Boating, Sailing & Fishing Adventures For Veterans & First Responders

Helping You Find Direction

BOOK YOUR SPOT!

Free For Veterans & First Responders

Expert Guidance

Expert Guidance

AG_Century_Mate_Ship_DSCF2444_Web_edited

Unforgettable Experiences

Community Connection

Support Our Cause

Let's Jump In!

Wellbeing On The Water For Veterans, First Responders & Families

Welcome to Our Mate-Ship Limited— a supportive community built for current and former military personnel, emergency services members, frontline workers, and their families.

Through boating, practical activities, shared experiences, and time on the water, we create opportunities for connection, purpose, learning, adventure, and wellbeing.

Whether you're looking to meet new mates, learn new skills, reconnect with community, or simply take a break from the pressures of everyday life, Mate-Ship welcomes you aboard.

LEARN ABOUT US

Each $50 donation allows us to provide our members a day of WELLNESS ON WATER including lunch, to connect, and improve their mental wellbeing.

Help Us Support Veterans & Emergency Services

Join us in providing free wellness days on the water for current and former military, police, fire, ambulance, and other frontline heroes and their families.
Your support helps us connect, relax, and restore those who serve our community.

$1,850 raised

Fundraising goal: $10,000

8 donations

19%

Frequency

One time

Monthly

Yearly

0/100

Comment (optional)

01 Select Your Adventure

Mate-Ship offers a variety of boating, sailing and fishing adventures for veterans and first responders seeking wellness on water.

We provide services such as regular wellness days on the water, a space for people to come and tinker, a space for people to come and learn, and more.

02 Customise Your Experience

Experience a journey like no other with our dedicated and experienced crew. Each trip is meticulously organised to provide you a personalised and fulfilling adventure. Let us take care of the details while you gain unforgettable memories.

03 Set Sail

Embark on an enriching voyage and discover the therapeutic benefits of being at sea.

MEET THE CREW

VIEW OUR VESSELS

Discover Your Next Adventure

BOOK YOUR ADVENTURE

What Our Participants Say

"The experience with Mate-Ship was truly transformative. It provided me with a sense of peace and camaraderie that I haven't felt in years."

James

Wellness on the water is serious business… so naturally, I had to conduct some very important post-session recovery research 🍦😂

A huge thank you to @yogurtandgelatoworld for helping us provide Wellness on Water and Reel Therapy days this year. Their support helps us keep doing what we love out on the water — connecting, resetting, laughing, fishing and looking after people.

And yes… refuelling me this afternoon with gelato was a pretty good perk too. I’m calling it “sponsor appreciation”… definitely not just an excuse for ice cream.

Support the legends supporting our community:
Website: https://yogurtandgelatoworld.com.au/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/yogurtandgelatoworld
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YogurtAndGelatoWorld/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yogurtandgelatoworld

#YogurtAndGelatoWorld #Mooloolaba #SunshineCoast #WellnessOnWater #ReelTherapy SupportLocal CommunitySupport GelatoRecoveryPlan

What a way to kick off our very first Reel Therapy session out of Mooloolaba this morning! 🎣☀️
We hit the ground running early, with Meg wasting absolutely no time landing a beautiful 70cm Snapper. But apparently one fish wasn’t enough of a challenge… somehow she managed to tangle around Steve’s Snapper and reel them BOTH in at the same time! Safe to say the bar was set pretty high from the very start of the morning. 😂👏
After the hot start, the fish slowed down a little, but that didn’t stop the day from being a huge success. Everyone took home a feed, shared plenty of laughs and stories, and enjoyed what Reel Therapy is really all about — connection, conversation, fresh air, and time in nature.
Sometimes it’s not just about the fish. It’s about getting out on the water, slowing down, and spending quality time with good people.
A massive thank you to everyone who came along for our first session. We can’t wait to do it all again. 💙⚓
#ReelTherapy #OurMateShip #WellnessOnWater #FishingForConnection #Mooloolaba VeteranWellbeing MentalHealthMatters CommunityConnection

Really excited to see the soft launch of Op Oz and to be part of something that creates space for real conversations, lived experience, and perspectives that matter.

In a world where so much is happening around us every day, platforms like this are more important than ever. I’m looking forward to contributing more articles and sharing thoughts from my experiences across veterans’ wellbeing, emergency services, mental health, community connection, and life on the water through Our Mate-Ship.

Huge credit to everyone involved in bringing this together.

Check out the Op Oz landing page here:
https://opoz.au/

And my first contribution here:
https://opoz.au/author/shane-dimech/

Today we received a completely unexpected donation from the incredible team at Bamboo Projects… and honestly, it meant so much more than just the dollars.

This is what real collaboration looks like.

Bamboo Projects are doing incredible work supporting people through mental health challenges and disability, creating connection, purpose, and community in ways that genuinely change lives. ()

It’s charities showing up for each other. Sharing knowledge, lessons learned, and backing one another—not because they have to, but because they believe in the bigger picture.

Chris and Kristy are absolute legends. The heart, drive, and authenticity behind what they’ve built is something special, and it’s inspiring to see what can happen when purpose leads the way.

Moments like this remind us that the real value isn’t in the financial support (as appreciated as that is)… it’s in the connection, the trust, and the shared mission to make a difference.

Imagine where the charity sector—and the world—could be if we all leaned into collaboration over competition.

Grateful beyond words. Proud to be walking this path alongside people like you.

If you haven’t already, check out the amazing work they’re doing:
🌿 Website: https://bambooprojects.org/
🌿 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bambooprojects
🌿 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bambooprojects/

🌊 NEW MERCH IDEA – NEED YOUR THOUGHTS! 🌊
We’ve been working on some fresh designs for Our Mate-Ship’s “Reel Therapy” gear… and we reckon they’d look pretty good out on the water 👀
Think: ☀️ Lightweight, breathable fishing shirts
🧥 Comfortable hoodies for those cooler mornings
🎣 Clean designs with Reel Therapy + Wellness on Water
📲 Built-in QR code to connect people straight to what we do
But before we go all in… we want to know:
👉 Would YOU wear one?
👉 Fishing shirt, hoodie… or both?
👉 Favourite colour/style?
This isn’t just merch — it helps spark conversations, spread awareness, and grow the Mate-Ship community ❤️
Drop a comment below or hit react 👍🔥
If there’s enough interest, we’ll make it happen!
#ReelTherapy #WellnessOnWater #MateShip #FishingLife #SupportYourMates

🌊 Weekly Social Connect 🤝

Good people. Great chats. Delicious food. You’re always welcome here. 💙

Join us for our weekly catch-up—an easygoing space to connect, unwind, and enjoy some great company. Whether it’s a BBQ 🔥 or some beautiful Maltese Pastizzi 🥟… you’ll be well looked after!

👉 Please RSVP via the link below so we can plan catering:
https://www.mate-ship.org/event-details/weekly-social-connect-2026-04-30-16-00

🥗 Don’t forget to let us know any dietary requirements when you RSVP.

Come as you are. Bring a mate if you like.
Let’s build connections that matter. ⚓💬

#OurMateShip #WellnessOnWater #SocialConnect #Community #Veterans #EmergencyServices #ConnectionMatters

Accidentally invented a new trailer theft deterrent today… 🤦‍♂️

Step 1: Leave heavy trailer lock sitting on top of the bow of the boat
Step 2: Thief tries to move it via the drawbar
Step 3: Gravity handles the rest… 🎯

Not saying it’s approved, but it’s definitely… effective 😂

Reckon this one will take off? Or should I stick to the boring old method of actually attaching it to the tow ball??

🎉 Meet Ryan, our raffle winner!
We caught up with him today and will be customising his boat this week before he collects it this Friday. Stay tuned for updates! ⚓

We’re getting things moving again—both in the shed and out on the water.

Now that the RHIB Raffle has wrapped up, and after a pretty turbulent few weeks, we’re back into our regular rhythm.

Jump onto our events page and see what’s coming up:
https://www.mate-ship.org/event-list

If something catches your eye, make sure you book in so we know to expect you—especially for the Thursday Social Connect BBQ/Dinner.

There’s plenty happening in the shed at the moment, with a range of projects underway. Whether you want to get stuck in or just drop by and have a chat, there’s a place for you.

We’ll be updating events regularly, particularly with our second boat coming online next week—so keep an eye out.

Looking forward to seeing you all back around it.

Today hits us all differently.

For some, ANZAC Day is a time of pride, reflection, and remembrance. For others, it can bring up feelings of sadness, loss, or heavy memories. However you feel today, know that your experience is valid.

This image is a reminder to take a moment in your own way — to reflect, to show gratitude, and to honour the courage and sacrifice of our service men and women. There’s no right or wrong way to commemorate.

It’s also a reminder that it’s ok to not be ok.

If today feels a bit heavy, or you just need someone to talk to, please reach out — to me, or to someone in your network. You’re not alone.

Lest we forget.

🔥 FINAL HOURS

Closes MIDNIGHT TONIGHT ⏳

457 people in 🙌

✅ Boat cost covered
🔥 Nearly covered advertising

One last chance to grab a ticket (or a few)

🎟️ https://www.raffletix.com.au/mateshiprhib2026

📣 LIVE DRAW tomorrow 12PM (FB + Insta)

Let’s finish strong 🙏

⏳ 1 DAY TO GO
We’re down to the final 24 hours of our RHIB raffle.
We now have 452 amazing people in the draw 🙌
Because of you, we’ve covered the cost of the boat and trailer and are now close to covering the total cost of the boat.
Now we just need one last push to cover the engine and fit-out and reach our actual costs.
To be honest — we’d love to make a profit from this to support our programs, but that’s looking unlikely. This has been a steep learning curve for us.
What matters most is continuing our free wellness days on the water for Veterans, Emergency Services, and their families 💙
If you’ve been thinking about getting a ticket, this is your moment.
🎟️ https://www.raffletix.com.au/mateship⁠
Let’s finish this together 🙏

⏳ 2 DAYS TO GO
We’ve had 376 legends jump in so far 🙌
Because of you, we’ve just covered the boat + trailer 🚤
Now we need one final push to fund the engine & fit-out.
This means keeping our free wellness days on the water going for Veterans, Emergency Services & their families 💙
If you’ve been thinking about getting a ticket — now’s the time.
🎟️ Jump onto our Website to grab yours.

What a day out on the water! 🎣
We teamed up with @saltyfishingcharters for a 7-hour trip today, and while the conditions were a little on the lumpy side, the crew handled it like legends… no onboard burley machines this trip! 😅 (not pointing any fingers you know who)
The reward? Everyone heading home with a great mixed bag and a proper feed for the table.
Another successful day of Reel Therapy — connection, laughs, and time on the water doing what we love.
Keep an eye out… more dates coming soon 👀

Check out these legends 🙌

Giving up their Friday night to help spread the word about what we do at @maroochyrsl —and get behind our raffle, which is being drawn next Friday!

A massive thank you to our entire fundraising team for making this happen. Your time, energy, and support mean everything 💙

🚁 FREE Emergency Trauma Training – Caloundra

When minutes matter, would you know what to do?

We’re sharing a fantastic opportunity for our members to take part in a FREE, hands-on emergency trauma workshop delivered by LifeFlight. This training is all about giving you the confidence and practical skills to respond in life-threatening situations while help is on the way.

🩺 You’ll learn skills that could save a life, including:
• CPR & AED use
• Managing bleeding, burns & choking
• Snake bites & anaphylaxis
• Strokes, seizures & medical emergencies
• Personal and road safety
• Emergency equipment & wellbeing

📍 Location: Caloundra RSL Services Club
📅 Date: Tuesday, 21 April 2026
⏰ Time: 9:00am – 3:00pm

This is a great opportunity to build real-world skills that protect your family, mates, and community.

👉 Spots are limited – register via the link or QR code in the flyer.
https://lifeflight.my.salesforce-sites.com/AAkPay__CheckoutM?cmid=701Oc00000U8OiL

Let us know if you’re going along 👍

🎣 3 Spots Just Opened – Offshore Fishing This Monday! 🌊

We’ve just had 3 spots become available for our 7-hour offshore fishing trip this Monday — and they won’t last long.

This trip is with Salty’s Fishing Charters, departing from Pelican Waters Marina, and you’ll have the whole boat with fellow Mate-Ship members for a great day on the water, good company, and hopefully some solid catches.

Tickets are heavily subsidised to keep things accessible for our community.

👉 Jump in quick and secure your spot:
https://www.mate-ship.org/event-details/7-hour-offshore-fishing-charter-rescheduled-from-10-mar-and-24-mar

📧 Final trip details will be emailed out the afternoon before departure.

Spots like this usually go fast — don’t miss out!

This Anzac Day, I’ll be attending a Dawn Service to pay my respects… 🌅
Afterwards, I’m planning a quiet, relaxed day out on the water — a chance to reflect, connect, and spend time in a safe, natural environment with good people.
If you’d prefer to commemorate the day away from the crowds, with a bit of space and calm, this might be for you.
No pressure. Just fresh air, good company, and mateship.
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, drop a comment below or send me a message. ⚓
If the interest is there, I'll create an event. Hoping we will have 2 boats on the water for this.
Lest we forget.

🔥 CALLING ALL LEGENDS – WE NEED YOU! 🔥

We’re gearing up for our first (of many) Bunnings BBQ Fundraisers and we’d love to get an early idea of who’s keen to jump in and help!

📍 Bunnings Caboolture
📅 24 May

This is a big step for Our Mate-Ship – these BBQs will help us continue delivering our wellness days both on and off the water, and cover some of the behind-the-scenes costs that keep everything running smoothly.

Whether you can spare a couple of hours or the whole day, we’d genuinely love to have you involved. No experience needed – just bring a good attitude and a willingness to help out 🙌

We’ve got a BBQ Coordinator locked in, and everyone who’s interested will be added to a group chat where we’ll sort roles, times, and all the finer details closer to the day.

💬 So… who’s in?
Drop a comment or send us a message to put your hand up!

Let’s make this the first of many successful fundraisers and continue supporting our amazing community ❤️

#OurMateShip #Community #BunningsBBQ #VolunteersNeeded #WellnessOnWater

We’ve got a delivery arriving at our shed around 1:00pm this Monday, and we’re looking for one person who’s able to help with a bit of lifting 💪
It’s just unloading a few boxes of sailing and boating gear and a small outboard motor from a van — shouldn’t take too long, just need someone capable to give us a hand.
If you’re available, please send me a message. Really appreciate the support as always 💙⚓

I’m sitting here in Timor, a long way from home, and honestly… I’m feeling this one.
While I’m away, our incredible team of volunteers has stepped up and taken the reins — organising, promoting, and pouring their hearts into raising awareness for Our Mate-Ship. No spotlight, no fuss… just people who believe deeply in what we’re building together.
It’s hard to put into words what that means.
This started as an idea during one of the toughest chapters of my life — a way to make sure others didn’t end up in the same place I did. Today, it’s a community. A mission. A lifeline for so many current and former serving members, their families, and carers.
And now, with just 2 weeks to go until we draw the winner of our RHIB, these legends are out there doing everything they can to help us keep providing free wellness days on the water for as long as possible.
If you’ve been thinking about getting a ticket — now’s the time.
If you’ve supported us already — thank you. Truly.
And to our volunteers… I see you, and I’m beyond grateful.
This is what mate-ship looks like ❤️

🎣 Mate-Shed Reel Tinkering – Core Crew Call Out

This is not a general invite.

We’re looking for a small group of people who want to take this on as a serious role within the Mate-Shed — learning it properly, then guiding others down the track.

Wednesday 15 April
🕚 1100–1300: Set up workbenches
🍽 1300–1400: Break
🎣 1400–1700: Reel TRAINING (not just a workshop)
→ Hands-on servicing
→ Using real Mate-Shed / Reel Therapy reels
→ Learning systems, parts ordering, and process

Martin is coming up again, bringing gear and knowledge — this is about building capability, not just having a crack.

If you’re someone who:
• Wants to be involved regularly
• Is happy to take ownership of this space
• Can help others learn down the track
• Enjoys detail, systems, and doing things properly

— then this is for you.

This is how we build the Mate-Shed properly.
Small crew. Right people. Done right.

If you’re keen, reach out directly.

Future “Anchor & Awaken” retreats — currently unfunded 😢😢

I’ll be honest… this one stings a little.

After seeing the impact of this weekend — the connection, the shifts, the space it created — I truly believed we’d be able to run more of these this year.

We applied for three separate grants to make that happen.
And we were unsuccessful in all of them.

Not defeated… just disappointed.

Because now I’ve seen what this work can do — and how many more people could benefit from it.

So for now, we’ll keep doing what we do best with what we have.
And if the right support finds its way to us down the track — we’ll be ready.

Because this matters. ⚓💛

Today we had the privilege of bringing members of our Mate-Ship community together for an equine-assisted learning experience with the incredible team at Equine Alliance.
Spending time alongside these powerful and intuitive horses gave us the opportunity to slow down, reconnect, and learn practical ways to regulate our nervous system. There’s something truly grounding about being in their presence — they have a unique way of helping us become more aware, calm, and present.
In a world that rarely stops, it’s so important to create space to breathe, reset, and just be. Today was a reminder of how powerful those moments can be when shared with others who understand the journey.
A big thank you to Equine Alliance for holding such a safe and supportive space, and to everyone who came along and embraced the experience.
#OurMateShip #WellnessOnWaterandland #EquineAssistedLearning #MentalHealthMatters #CommunityConnection

🎣 Reel Tinkering Workshop – What a Day

We had a great turnout for our Reel Tinkering workshop and used it to gauge whether this should become a regular part of the Mate-Shed, with a dedicated air-conditioned workspace.

Based on the feedback and response today — it’s looking like a yes. I’ll check back in with everyone who attended over the next few days to confirm, but it’s a very positive start.

A huge thanks to Martin from @thefishingreelfixer, who travelled 2 hours to pass on his knowledge, and to Bruce Alvey — a name synonymous with fishing for over 100 years.

This is exactly what Mate-Shed is about — sharing skills, connection, and keeping knowledge alive.

Have a watch of the video 👇
Does this look like something you’d be interested in?

.pro-gallery-wix-wrapper {display: block !important;} .pro-gallery-wix-wrapper .gallery-item-container {opacity: 1 !important; display: block !important;}

Follow us on Instagram

@mateship_au

Boating, Sailing & Fishing Adventures For Veterans & First Responders

Helping You Find Direction

Free For Veterans & First Responders

Expert Guidance

Expert Guidance

Unforgettable Experiences

Support Our Cause

Wellbeing On The Water For Veterans, First Responders & Families

Help Us Support Veterans & Emergency Services

01

Select Your Adventure

02

Customise Your Experience

03

Set Sail

Discover Your Next Adventure

What Our Participants Say

James

​

Follow us on Instagram