2022 — now
Owner / Director
Exclusive Boats
Founded and leads a Sydney charter business, bringing together operations, client care, vessel maintenance and tailored experiences.
Mariner · Engineer · Host
Calm at the helm.
Ready for anything.
Captain and Chief Engineer Matthew Dawe brings Navy standards, deep technical knowledge and genuine hospitality to every day on the water.
01 / The working captain
200
GT
Master
Master
17+ years RAN✦Master 4✦MED 1✦
60+ international charters✦High Voltage✦200 GT Master
The profile
Capability shaped by service. Character built at sea.
Matt is equally at home welcoming guests aboard a Sydney charter, delivering a yacht across open water or leading an engineering team deep inside a warship.
Across commercial, private and Defence operations, he has built a reputation for calm leadership, practical problem-solving and making people feel at ease. Safety and preparation are second nature; so is knowing when to let the experience take centre stage.
His background spans vessel command, commissioning, marine engineering, electrical systems, hydraulics and high-voltage switching. The result is a captain who understands the whole vessel—and a chief engineer who never loses sight of the people aboard.
- Based
- Sydney, Australia
- Born
- 14 September 1989
- Phone
- +61 422 783 322
- mattd466@gmail.com
The career
From engine room
to open water.
Nearly two decades of hands-on maritime work, from charter boats and international flotillas to some of the Royal Australian Navy's largest ships.
2021 — now
Captain
Dreamboats Sydney
Commands a diverse 36–84ft fleet, from power catamarans to luxury motor yachts, for private and corporate charters.
2018 — now
Captain & Deckhand
Sydney Leisure Charters
Runs Seawind 1160 catamarans and 56ft Kingfisher cruisers across casual outings, private events and complex itineraries.
2018 — now
Captain / Flotilla Leader
The BucketLust
Leads Mediterranean and Caribbean programs of up to 65 vessels and 650 guests, coordinating crews, delivery and safety.
2013 — now
Skipper
The Yacht Week
More than 60 charter weeks aboard 40–65ft yachts and catamarans on some of Europe’s most popular sailing routes.
2008 — 2026
Engineer Watchkeeper / Marine Engineer Manager
Royal Australian Navy
Led engineering teams on vessels up to 27,000 GRT; commissioned HMAS Canberra, decommissioned HMAS Success and managed machinery, electrical and fluid-power systems.
2006 — 2008
Boat Maintainer & Operator
Skipper-a-Clipper
The starting point: hands-on charter-vessel operation and maintenance.
The credentials
Qualified for command.
Built for the unexpected.
Current command and engineering tickets backed by leadership, safety and business training.
Master <45m NC
Unrestricted Master 4 qualification, completed in 2024.
IYT / MCA 200-ton
International 200-ton Master qualification, completed in 2024.
MED 1 — 1500 kW
Marine Engine Driver 1, qualified to serve as Chief Engineer up to 1500 kW.
High Voltage
High Voltage Switching qualified, with electrical fitter and fluid-power hydraulic trades.
STCW & Survival
STCW training plus World Sailing Safety & Sea Survival certification.
Master of Business
UNSW postgraduate qualification complementing operational leadership and technical depth.
2024
Master <45m NC Unrestricted · IYT/MCA 200-ton Master · C.O.S.T STCW
2023
Master of Business, UNSW
2022
Marine Engine Driver 1 — 1500 kW Chief Engineer
2021
Master <24m NC Unrestricted
2020
Diploma in Engineering · RAN Senior Sailor Leadership & Management · World Sailing Safety & Sea Survival
2017 — 2007
Certificate IV MED 1 · Advanced Combat Survivability · RYA Day Skipper · Coxswain Near Coastal
Vessels & systems
Command above deck.
Fluency below it.
Matt’s experience crosses luxury yachts, sailing catamarans, commercial cruisers and major naval platforms—an unusually complete view of how vessels, crews and guests work together.
Chief Engineer
30 metres and beyond
- One World31.5m / 103ft Majesty
- Lady Pamela30m / 100ft Azimut Jumbo
- Salt84ft Monte Fino
- Empress77ft Majesty Gulf Craft
Private & charter command
40–84ft fleets
- Princess & Riviera65–68ft flybridges
- Leopard Powercat52ft
- Perry Sailing Catamaran42ft
- Precision65ft
On the water
A life lived
at the helm.
Proven offshore
Sydney to Hobart,
aboard Navy One.
Matthew Dawe was listed among the Royal Australian Navy crew of Navy One, a Beneteau First 40 entered in the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. It is a fitting chapter in a career defined by teamwork, preparation and respect for the sea.
View the 2021 boat profiles
ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART
2021
- Yacht
- Navy One
- Class
- IRC / ORCi / Corinthian
- Type
- Beneteau First 40
- Crew
- Matthew Dawe
Start a conversation
Need a captain, chief engineer
or maritime leader?
Matt is open to conversations about leadership roles, vessel operations, deliveries and exceptional days on the water.