National Guidance Only Calls for Antifoul on Moored Boats, and It Costs 4x a Trailer Repair

Antifoul belongs to the mooring

The Marine Pest Sectoral Committee's national biofouling guidelines for recreational vessels say "If your vessel is moored in water, apply an antifouling coating suitable for your vessel type and usage." The section on trailered vessels tells owners to check the hull, remove any growth, and rinse and dry the boat after each trip. It has no antifoul instruction. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry repeats the condition on its boat owner page, last updated 15 December 2025: "If your boat is moored in water, you should apply an antifouling coating to the hull."

DAFF's general checklist also tells owners to keep their antifouling up to date, so a boat that already carries a coating still needs it maintained. For a boat that comes out on a trailer after every trip, the national guidance only calls for cleaning.

An antifoul ($2,800) costs 4x a trailer repair ($700) at Going Rate's prices. The price covers the slip, hull preparation and paint. No government body sets a renewal interval. The guidelines say to "apply antifouling at least as often as specified by the manufacturer" and to renew it "towards the shorter end of its recommended life expectancy".

The trailer is the cost a trailered boat carries instead

The BIA says 85% of Australian boats are under 6 m, and in Queensland most of them live on trailers. In the state's 2020 Regulated Ship Census, run by the Department of Transport and Main Roads, open runabouts made up 65% of registered boats, and 94% of those runabouts were trailered rather than moored. The same census recorded 28,733 of Queensland's 29,701 registered PWCs as stored on a trailer.

Salt water is hard on a trailer. RACQ says "Salt water is very damaging to virtually every part of a boat trailer" and that wheel bearings "need frequent attention, as even a small amount of water will cause a very rapid failure." It warns that bearings left standing for long periods can fail quickly once they go back into service. For trailers in general, RACQ says wheel bearings should ideally be serviced at least annually and brake adjustment checked at least annually.

A trailer repair ($700) at Going Rate's prices covers jobs from bearings to the chassis, so treat the price as the cost of a repair when one is due. RACQ's own advice is to wash the trailer with fresh water after use.

The service workshop prices them the same

An outboard service ($1,150) and a jet ski service ($1,150) cost the same at Going Rate's prices. Both prices span the full range of jobs, from a basic oil change to a major service.

The makers set similar schedules. Mercury Marine Australia says "Performing a 100-hour service at least annually is critical" to keeping a boat's engine or drive unit operating at its peak. BRP's Sea-Doo Australia page says that after the first oil change "you'll only need one oil change every 100 hours or one year." Suzuki Marine Australia's warranty page says that if the service schedule is not adhered to, the outboard "will be deemed to be no longer in warranty".

Salt water adds a job to every outing for both craft. Yamaha Motor Australia tells WaveRunner owners to flush the cooling system "after each use", and Sea-Doo says riders in salt water need to run its flush procedure.

Your state decides whether the jet ski costs more

In NSW the jet ski costs more at the fee office. Transport for NSW charges $260 for a one-year PWC licence from 1 July 2026 and $82 for a one-year boat licence. Registration follows the same pattern, with $512 a year for a PWC of any length against $184 for a vessel between 5.51 m and 6 m long. Going Rate's price for getting a boat licence, with the course and test ($230) is mostly the course, since Transport for NSW's own fees are $82 for a one-year boat licence and $44 for the knowledge test.

Queensland makes a jet ski rider hold two licences, a recreational marine driver licence and a PWC licence. The Queensland Government lists each at $132.40 as at 1 July 2026. In Tasmania, MAST's fee schedule from 1 July 2026 charges $58.80 to apply for a PWC endorsement. Nationally, the BIA says PWC registrations grew 20% over the past five years.

WA runs the other way. One Recreational Skipper's Ticket covers boats and PWCs, carries a $36.90 recording fee, and lasts a lifetime with no renewal charge, the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure says. Its registration page, updated 4 September 2026, charges $170.65 for a vessel under 5 m and $362.40 for one from 5 m, so a jet ski under 5 m pays less than a runabout of 5 m or more. Queensland's 2020 census suggests few jet skis reach that line, with 29,681 of its 29,701 registered PWCs at 5 m or shorter.

Insurance is optional, and the cover varies

Youi says boat insurance "isn't a legal requirement in any state of Australia". The insurer's example is a $10,000 tinny that crashes into a more expensive boat and causes $60,000 worth of damage. Going Rate's price for boat insurance ($2,650) spans everything from a tinny to a large cruiser, so get a quote for your own craft.

Liability is the part of a policy that covers damage to other people's boats and property. NRMA lists legal liability cover of up to $10 million on its boat policy, and RACQ lists the same limit. Club Marine's jet ski policy covers speeds up to 70 knots and pays theft claims only when the owner meets the theft precaution conditions in its product disclosure statement. Finder lists the rider's age and record, the craft's specs, where it is stored, and whether it runs in salt or fresh water as factors in a jet ski premium.

One-off bills for either craft

A marine survey ($2,800) is a one-off bill at Going Rate's prices, covering the surveyor's inspection a buyer orders before purchase or an insurer sets as a condition of cover. Safety gear has its own replacement dates. Transport for NSW says "Most flares expire after 3 years", and NSW requires two orange smoke and two red hand flares on open waters.

AMSA registers distress beacons for free, and since 4 November 2024 those registrations no longer expire. The battery expiry date printed on the beacon's label decides when it needs replacing.

Riding without the right licence costs more on a jet ski too. The NSW Government's penalty list sets a $500 fine for driving a PWC unlicensed, a first offence, and $250 for driving a boat over 10 knots without a licence. A second unlicensed PWC offence costs $750, and both PWC offences also disqualify the rider from holding any boat licence. In WA, the Western Australian Marine (Infringements) Regulations set a $200 penalty for anyone over 16 who drives a vessel that needs a Recreational Skipper's Ticket without holding one or being supervised.

Detailing and the moored boat's extra jobs

Boat detailing ($2,200), a cut and polish of the hull and deck, is the optional cosmetic line at Going Rate's prices. Going Rate prices it by the boat's length and how far the gelcoat has oxidised, and it applies whether the boat lives on a mooring or a trailer.

A moored boat also takes more inspection time. The national biofouling guidelines say the "Hull should be inspected at least monthly if vessels are moored for long periods in one place." They ask owners to keep purchase invoices showing the date, brand, type and volume of antifouling paint, plus receipts for the slipway's application. The same guidelines ask owners of trailered vessels to check, rinse and dry them after each trip.

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