From full refits to basic servicing and boat sales, The Boat Works can do all the heavy lifting conveniently and cost-effectively.
The Boat Works - a mecca for maintenance and much more
By Mark Rothfield | Brought to you by The Boat Works | Published 4 August 2026
Quick overview
- Huge choice: The Boat Works is widely regarded Australia’s largest and most comprehensive recreational marine shipyard.
- Lifting facilities: Six haul-out machines cater for everything from trailerboats to 300t superyachts and wide catamarans.
- One-stop shop: The marine destination, with a fully equipped chandlery and more than 100 onsite businesses providing the complete A-Z of marine trades, services and support.
Saving time and saving money are two of the many good reasons why boat owners often bypass their home-port service facilities and head to The Boat Works on the Gold Coast.
Being able to work there undercover during inclement weather, and having contractors and marine supplies close to hand, really helps to ensure smooth sailing for projects large and small.
In fact, The Boat Works proudly claims to be Australia’s largest, cleanest and greenest marine facility, spanning 55 acres, and says that its world-class scale of marine infrastructure and capabilities can’t be matched.
Choice of work areas at The Boat Works
Boat owners and captains have access to over 100 individual refit sheds, expansive hardstand choices with sheltered work spaces, in-water service berths, covered watersheds and out-of-water sales and showroom precincts. The facility completes more than 100 vessel movements each week.
Six haul-out machines accommodate all makes and models, from smaller recreational boats through to wide-bodied catamarans, deep-keel sailing yachts and superyachts with a 300t capacity. This lifting capacity, combined with the choice of skilled trades and service providers based at The Boat Works, allows efficient project management.
The in-water Refit Sheds, known as the Watersheds, allow service and refit options. Its two 100m covered chutes provide sheltered, in-water work areas for crews and contractors to undertake maintenance of larger vessels without hauling out or being exposed to the elements.
Catamaran owners take note – you have the option of hauling out with the hydraulic submersible Sealift offering maximum hull support, or there’s the variable-width, 100t travel-lift capable of handling beams up to 9.65m.
Community of marine trades at The Boat Works
The facility has created an ecosystem that unites every marine trade and service required for vessel maintenance, repairs, refit and upgrades, with all the leading brands covered.
More than 1000 people work across the boatyard and superyacht yards each day, giving boat owners the convenience of coordinating every stage of their project from one trusted destination.
Mechanics, shipwrights, electricians, electronics specialists, painters, upholsterers, stainless fabricators, riggers, refrigeration technicians, detailers, surveyors, brokers … the list goes on.
Club Marine’s Queensland office is based there too if you’d like an in person chat.
Because the marine specialists are on site, they can liaise face-to-face and sequence their work more efficiently. The Boat Works also gives hands-on owners the freedom to undertake DIY maintenance, which isn’t always allowed nowadays.
Buying chandlery at The Boat Works
A forgotten fitting needn’t stop the show either as The Boat Works’ Marine Trade Supplies and Chandlery Megastore stocks paint, antifouling, electrical components, safety essentials and maintenance products.
There are also customer and captain’s lounges, courtesy vehicles, showers, laundry facilities, a gym, unique car museum, and three themed cafes, bars and restaurants. The Boat Works describes it as “a resort for you and your boat, a community for boaties”.
Those touches matter when you are supervising work and travelling some distance to the yard, or living aboard during a refit. On that note, the facility’s new Pier 25 development is expected to open in late 2026, introducing self-contained, short-term stay apartments.
Who owns The Boat Works?
Bruce Harris, of Shark Cat fame, started the first Coomera Slipway boatyard in 1980 and the Longhurst family became involved with the site in 2000. Tony Longhurst later took the helm as his brother Rodney turned his attention to Riviera.
A former national waterskiing champion and two-time Bathurst 1000 winner, Tony brought a racer’s focus on efficiency, preparation and continuous improvement. His aim is to ensure that The Boat Works is ‘Simply the Best’.
“The Boat Works isn’t just a shipyard - it’s a place built by boaters, for boaters, and we’re proud to keep raising the standard for what a marine facility can be,” Tony said.
“Seeing owners return year after year, trusting us with their vessels and their projects, is what drives us forward.”
More information: (07) 5500 0000 | theboatworks.com.au | admin@theboatworks.com.au
Brought to you by The Boat Works
The Boat Works is an Australian owned premium boatyard, superyacht yard and marina facility in the Gold Coast Marine Precinct, Queensland. Find out more at The Boat Works.
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