FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Yes, adult life jackets are available in the boat. Life jackets for children are available and will need to be reserved when booking, please let us know the age of the children attending, their weight and how many. We do not have life vests for dogs unfortunately.

In the “G6” picnic boat, there is room for 8 passengers, which is also the max legal passenger number by authorities. This include children and dogs.

In the “Feelin’ Nauti” sun lounge boat, there is room for 4 passengers. This include children and dogs. (available later in 2023)

Top speed is 4 knots (8km/h) or a brisk walking pace. It also depends on the weather and current, and how many people are in the boat.

G6  has a battery capacity to last for 8+ hours, but this also depends on speed, current, tide, weather and wind. It is important to keep an eye on the weather and the digital display in the boat, and sail accordingly.

Feelin’ Nauti has a battery capacity to last up to 5 hours. As above, this all depends on the speed, current, wind, tide and the weather.

No, at this time only online booking 48 hours prior to hire is available. We are not moored at any jetty and will need to take the boat to you.
There may be some changes to this, so keep updates on social media and here

You will need to have a valid ID and be over 20 years of age. Reason is that you are responsible for everyone onboard and the boat whilst on the river.
Children cannot steer, drive the boat or be in control of the boat.

No, anyone over the age of 20 can hire and drive the boat due to the low horsepower. It is important, however, that you understand basic navigation rules, follow our Induction given on the jetty, and obey the maritime laws that apply on the water. These can also be found on the website and in the folder on the boat.

Unfortunately we cannot organise a skipper/captain for you due to rules and regulation around skippered vessels for hire. The boats are easy to drive and we promise to teach you everything you need to know.

Yes, anyone over the age of 20 can drive the boat whilst you are out on the water. The other skipper will have to be there during the induction.  The original hirer/ skipper will be responsible for any damage and fees if anything should go wrong.

Yes, there is a huge Bimini roof in the G6 that covers the seating are. But, in the Western Australian summer, you will need to put on sunscreen and /or bring a light jacket as the sun will come in from the sides.

Feelin’ Nauti will have a smaller bimini that covers the driver, but not the sun pad.

Yes, you can BYO. We encourage you to bring what you enjoy. There is a large picnic table in the middle of the boat. We can also provide a picnic made by local shops. Pack wisely as there is only room for one esky (60cm).
Please refrain from bringing anything that can fly off the boat and hurt the environment ie cling wrap, serviettes, foil etc

The skipper of the boat must remain under the legal alcohol limit of .05 during the sailing. The rest of the crew may consume alcohol, but we are encouraging moderation and good behaviour. Nauti can stop the hire early and/or refuse hire of the boat if the crew are intoxicated.

No, you can moor on public jetties, but for a maximum of 15 min. Some jetties allow up to 4 hour mooring, please see signs at jetty or use our map as guide. There are also red courtesy moorings/buoys available on the river for up to 4 hours. Do keep in mind that you should never leave the boat unattended or beach the boat!

Well, we then have to fix it. As the skipper of the boat, you are responsible for the boat and everyone on board, and we expect you to look after our assets. Should an accident occur and you damage the boat, the engine and/or other equipment you are liable for the cost of the damage or the insurance excess of $1,000. And if Nauti is losing money due to long repair times, you might be liable for lost income too.

No. What we do instead is to keep your credit card encrypted and if you do damage the boat, return late from hire or lose any equipment, we will charge the cc with the cost. You will be notified when you return the boat and we will deduct your credit card. The boat does cost more than an Audi A3, so please take care of it.
Our Terms goes further into costs and damages

• Where cancellation notice is provided more than 14 days prior to reservation time, Nauti Picnics will refund the hire charge.
• Cancellations notice provided 14 days and 72 hours prior to reservation time will result in a credit of the hire charges to use towards future bookings within 3 months
• Rescheduling within 24 hours is not permitted.
• A no-show at the scheduled departure time shall result in full rental payment and the boat will be retrieved from water, unless notice has been given to Nauti Picnics prior.
• No extension of hire is permitted if customer is running late
• Boat hires bought with a campaign code is non-refundable and can only be rescheduled within 3 months.
  These terms are irrevocable

Rain and wind are no fun when enjoying a floating picnic. So, if it is deemed unsafe by BOM or by Nauti, we will reschedule the booking on the day of the hire. No extra fees. We do recommend to take out our Weather Protection which gives you a full refund should the weather change. It cost $50 per hire. Check the weather, book a boat and if the weather changes, we’ll follow the sun for your convenience. Please read more here

Firstly, it is your responsibility to make sure you are back on time. Weather and tide has to be taken into consideration. Sometimes you won’t make it to your planned destination and you have to return earlier. These things are normal in boating. For every 15 min late, a $50 fee applies and it will keep counting in 15min intervals. If you running late interferes with another persons booking, and they choose to cancel their booking due to this, we reserve the right to charge you for their booking as well.

We only operate with one boat atm. We are in the process of building purpose built boats for our rivers and negotiate an operational spot.
We hope to have our Feelin’ Nauti sun lounger up and running later in 2023

Yes you most definitely can. Do bear in mind that there isn’t much floor space for many dogs. Please keep dogs off the picnic table. We do not have life vests for dogs, but you are welcome to bring your own. We do provide a water bowl. In hot weather we suggest you bring a towel and lots of water. Do keep in mind that your dogs claws can rip up the seat cushions. Any damage will need to be compensated

Yes we offer gift cards!
With gift cards you choose the dollar amount and your recipient may add extra to pay for a hire.
When redeeming: Gift card numbers are to be added where it says “apply gift card…” in the payment section online

Gift card bought online are valid for 3 years from the date it was bought. Please keep the email as this is the only way to redeem it. If the price for the boat hire changes, the gift card is only valid for the value on them.
Gift Cards are none refundable even after a reschedule.

Gift cards given as credit for boat hire, is only valid for 3 months from the day it was issued. We do not refund credit even if you cancel in advance.

We have added more sessions. Please see our Boat Hire page for times and costs. All bookings have to be settled 48 hours prior

We work on demand and are steered by the weather. We usually open up the boating season in late August and will go for as long as you want to book and the weather allows us, but we do take one month off for maintenance each year in July.

We use a third party booking system to handle the backend of the boat hire, and this cost money. It could either be incorporated in the hire or leave as a seperate item. We decided to leave as a seperate item as it’s not ours to keep.

The boat is 5m long and has a u-shape seating arrangement with a table and a central steering console in the middle, so unfortunately there is no space for a wheelchair on the boat. We have managed to still accommodate people, but it depends on individual circumstances. Please contact us on ahoy@nautipicnics.com.au to have a chat on how we can make it possible for you.

Unfortunately not. I understand fishing is great and being electric you can sneak up on fish, but the smell is not pleasant for the next person enjoying their picnic. The cleaning for me would also be a pain, so I made the decision to not allowing fishing.
Please try Fremantle Boat hire, SmartWave or Searano’s for fishing on the Swan.

We have now run Nauti Picnics for 6 seasons on the Swan River and we know the system and our waters well. It is time to expand and build boats locally and offer more activities for our customer base. If this is of interest to you and you have a passion , extensive knowledge in the marine industry or see yourself being a good fit for us, please do contact us on ahoy@nauteco.com.au and we’ll tie up a chat on the dock