We are a family business with a huge undercover boat storage facility and store located right nearby the Woodman Point boat ramp for your convenience. We can help you from 6am every day if you need Fuel, Quality Bait, Tackle, Dive Gear, Food and much, much more.
Woodies Boat Storage Australia is owned and run by the McLarty Family. When we say family, we mean the whole family. While it’s Jim’s baby, it is a true family effort. Everyone coming together to offer a great facility and service.
Bill and Leonie (Jim’s mum and dad) are always around on-site and helping. Bill is well known for helping everyone and loves a friendly chat. He has a Facebook weather page to help you pick the best time to head out called Sea the Seas. In fact, the sea is in our blood. Our whole family loves the Woodies lifestyle and we get out on the water as often as we can.
Leonie is behind the scenes and in the kitchen, making sure everything is stocked up and things are in line day after day. Jim’s wife helps while she is not running around after their 4 boys who are forever assisting in the yard and running coffees and food to admiring customers. Jim’s sister Tori is also a huge part of the business, whether it’s in the shop or on the fork. Tori does this around her Acro yoga business and other fitness hobbies.
The staff at Woodies are all very polite, energetic, helpful and obliging. We offer a facility that has a country town feel about it with great food that people come from all around to eat, served by people that are genuinely interested in your day and how you are. And those views of course …
Woodies Background
Woodies shed has been boat storage for over 40 years, one of many built at the Woodman Point Area in the mid 1940’s. It was purpose built for ammunition stores and submarine nets to service Fremantle Harbour and Cockburn Sound. The shed still has railway tracks through it that used to lead out the southern entrance, through another similar sized shed and straight out to a Navy jetty. Carts/Dollies were loaded in the sheds, pushed out the jetty and unloaded straight on to waiting ships. All the other sheds have been pulled down over time but this one still stands strong.
In 2010 the Woodman Point Boat Ramp facility underwent massive improvements. At the time Woodies (formerly Cockburn Pleasure Boat Storage) underwent an ownership change. At the hands of new owner Charlie, the blue shed and surrounding hardstand areas were transformed from a run down shed to a state-of-the-art Boat Storage Facility.
Charlie teamed up with Jo and the shop went from a pie warmer in the corner of a boat storage shed to a very recognised Café and Tackle Shop – Woodman Point Café. It fast became famous for Jo’s home-made sausage rolls, amazing fish and chips and the best burgers in town. Late 2018 Charlie started talking with Jim McLarty and eventually some 12 months later Jim took over the business.
The NEW Woodies
The McLarty family took over in October 2019 and since then have bought the whole facility and area to life. Woodies is a major part of the Woodman Point community, not only supplying a great one-stop-shop to the area but we actively sponsor the Jervoise Bay Sailing Club, The Cockburn Power Boat Club, The Fremantle Recreation Fishing Club and the Cockburn and Warnboro Sound Facebook group. We have recently also become a sponsor of Perth Fishing TV.
There has been a continuous effort to clean up the facility up, bring systems up to date and increase the storage offering. We have also expanded our stock of quality fishing tackle and other water-sports items. The great reputation of the café has been enhanced further and. as a result, the storage occupancy has lifted considerably and the traffic through the shop is forever increasing.
If you are a water lover who appreciates superior quality gear, you will love it at Woodies.
Jim’s Story
- Grew up on the river in Applecross
- First Boat at the age of 9 8ft Dolphin
- Avid surfer, kite surfer and diver. Keen fisho of course.
- Spent 10 years in the Mediterranean/Caribbean and USA working on 50-60m private boats
- Worked his way from Deckhand to Captain with over 200,000nm logged
- Favorite Cruising Areas: The Kimberly, Abrolhos Islands, Telos Mentawai’s Islands (West Coast of Sumatra)
- Pig Trough Bay Garden Island is a favourite currently – just a great easy spot with the kids.
- Ran Blue HQ Marinas for 4 years during construction
- I love the Family life, having a good time outside with the boys, diving, skurfing, fishing and boating
- I like seeing enjoyment on people’s faces in the shop and offering a good service that people want to come back for
- Most of all I value honesty, mateship, helping others, being active
Woodies is open 6am to 3pm every day (food closes at 2pm). During December we open at 5am and during winter it’s 7am. If you need early fuel you can call ahead and if you are running late, feel free to let us know and we’ll wait for you. Service is what it’s all about!
