaroo Point in Brisbane.

It will give everyday Brisbanites access to the river without the need for a boat license.

Act fast though, the pop up will only be around for a limited time before GoBoat Brisbane’s official launch in the coming months.

How does it work?

You can hire a boat for anywhere between one and five hours, with a maximum of eight people on board (including the skipper and kids). This limit doesn’t include dogs, which are welcome on board GoBoat Brisbane.

Almost anyone can be the captain of a GoBoat. You don’t need a boat license but you do need to be over 18 and remain sober during sailing.

GoBoat Brisbane — Anyone can be a captain on a GoBoat ©GoBoat

The boats are powered by an electric motor connected to a battery bank. They sail around four knots (in non-sailing terms that’s around seven kilometres per hour). It makes for fuss-free sailing so all you have to do is steer the boat.

Each GoBoat boasts a communal recycled picnic table perfect for BYO picnics and drinks. Otherwise, you can organise catering through GoBoat by pre-ordering. The boat also features a sunshade for protection from the Brisbane sun.

If you round up enough sailors GoBoating will only cost around $13 per person per hour. The first hour is $109 and every hour after that the hourly rate drops.

Check out the map to see where you can GoBoat along the Brisbane River. Cruise from Breakfast Creek, around New Farm Park and even under the Story Bridge into the CBD.

Safety for you and the environment

The Danish-designed picnic boats are sustainable. There’s no fumes, no mess and no noise. So your adventure will be enjoyable and completely environmentally friendly.

GoBoat Brisbane values the safety of its sailors just as much. Everyone jumping onboard will receive a thorough safety briefing. Lifejackets and all safety gear are included in the price. All kids under 12 are required to wear a lifejacket onboard.

Not in Brisbane? No worries. GoBoat also operate in Melbourne and Canberra.