The 50-foot, three-masted boat was to arrive from Port Douglas to Nelson Bay in May.

However, cyclonic weather conditions slowed down Sandy and Russell Byrnes's progress at getting Shaolin home.

Now safely docked at d'Albora Marinas, the Byrneses, from Fingal Bay, will begin chartering cruises around the Bay.

"We needed something new and exciting in the Bay," Mr Byrnes said.

"Something that would get tourists to stay that extra day or two, rather than coming to the Bay, doing one activity and leaving."

Mr Byrnes believes Shaolin will do just that.

The Shaolin can take 23 passengers at a time on corporate, overnight honeymoon and snorkelling charters.

The Byrneses offer a boom-net experience, a look through the glass bottom at sea life and traditional Chinese yum cha.

The boat was built in a Hong Kong harbour in 1965 and named Gloria Marie.

It was used as a private vessel for an ex-naval captain and has endured two cyclones, sailed around the globe twice and was a spy ship for the United States CIA off the coast of China, before it was used to collect rare sea shells in the Pacific.

The Shaolin lived in Port Douglas for 20 years, but Cyclone Yasi sank it to the bottom of the harbour in 2011.

For more information about the Shaolin or to book a charter go to shaolincharters.com.au or phone 0418 478 586.