Captain Cook Cruises, Australia

Captain Cook Cruises
Founded 1970
Founder Trevor Haworth
Headquarters Neutral Bay, Sydney, Australia
Area served
 Great Barrier Reef
Hawkesbury River
Pittwater
Murray River
Port Jackson
Services Ferry operator
Parent SeaLink Travel Group
Website www.captaincook.com.au

Captain Cook Cruises is an Australian cruise operator.

History

Captain Cook II

Sydney 2000 in January 2011

Captain Cook Cruises commenced operating on 26 January 1970 on Port Jackson, Sydney with the Captain Cook, a modified 1943 Fairmile A motor launch. The business was founded by Trevor Haworth.[1]

In January 1975, the custom-built Captain Cook II was launched at Carrington Slipways. This was followed by the New Zealand built City of Sydney in 1981.[2]

In 1987, Captain Cook Cruises began operating cruises on the Hawkesbury River and Pittwater with the Lady Hawkesbury.[3] In November 1987, the Sydney business of ND Hegarty & Son was purchased, primarily to give Captain Cook Cruises access to Wharf 6 at Circular Quay.[2][4]

In 1991, an operation began on the Great Barrier Reef.[2] Captain Cook Cruises also operate the PS Murray Princess on the Murray River.

In November 2005 Matilda Cruises was acquired from Amalgamated Holdings.[5] In 2011, Captain Cook Cruises was purchased by the SeaLink Travel Group.[6][7][8]

Sydney

Network

Matilda Cruises operate ferry services connecting Sydney Harbour, Darling Harbour and the Lane Cove River.

  • City Loop
  • Lane Cove River[9]
  • Shark Island

The paper timetable shows all services except the Lane Cove River service, operate as the one loop service around Sydney Harbour and also services Watsons Bay which is not shown in the website timetables.[11]

Captain Cook Cruises commenced a commuter service between Watsons Bay and Circular Quay on 23 March 2015.[12]

Fleet

As at July 2014, the fleet of Captain Cook Cruises consisted of:[13]

  • Aussie Venture
  • Alice
  • Captain Cook II
  • Captain Cook III
  • John Cadman II
  • John Cadman III
  • Matilda III
  • Megan
  • Jillian
  • Sydney Crystal
  • Sydney 2000
  • Elizabeth Cook
  • Mary Reibey
  • Annabelle Rankin

Jillian and Elizabeth Cook now operate on behalf of Sydney Ferries.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Trevor Haworth 1931-2014 Otituary Sydney Morning Herald 10 April 2014
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Andrews, Graeme (1994). Ferries of Sydney. Sydney: Sydney University Press. pp. 177–179. ISBN 0 424002 02 7.
  3. ↑ Andrews, Graeme (1994). Ferries of Sydney. Sydney: Sydney University Press. pp. 201–202. ISBN 0 424002 02 7.
  4. ↑ Hegarty's ferry service Afloat Magazine February 2003
  5. ↑ Introducing Matilda Cruises Matilda Cruises
  6. ↑ SeaLink buys Capt Cook Cruises ABC News 25 August 2011
  7. ↑ SeaLink acquires Captain Cook Cruises Travel Weekly 25 August 2011
  8. ↑ Prospectus SeaLink Travel Group 2013
  9. ↑ Lane Cove Ferry Timetable Captain Cook Cruises 11 June 2013
  10. ↑ Taronga Zoo Ferry Timetable Captain Cook Cruises 24 December 2010
  11. ↑ "Hop On/Hop Timetable" Captain Cook Cruises April 2014
  12. ↑ Watsons Bay finally gets a commuter ferry as Captain Cook Cruises launches private service Wentworth Courier 27 March 2015
  13. ↑ The Fleet Matilda Cruises
  14. ↑ Sydney Ferries Fleet Facts Transport for NSW 15 April 2014