Portside hire boats moored on still water at Lakes Entrance

4.4216 Google reviews

The yellow hire boatson the North Arm.

We’re the little yellow boats tied up at Marine Parade. Take one out for an hour or the whole day, poke around the Gippsland Lakes at your own pace, drop a crab net in, and be back before dark. No crew, no schedule, no fuss.

Call 0403 328 868 See the boats

6-8seats in a half cabin

12seats on the BBQ boat

7days a week, daylight hours

4.4from 216 Google reviews

What’s on the water

Two kinds of boat, and the gear to go with them

It’s all written on the board above the shed, and it hasn’t needed changing in a long time. Ring us for today’s prices and what’s free.

6-8

Half cabin

Six to eight aboard, a little cabin over the front to duck under, an outboard on the back and a wheel in the middle. Stable enough that people who have never driven a boat take one out on their own and come back grinning.

BBQ boat

Twelve seats and a barbecue in the middle of it. Bring the skewers. This is the one that books out first in the holidays, so ring ahead if you have a date in mind.

Crab nets and bait

Hire the nets and the bait from us with the boat. The North Arm is thick with crabs, and we’ll point you at the spots that are working this week rather than the ones that worked last year.

Prices change with the season, so we don’t print them. Give us a ring on 0403 328 868 and we’ll tell you what it costs today.

Four yellow Portside hire boats rafted together in evening light, a pelican on a mooring post behind

A day on the lakes

You drive. We just point you the right way.

There’s no skipper and no tour. You turn up, we run you through the boat, and then the day’s yours. Most people head up the North Arm, cut the motor somewhere quiet and let the morning go by. Pelicans come and sit on the posts next to you like they own the place.

Every hull has daylight hours only painted on the side, which is exactly what it sounds like. Go out in the morning, come back before the light does.

Hourly, half day or the whole day
We show you the boat before you go
Crab nets and bait available
Open seven days in daylight hours

A flock of gulls lifting off the water at dusk on the Gippsland Lakes

“Portside Boat Hire are the ‘yellow hire boats’ on the beautiful North Arm Lakes Entrance”
How we describe ourselves

What people say afterwards

216 reviews, and most of them mention the same thing

4.4216 Google reviews

“Had an awesome time with the BBQ boat at Portside Boat Hire! Went out with 5 friends and everything was perfect, the boat felt super safe, really spacious, and surprisingly easy to drive. Wayne was amazing, he explained everything clearly and even pointed us to the best crabbing spots.”

Mer A.Google review

“It was my first time being out on a boat on my own and I felt completely safe! The boats are stable and have new and well serviced motors. After going out by myself for an hour, I came back the next day with my partner. She has mobility limitations and they were fantastic with helping her on and off the boat.”

Rick MarvinGoogle review

“We recently enjoyed a wonderful three-hour boat hire that exceeded our expectations. The staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating throughout our experience. To our delight, they extended our rental time by an additional fifteen minutes, completely free of charge.”

Louie YuanGoogle review

On the water