Sydney Harbour's Glamorous Floating Venue Seadeck Is Finally Opening to the Public

It took almost two years, 10,000 nautical miles, a run in with Egyptian pirates and a stint in liquor licence limbo, but Sydney's permanent floating venue is finally ready to open to the public. While Seadeck arrived in Sydney back in April and gloriously set sail out of the harbour's Superyacht Marina, up until now it's only been available for private hire due to a lack of liquor licence. But now they've got the go-ahead and will open to punters imminently.

The boat itself is quite impressive. It's a 42-metre, 450-passenger, handcrafted vessel — from the handmade tiles and custom-designed brass bar to the bespoke furniture from every corner of the glove, everything you see was tailored just for this experience. Even the palm trees, standing four metres tall, took a dozen specialists to make to the right specifications. Each of the three decks is connected by sweeping staircases and cast iron lace railings, an homage to Hollywood's golden age of the '20s, '30s and '40s. Yes, it's the epitome of swank.

Back in April, we sat down with the team behind this massive venture — that's managing partner Scott Robertson (Future Music Festival, DIVISION Agency), executive chef Drew Bolton (Vine Double Bay) and design director Alex Zabotto-Bentley (AZBcreative).

To set the record straight, it's not the party boat everyone thought it would be. "It isn't a night club, it's all about impeccable service, beautiful food and nice drinks," says Robertson. Bolton is happy to help with that, bringing the Vine ethos to Seadeck. "At Vine, we reinvent modern European flavours with great respect for regional produce," says Bolton. "At Seadeck, our food will also be very produce drive but more casual and playful," he adds. The focus will be on bar friendly snacks, like fresh ceviche, oysters and lobster rolls, but patrons should still expect the refined food experience that Vine exudes.

The music focus has unfortunately been cooled by the foreshore authority, which banned all water-based parties back in 2014. You'd expect this to be quite the blow to Robertson, who has eighteen years' experience in the music scene, but he takes it all in stride. "Seadeck is what Sydney needs and also fits into the current rigid framework," he says. "We have the most beautiful harbour in the world and we want to reflect that while providing a luxurious experience."

Design-wise, this lap of luxury is the handiwork of Zabotto-Bentley, who radiates passion about the vessel. "Imagine it's the 1930s and you're cruising the Nile or the Dalmatia Coast," he says. "The people on board were seen to be on a floating oasis in the middle of the sea, and that's what we want to recreate here." Get us on board, stat.

Seadeck will be open to the public shortly. Check their Facebook page for an official launch date.

By Marissa Ciampi and Lauren Vadnjal.