Most new-boat deliveries are geographically convenient, predictable and as efficient as possible. A dealer hands over the keys in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, or Seattle, and the ownership journey begins.
Maritimo Yachts offers a different experience. The Australian builder invites owners to take delivery where their yacht is born, in the community of Coomera on Queensland’s Gold Coast, and to spend several days cruising the land Down Under before the boat is shipped to the United States or anywhere else in the world. This opportunity is equal parts education, sea trial and once-in-a-lifetime road trip, except here the road is an azure-blue corridor of sandy shoals and the warm Pacific.
The program, called the Maritimo Australian Delivery Experience, is built around the concept that owners benefit from understanding how their yacht is constructed. Nothing drives that point home more than seeing the process firsthand. Guests fly into Brisbane or the Gold Coast, where factory representatives meet them and bring them to Maritimo’s headquarters. A guided tour proceeds through each stage of the build process, from engineering to lamination to final fit-out. Their new yacht sits in the finishing buildings or at nearby Sanctuary Cove Marina, surrounded by the people who completed it.
That factory connection is part of Maritimo’s identity. The company’s leadership sees value in pairing owners with the people who wired their helm, installed their engines or stitched their soft goods. For many buyers, this is the first time they’ve skippered a yacht while knowing exactly where each component lives and how it got there.
After the factory day, owners settle in at the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort and ease into the rhythm of the trip. The following morning is dedicated to familiarization, with help from a Maritimo captain who discusses safety procedures, systems walkthroughs and provisioning for the days ahead.
When Jeff and Jeriann Young decided to upgrade from their previous yacht, they wanted something with longer range and more comfort for extended time away from the dock. Also on the list were accommodations for their two adult daughters and their husbands to join the family. The plan was cruises from the yacht’s home port on the west coast of Florida south to the Keys and over to the Bahamas.
The Maritimo M60 Black Edition fit the bill perfectly. Along the way, the Youngs were intrigued by the idea of the Australia Delivery Experience.
“We first looked at the brand in 2023,” Jeff says, “then again with the new Black Edition. We loved the craftsmanship and felt that it checked a lot of boxes, especially with the updates they did on the new model. As we got to know the sales and support staff in the US, they treated us like family. That’s when we decided to go to Australia.”
After the factory tour and soft delivery of their M60, Young Lady, they departed Coomera and headed up the coast to Mooloolaba in what they considered fairly snotty conditions.
“The Australians are used to rough weather,” Jeff says, “and the boat handled everything extremely well. From there we headed up the coast to Mooloolaba and then on to Hervey Bay and Fraser Island, where we spent a couple nights on the hook. With the inverter supplying our house power, we were able to open up the boat and enjoy the time without having to run the generator all night. It was very enjoyable.”
During the days, the family spent time exploring ashore. Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island, has clear freshwater lakes, high dunes and long hiking trails. Popular stops include Lake McKenzie with its white sand and rainwater clarity, the Maheno shipwreck resting in the surf and the Champagne Pools, where waves tumble into natural rock basins. In whale season, it’s not unusual to see humpbacks passing just offshore. Beach walks and late-afternoon swims filled the downtime.
Operationally, this type of delivery cruise is a shakedown with a safety net. Owners handle the boat, but the factory captain is ready to help. Any small adjustments—electronics settings, air-conditioning tweaks, galley setups—can be addressed quickly. It’s the sort of support that’s hard to replicate on a first delivery back home, and it removes much of the stress from a maiden voyage.
Another highlight: During their stay in Mooloolaba, the Young family wanted to work in a side trip to the Australia Zoo. The Maritimo delivery captain and support staff arranged a shuttle. It was a 30-mile detour from the marina, but Maritimo’s team made it happen without a hitch. “It was definitely a highlight of the experience,” Jeriann says.
Because of a weather-shortened schedule, the Youngs departed from Hervey Bay directly to Sydney for their return flight to the US, as the captain returned south with their boat to complete the shakedown and outfitting. The yard handled cleaning, shrink-wrapping and securing the vessel for long-haul shipment to Fort Lauderdale.
“We appreciated that level of customer service,” Jeriann says. “They didn’t cut any corners, from the factory tour to the end of the trip. Other than our airfare and hotels, all we had to do was buy our food and drinks, and they handled the rest. It was an amazing time for our family.”
The appeal of the Australian Delivery Experience goes beyond the itinerary. It speaks to those who value understanding their boat as much as enjoying it. While most production builders focus on the convenience of delivery and dealer support, Maritimo is betting that owners will appreciate a deeper connection to the build, the place and the people behind it. For many people, the chance to cruise the Queensland coast is something they wouldn’t have sought out on their own. And owners step aboard with a level of familiarity that most new-boat owners don’t have.
The experience also tends to stay with owners long after the boat reaches its home port. The first pages in the logbook are written far from home, not in a familiar harbor. The first anchorage is a sandbar in the Coral Sea beneath the Southern Cross. For Maritimo, that’s the point. A yacht delivery is usually a transaction. This program turns it into a full-circle story: one that begins where the hull was laid up and doesn’t end until the boat is safely in the hands of its new owner.
The Experience
Maritimo supplies a factory captain as well as insurance for the delivery, allowing the boat’s owners to operate the vessel with the comfort of a safety net.
Made in Australia
Maritimo Yachts is headquartered in Coomera, Australia, which has a population of approximately 22,000 within the city of Gold Coast in Queensland. It’s home to the Southern Hemisphere’s largest marina, the Gold Coast City Marina and Shipyard, as well as Coomera Waters Marina. Both facilities have direct, deepwater access to the Pacific Ocean.
Lost and Aground
SS Maheno was a 5,000-ton steel-hulled ocean liner that operated in the Tasman Sea, crossing between New Zealand and Australia from 1905 until 1935. At the end of its commercial life, Maheno left Sydney under tow on July 3, 1935, bound for a shipbreaker’s yard in Japan. Four days into the voyage and about 50 miles off the Australian coast, the tow cable parted during a cyclone. Powerless, and having had its propellers removed prior to departure, Maheno and its eight-man crew disappeared in the violent storm. Search aircraft subsequently located the vessel two days later, aground on Fraser island. The crew was rescued, but multiple attempts to salvage the ship failed. Today, it remains a popular tourist attraction.
The DNA
Maritimo yachts are engineered for serious long-range cruising. A bonding process fuses the hull, deck and superstructure into a monocoque unit, boosting structural strength and integrity while reducing noise and vibration throughout the vessel. Maritimo uses a solid fiberglass, variable-deadrise hull with watertight collision bulkheads, giving these boats resilience and stability in rough weather and heavy seas offshore.
The New Black
The Maritimo M60 Black Edition differs from previous M60 models, with significant upgrades to its deck and living spaces. These enhancements include a larger transom with an expanded outdoor cooking space, a larger grill and a lounge area. There’s also a redesigned forward deck with an optional sun pad, and a more spacious flybridge with an upgraded wet bar and seating.
Finding Community
Maritimo hosts Musters, Migrations and Maritimo Racing experiences that bring owners together while offering fun and support across the community.
Take the next step: maritimoamericas.com
