Charter 1
Charter 1 is a Fremantle-based, family-run sailing catamaran operator offering snorkel tours, sunset sails, and private charters around Rottnest and Carnac Islands in Western Australia, serving tourists, corporates, and schools seasonally from November to April.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersFremantle, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Charter 1 does
Charter 1 is a privately held, family-run Western Australian marine tourism operator founded in 2002 and based at Sardine Jetty, Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour, with a secondary departure point at Rottnest Island Fuel Jetty. The company runs sailing catamaran tours and private boat charters centred on snorkelling, wildlife viewing (sea lions, dolphins, whales), and sunset cruises around Rottnest Island and Carnac Island. Its primary operating asset is Capella, a 12.5-metre Schionning Cosmos 1000 sailing catamaran — Perth's largest commercial sailing catamaran — surveyed by AMSA for up to 37 daytime passengers plus crew (capped at 24 for comfort) and 10 overnight guests across five cabins. The vessel is equipped with snorkel gear, kayaks, a stand-up paddleboard, a lowerable water-access ladder, kitchenette, BBQ, and bathroom facilities with flushing toilet and shower. The company holds Advanced Eco Certification from Ecotourism Australia for over 10 years, is a COVID-19 Accredited Tourism Business, and carries public liability insurance of at least AUD 10 million under Tourism Vessel regulations.
Charter 1 operates a dual business model. On the demand side, it sells scheduled public tours (Rottnest Island Snorkel & Sail at AUD 185/adult, Fremantle Twilight Sail at AUD 129/adult, Rottnest Island Sunset Sail at AUD 119/adult, Full Day Sail to Rottnest Island at AUD 295/adult, and Carnac Island Eco Tour at AUD 175/adult) on a per-ticket basis, plus fully customisable private charters priced hourly from approximately AUD 2,500+ and a "Build Your Own Charter" configurator. Ancillary revenue is generated through gift vouchers (36-month validity), catering add-ons (BBQ packages, seafood platters, breakfast), and Rottnest Island Authority entry fees on-charged to private charter guests. Tours operate seasonally from November to April, subject to weather.
The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer, anchored by the company website (charter1.com.au) with an integrated Rezdy booking calendar, supplemented by phone/email inside-sales for private and corporate bookings and listings on third-party online travel agents (Viator, Expedia, Red Balloon). Customer segments span individual tourists and families (primary), corporate clients for team-building and client entertainment (primary), schools and universities for educational excursions (primary), eco-tourism enthusiasts, and Christmas/seasonal event organisers. Marketing relies on the company website, email newsletter, social media, TripAdvisor and Google review platforms, a "Yellow Carpet" VIP repeat-purchase credit, and a cross-promotional partnership with Cicerello's Fremantle. The co-owners, Erin and Jules (with combined 30 years corporate experience), remain operationally involved, with Captain Jules acting as skipper.
Charter 1 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Charter 1
- Legal name
- Charter 1
- Website
- https://charter1.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Charter 1 is a Fremantle-based, family-run sailing catamaran operator offering snorkel tours, sunset sails, and private charters around Rottnest and Carnac Islands in Western Australia, serving tourists, corporates, and schools seasonally from November to April.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Charter 1 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Marine Tourism Services
- NAICS
- Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Catamaran & Sailing Cat Cruise Operators (THAEADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Private Charters & Yacht Experiences (Crewed, Bareboat, Day Charters) (THAJAJAB), Snorkeling Tours & Reef Experiences (THAJAJAE), Marine Wildlife & Birding Cruises (dolphins, seals, seabirds) (THAAAIAD), Day & Short-Horizon Private Cruises (Half-Day/Day/Overnight) (THAEAEAF)
Keywords
Where Charter 1 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fremantle
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Charter 1 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Public Tour Tickets: Per-person tickets for scheduled public tours including Rottnest Island Snorkel & Sail ($185), Fremantle Twilight Sail ($129), Rottnest Sunset Sail ($119), Full Day Sail to Rottnest ($295), Carnac Island Eco Tour ($175). Tickets include booking and card fees.
- Private Charter Fees: Time-based (hourly) charter rates starting from approximately $2,500+ for a few hours. Includes exclusive use of vessel with crew for private events, corporate functions, birthdays, school excursions.
- Gift Vouchers: Gift vouchers redeemable for specific tours or monetary amounts, valid for 36 months from purchase date.
- Catering and Add-on Services: Optional catering packages (BBQ packages, seafood platters, breakfast), Rottnest Island Authority entry fees, and other ancillary charges.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Rottnest Island Snorkel & Sail - $185 per adult |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Fremantle Twilight Sail - $129 per adult |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Rottnest Island Sunset Sail - $119 per adult |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Full Day Sail to Rottnest Island - $295 per adult |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Carnac Island Eco Tour - $175 per adult |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Private Charter - From $2,500+ for small groups |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Charter 1 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Charter 1 operates scheduled public sailing and snorkeling tours and customizable private boat charters from Fremantle and Rottnest Island aboard the Capella, a 12.5m Schionning Cosmos luxury sailing catamaran. Offerings include Rottnest Island Snorkel & Sail, Fremantle Twilight Sail, Rottnest Island Sunset Sail, Full Day Sail to Rottnest, Carnac Island Eco Tour, plus private charters for corporate events, school excursions, Christmas functions, and bespoke experiences. The season runs November through April, with private bookings available year-round subject to weather.
Product overview
Charter 1 is a Perth-based boat charter company operating a fleet centered around the Capella, a 12.5m luxury sailing catamaran. The company offers two primary service lines: public scheduled tours (Rottnest Island Snorkel & Sail, Fremantle Twilight Sail, Rottnest Island Sunset Sail, Full Day Sail to Rottnest Island, and Carnac Island Eco Tour) and private customizable charters (Private Sailing Charters, Corporate Charters, School Excursions, Christmas Party Charters, and Build Your Own Charter). Supporting offerings include Gift Vouchers available in preset or customizable denominations. All tours and charters operate from November to April, departing from Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour or Rottnest Island.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fremantle Twilight Sail A 2-hour sunset sailing cruise departing from Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour, featuring BYO drinks, antipasto, and wildlife viewing. Priced at $129 per adult, with an age recommendation of 15+.
- Full Day Sail to Rottnest Island An 8-hour full-day sailing adventure from Fremantle to Rottnest Island including sailing, snorkeling, kayaking, morning tea, and lunch. Departs 8am and returns 4pm, priced at $295 per adult.
- Carnac Island Eco Tour A 4-hour half-day eco tour to Carnac Island, a nature reserve near Rottnest, featuring wildlife encounters including sea lions. Departs 8am, returns noon, priced at $175 per adult.
- Rottnest Island Snorkel & Sail A guided snorkeling and sailing experience departing from Rottnest Island, featuring marine wildlife encounters, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding. Operates 2.5-3 hours, priced at $185 per adult with minimum age 4 (minimum age 8 for guided snorkel).
- Rottnest Island Sunset Sail A 90-minute sunset sailing experience departing from Rottnest Island, featuring complimentary bubbles and antipasto. Priced at $119 per adult, BYO permitted.
- Private Sailing Charters Fully customizable private charter experiences aboard Capella for events including birthdays, corporate functions, school excursions, and Christmas parties. Includes catering options and BYO drinks, with time-based hourly rates starting from approximately $2,500+.
- Corporate Charters Corporate event charters featuring team building activities, learn-to-sail experiences, breakfast cruises, and overnight stays. Includes BBQ catering packages and team exercises tailored for business clients.
- School Excursions Educational sailing experiences for primary school to university groups, featuring guided snorkeling tours, whale watching, learn-to-sail, and wildlife interactions. Includes a TV/DVD equipped saloon used as a floating classroom.
- Christmas Party Boat Charters Holiday celebration charters featuring snorkeling, sailing, team building activities, sunset sails, and champagne breakfasts aboard Capella for end-of-year parties and group celebrations.
- Build Your Own Charter Customizable charter experience allowing customers to design half-day, full day, or sunset sails with options for snorkeling, sailing, whale watching, breakfast cruises, and catering packages.
- Private Sunset Sail Rottnest Private sunset sailing experience departing from Rottnest Island for groups of 12-24 guests, featuring bubbles and antipasto. Minimum 12 adults required; booking for 20 guests unlocks a free 2-hour upgrade.
- Gift Vouchers Electronic gift vouchers for Charter 1 experiences, available as single tickets or couples packages, or with customizable monetary amounts. Valid for 36 months from purchase date.
Quantifiable outcome
- Rated 5 out of 5 stars based on 31 customer reviews for Rottnest Island Snorkel & Sail
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Charter 1
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Charter 1 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Charter 1 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Rottnest Island Authority (RIA)coreRottnest Island Authority manages the Marine Park where Charter 1 operates. RIA charges entry fees for visiting the island waters ($12pp water-based, $20pp if disembarking). Charter 1 on-charges these fees to private charter guests.
- Cicerello's (Fremantle)minorCharter 1 guests receive 10% discount at Cicerello's food menu upon presentation of boarding pass. Departure point is located directly in front of Cicerello's at Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour.
Scale indicators4 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Charter 1 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rottnest Fast Ferries: Rottnest Fast Ferries operates high-speed ferry services to Rottnest Island from Fremantle and Perth. It competes directly for the same Fremantle- and Rottnest-based tourist demand that Charter 1 serves, with comparable departure infrastructure and overlapping customer segments.
- Rottnest Express: Rottnest Express is the dominant scheduled ferry operator servicing Rottnest Island from Fremantle and Perth, with a fleet of multiple vessels. It is directly comparable as a primary gateway for tourists visiting Rottnest Island and increasingly competes for premium and tour-style bookings rather than pure ferry transport.
- Rockingham Wild Encounters: Rockingham Wild Encounters operates wildlife tours including dolphin, penguin and sea lion encounters from Rockingham, south of Fremantle. It overlaps directly with Charter 1 on the Perth-region marine wildlife viewing category and competes for tourist and school group bookings.
- SeaLink Rottnest: SeaLink operates ferry and tour services to Rottnest Island and is part of the broader SeaLink Travel Group. It overlaps directly with Charter 1 on the Fremantle–Rottnest tourist corridor and competes for both scheduled transport and premium experience bookings.
- Captain Cook Cruises Western Australia: Captain Cook Cruises WA operates scenic and sightseeing cruises around Perth, Fremantle, and the Swan River, including lunch, dinner and event cruises. It is a direct comparable on the 'premium scenic water experience' category in the Perth market.
Others
- Australian Sailing Schools (e.g. Australian Sailing accredited schools): Australian Sailing is the national body for learn-to-sail programs. Charter 1's 'learn to sail' and school excursion offerings put it in a soft comparable set with Australian Sailing accredited schools and providers that operate learn-to-sail and youth sailing programs, particularly in Western Australia.
- Wilderness Australia (formerly Ecotourism Australia certified operators): Ecotourism Australia is the certifying body for Advanced Eco Certification. Other certified eco-tourism operators (particularly small Western Australia boat and wildlife tour operators) are ecosystem peers who share the same certification standards and compete for the same sustainability-conscious traveler demand pool.
Regional players
- Mandurah Cruises: Mandurah Cruises operates dolphin-watching and scenic cruises on the Peel-Harvey Estuary and Mandurah canals, roughly an hour south of Perth. It is comparable as a Western Australian wildlife/scenic cruise operator but serves a different geography and does not directly compete for Rottnest Island demand.
- Whale Watch Western Australia: Whale Watch WA operates seasonal whale-watching cruises from various Perth-area departure points including Fremantle. It is comparable as a seasonal Perth marine wildlife cruise operator serving overlapping tourist segments during the same Nov–Apr season.
- Coral Coast Tours: Coral Coast Tours provides day tours and charter services along Western Australia's Coral Coast region north of Perth, including Ningaloo Reef. It is thematically comparable as a Western Australian nature-based tour and charter operator but serves a different geography and does not directly compete in Fremantle/Rottnest.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Charter 1 social profiles
Digital presenceCharter 1 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Charter 1 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Charter 1 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Charter 1 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Charter 1
What does Charter 1 do?
Charter 1 operates scheduled public sailing and snorkeling tours and customizable private boat charters from Fremantle and Rottnest Island aboard the Capella, a 12.5m Schionning Cosmos luxury sailing catamaran. Offerings include Rottnest Island Snorkel & Sail, Fremantle Twilight Sail, Rottnest Island Sunset Sail, Full Day Sail to Rottnest, Carnac Island Eco Tour, plus private charters for corporate events, school excursions, Christmas functions, and bespoke experiences. The season runs November through April, with private bookings available year-round subject to weather.
Is Charter 1 a public or private company?
Charter 1 is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Charter 1 founded?
Charter 1 was founded in 2002. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Charter 1 based?
Charter 1 is headquartered in Fremantle, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Charter 1 make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Public Tour Tickets are the primary driver. The others are private Charter Fees, gift Vouchers and catering and Add-on Services.
Who are Charter 1's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rottnest Fast Ferries, Rottnest Express, Rockingham Wild Encounters, SeaLink Rottnest and Captain Cook Cruises Western Australia. Others are Australian Sailing Schools (e.g. Australian Sailing accredited schools) and Wilderness Australia (formerly Ecotourism Australia certified operators). Regional players are Mandurah Cruises, Whale Watch Western Australia and Coral Coast Tours.
Does Charter 1 have an API?
No public API is recorded for Charter 1.
What industry is Charter 1 in?
Charter 1's product category is Marine Tourism Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAEADAD, Catamaran & Sailing Cat Cruise Operators, with a secondary code of THAJAJAB, Private Charters & Yacht Experiences (Crewed, Bareboat, Day Charters). Its NAICS code is 487210 and its SIC code is 4400.