Marinas & Anchorages

Cape Bowling Green Anchorage (Bowling Green Bay)

This anchorage has no shelter from the wind and sits behind a low-lying sand spit. Anchorage is quite shallow with good holding in sand. We anchored in 4 metres of water with 20+ knots SE winds.

Cape Upstart Anchorage (Shark Bay)

Sheltered anchorage behind the Cape, opposite the onshore conservation building. Good holding in sand, the anchorage is well sheltered for anything from south west to south east.

Cape Gloucester Mooring

There are a number of moorings available here and these can be hired for $25.00 per night. Pay at Gloucester Bay Resort bar. You’ll need to provide the name of your boat, boat registration number and the number of the mooring ball you are using or intend to use. A few boats also anchored behind the mooring field. Beach access via tender is easy at all tide levels.

Hook Island

Stonehaven Bay Mooring

There are 12+ moorings scattered around the bay. (More moorings than noted on Navionics). Most are Marine Park green buoys. A nicely sheltered and well protected mooring field. If you are not lucky enough to get a mooring, anchoring is a feasible option. Just be aware of fringing reef near the beach.

Luncheon Bay Mooring

As of September 2024, five moorings were available in the bay (4 green and 1 blue). It was quite a rolly anchorage/mooring in a south easterly wind.

Butterfly Bay Mooring

Quite a few moorings are available in this bay. The bay is reasonably sheltered but subject to swell and chop from SE – E winds. We only stayed till mid afternoon and moved due to the mooring buoy consistently banging on the hull. We ended up back at Stonehaven Bay for a couple of nights.

Whitsunday Island

Apostle Bay Anchorage

Good holding in sand. Very calm, no swell and lots of turtles. Well protected from south-south easterly winds; not recommended for any winds with a northerly aspect.

Tongue Bay Mooring Field

Highly competitive for moorings here, including tourist and charter boats. Very good mooring field with a range of mooring sizes available. Beach is primarily rock, and at low tide you must follow the channel markers. There is limited space to haul dinghies up the beach, particularly so when tourist boats are loading and unloading passengers.

Haslewood Island Mooring (Chalkies Beach)

Good mooring area, well protected from south to north easterly winds. Again very popular spot with cruisers and tourist operators. Good beach access, with a nice reef close to shore.

Lindeman Island Anchorage

Very good holding in mud. (We held well during a squall with 30+ knot winds). The anchorage is exposed from south westerly to easterly winds. There is a reef jutting out from the beach as well as inshore submerged rocks so take care when accessing the beach.

Thomas Island Anchorage

There are only a couple of moorings here, and both were taken so we anchored in the channel between Thomas and Long Islands. Good holding in sand in 6 metres of water just off the north eastern beach. No issues with beach access.

Brampton Island Anchorage

Good holding in sand, and well sheltered from swell but not from wind. Bay shallows quickly. Probably only enough room for 3 boats in Maryport Bay.

Scawfell Island Anchorage

You may be fortunate enough to get a mooring here, but they are in high demand. We anchored here for three nights, and a number of boats did not adhere to the 24 hour mooring limit i.e they were there when we arrived and were still there when we left.

We anchored on the right hand side of Refuge Bay close to the ‘no anchor’ area. Holding was good in 20 – 30 knots of wind. Semi-sheltered but subject to swell wrapping around the island causing a rolly anchorage. In hindsight, the left hand side of the bay may have been a better option.

Middle Island (Percy Group) Anchorage

West Bay is a fairly small bay with room for about four yachts comfortabley. Good holding in sand, but subject to swell from south and north. It is a popular anchorage as it is the base for the famlous ‘Percy Island Yacht Club’.

Great Keppel Island Anchorages

Inititially we anchored at Long Beach bay to shelter from northerly – north westerly winds. When we arrived there were about 35 – 40 vessels in the bay. The anchorage would be suitable for northerly through to north easterly winds. Good holding in sand. Not recommended for wind or swell with a southerly aspect as it is very rolly.

We moved around the corner to Monkey Bay the next morning to gain greater shelter from predicted easterly winds. Sandy bottom, and good holding in five metres of water. Room for 7 – 8 vessels to anchor here. There are also two moorings in the bay which are hugely popular. Monkey Bay is a short dinghy ride from the island bar and bistro.

Lady Musgrave Island Anchorage

The entry channel to the lagoon is quite narrow, 10 – 12 metres but clearly marked. Important note: the channel markers are NOT lit at night. The lagoon has coral bombies scattered throughout, and we would recommend entering between mid morning and mid afternoon so that you can easily identify where the bombies are.

Lady Musgrave is a very popular destination, there were 18 boats when we arrived and more came in afterwards. Knowing that there was only six moorings available, we knew coming in that it was highly unlikely that we would score one of these. And we were right. That said there are plenty of anchoring options within the lagoon. We anchored in 8 metres of water in a reasonably clear patch. Good holding in sand.

Bribie Island Anchorage

Good holding in sand on the side of the chennle just north of the jetty. Be sure to leave enough swing room, as the current is quite strong and you will experience wind against current. Easy access to the shore by dinghy, tie off the jetty pontoons.

Deanbilla Bay (North Stradbroke Island) Mooring

Picked up a mooring ball on the southern end of the bay with no problems.

Perrys Hole Anchorage (next to Crusoe Island)

Good holding in sand but subject to strong current flows. Warning – Lots of midges and mosquitos here.

The Broadwater (Gold Coast)

We anchored at Currigee on South Stradbroke Island. A popular abchorage spot with good holding on the side of the main channel. Quite strong currents noted. This channel should actually be renamed ‘Hoonsville’! From sunrise to post sunset we bounced around due to the number of boats large and small as well as jet skiers passing at speed, super close at times. Runaway Bay Shopping Centre is across the Broadwater, easy access with a dinghy dock available.

Location: Mackay, Queensland

Duration: 2 weeks

Cost: $459.00* per week for a catamaran berth inclusive of electricity and water.

Staffing: Friendly and helpful marina staff are available onsite Monday – Sunday 0830 – 1630. Marina staff are happy to assist not just with marina queries, but also the township, transport and the like. Docking assistance is not available at this marina.

On checking in we received a Welcome Pack inclusive of: printed Marina Information, Amenities and Environmental Policy; Marina Rules; Listing of Local Services; Marina Berth and Amenities Map; Marina Shipyard Price List and Contact Details; local Tide Chart; Public Bus Schedule and a Town and Regional map.

Security: There are no dedicated security staff at this marina. Access to each section of the marina is via a solitary gate which is activated by a fob. (Fobs are provided on check in at the marina office. $50.00 deposit per fob required).

Lights as part of each berth pedestal in our area of the marina were inactive for most of the time we stayed at the marina, creating an unnecessary security, and health and safety risk.

Parking: There is no designated marina parking area in place, general street parking is nearby.

Amenities: Two separate male and female shower/toilet blocks are available for use by marina berth holders, access via fob. Both blocks are functional but old and dated. Supposed to be renovated late 2024, but as of the end of October there was no sign of any work commencement.

A laundromat is available 24 hours each day and is located behind the marina office. Washing machines require 6 x $1.00 coins per load, dryers 6 x $1.00 coins per 6 minutes of drying time. Rubbish dumpsters are located near the ablutions.

Transport: Courtesy cars, Rent-A-Bomb, are available at this marina, book at the marina office. Morning, afternoon or evening hire is available for $30.00, $59.00 for full day hire. Other transport options include public bus, taxi, Uber, hire car.

Wifi: Free wifi is available 8.30 – 4.30 each day upstairs in the marina office.

Noise: We didn’t experience any noise issues while at this marina.

Hard stand and haul out facilities: are available at this marina. Contact and pricing details are provided as part of the marina Welcome Pack provided on check in.

Fuel: a fuel dock is in place as you enter through the breakwater – pay by credit card or if you are staying at the marina fuel costs can be added to your account.

Gas: Swap & Go gas bottles are available at the marina office.

Shops/Chandlery: The marina office has a limited range of chandlery supplies as well as basic domestic supplies and clothing for purchase.

Tidal movement in this part of the world is crazy.

Check out the dock at low tide, getting up the ramp to land is a work out in itself.

A small range of eateries including a pub, take away fish and chip/pizza shop, café and steak restaurant are located next to the marina office. Other eateries and pubs are located in central Mackay and will require transport to access.

There is a large-ish shopping centre, Caneland, located within the town of Mackay. Bunnings, Aldi, Road Tech Marine and the like are further out.

Overall, we rated this marina 6/10.

*Prices are correct at time of stay.

Russell Island Mooring

There are three Great Barrier Reef Marine Park public moorings available here. Situated off the beach on the northwestern side of the island, the moorings are semi exposed to south easterly winds and can be rocky. No significant current where the moorings are located. Easy to locate, we had no issues picking up the mooring line. (Peter did a great job of getting this shot of a cargo ship on the horizon, seen here between Catalina Rocks on the left and Russell Island on the right).

Dunk Island Anchorage & Mooring

There are two public moorings available in Brammo Bay near the island jetty, however when we arrived both were in use. So, we anchored nearby in sand one night and scored a mooring for the second night. No problems with the anchorage, quite sheltered with good holding.

Hinchinbrook Island – Zoe Bay Anchorage

Good holding in mud, though the bay is exposed to winds east to northerly so not recommended unless winds from here are under 10 knots. (That white dot you can see in the photo is Sea Goddess anchored in the middle of the bay).

Fantome Island

We anchored in Juno Bay at the northern end of the island near the channel between Fantome and Orpheus Islands. Good holding in sand. Though the anchorage is exposed to south easterly winds, it was calm due to the short fetch. When accessing the beach via dinghy be aware of coral and rocks close to shore.

Orpheus Island

Mooring balls were at a premium and were all taken when we arrived. So we dropped anchor in 10 metres of water towards the northern end of Pioneer Bay away from the coral reef. Holding was good and the island itself provided shelter from south easterly to north easterly winds.  Beach access is relatively straight forward, just be aware of coral reef at low tide.

Rattlesnake Island

We anchored in sand on the northeastern side of the island in 6 metres of water off the beach. Wind was south-south easterly at 15 knots which increased overnight. Holding was average, and overnight we dragged anchor away from the beach. Not recommended unless in calm conditions. Beach access is subject to tidal surge and be aware of reef at either end of the bay.

Magnetic Island

We initially attempted to anchor in the middle of Horseshoe Bay but couldn’t get the anchor to set correctly. So, we moved to White Lady Bay which essentially is just an extension of Horseshoe Bay at the northern end. Good holding in muddy sand at a depth of 6 metres (put out 40 metres of chain). Well protected from east to south west winds, very little swell here.

Location: Townsville, Queensland

Duration: 2 weeks

Cost: $560.00* per week for a catamaran berth inclusive of electricity and water.

Staffing: Friendly and helpful marina staff are available onsite Monday – Sunday 0800 – 1700, and they are also contactable via VHF Channel 10 during these times. Marina staff are happy to assist not just with marina queries, but the township, transport and the like. Docking assistance is available at this marina.

A town map and list of local general and boat service suppliers was provided to us on check in.

Security: Marina staff patrol the berth area on a regular basis. Access to each dock is via a solitary gate which is activated by a fob. (Fobs are provided on check it at the marina office).

Parking: There is no designated marina parking area in place, though there is a public car park near the marina office as well as street parking.

Amenities: A separate and maintained male and female shower/toilet block for berth holders is located near the marina office. A coinless laundromat, $5.00 per washing load and $5.00 per drying cycle, is located in this area as well. A communal barbeque and potted herbs can also be found here. Rubbish dumpsters are located behind the marina office.

Transport: A Courtesy Car is available at this marina. Book at the marina office, donation of $10.00 for 2 hours. Public buses leave from Flinders Street which is a 15–20 minute walk away. Other transport options include taxi, Uber, hire car.

Pump out: Is not available at this marina.

Wifi:  Free wifi hotspot is available near the amenities block, you just need to see staff for the access code.

Noise: We didn’t experience any noise issues while at this marina.

Hard stand and haul out facilities: are not available at this marina.

Fuel: a fuel dock is in place as you enter through the breakwater – pay by credit card.

Gas: Refills are available, see staff at the office.

Shops/Chandlery: The marina office has some basic domestic supplies for purchase. There isn’t a chandlery at or near the marina. The nearest chandleries are in south Townsville easily located via a web search.

A café offering catering for breakfast and lunch is located next to the marina office. Other eateries and pubs are located along The Strand, central Townsville or further out.

There is a small shopping centre with Coles, butcher, pharmacy, bakery behind the Seaview Hotel on Gregory Street. Larger shopping centres including Bunnings are further out. Markets are held in the city centre every Sunday morning.

Overall, we rated this marina 9/10.

*Prices are correct at time of publication.

Adjamarrugu Point, Croker Island

Really good anchorage. Anchored in 6m of water close to the breach. Well protected from NE through to SE winds. Good holding in sand and mud.

Mutee Head

There are numerous shallow areas as you approach the headland. We anchored in 9m of water as the bottom shoals rapidly. Good holding though subject to current.

Seisia

We anchored between Red Island and the mainland, just south of the jetty. Good holding in 4m of water at low tide.  Very tight anchorage, with room for only 3 – 4 boats. Important to keep to the channel as the whole area is very shallow. Lots of sandbanks visible at low tide. Photo of the town jetty from our anchorage.

Roko Island

Anchored in 5m of water between the island and the mainland beach. Anchorage is calm but subject to SE winds. Good holding but there is a current between the island and the mainland.

Cape York

We anchored in 3 metres of water with York Island to port and about 500 hundred metres directly in front of the shoreline. It was very windy the day we were there, but good holding. Basically, a day anchorage for visiting the tip of Cape York. Photos below of Sea Goddess at anchor and York Island from Cape York.

Shallow Bay

The bay sits within the mainland side of Albany Passage. The bay is quite deep but does shelve very quickly, about half way in. Protected from swell, but you will get wind gusts from the trade winds. Good holding in sandy-mud.

Escape River

There is a wide shallow entrance to the river, best to enter on the southern side where the water is much deeper. We motored about 3 nautical miles up the river, anchoring around the first corner in 9 metres of water. The anchorage was calm but subject to wind gusts. Holding was good, but we did have a snag when retrieving the anchor. Possibly remnants of the fish farm. Navionics and C-maps show fish farms on the sides of the river, but they look to have been decommissioned as there was a group of buoys tied together in the centre of the river. We would not advise anchoring in this river post sunset.

Night Island

Good anchorage in strong south easterly winds. Good holding in sand and relatively calm.

Morris Island

We anchored here post sunset for an overnight stay with no problems. Again, good protection from south easterlies, but not suitable for northerlies. Sandy bottom.

Burkitt Island

Good anchorage for south easterly winds. Sandy bottom but beware of fringing reef. We ended up anchoring out from the island in 10 – 11 metres of water. We can’t confirm reports of a resident croc as we didn’t go ashore and had no visual of one.

Princess Charlotte Bay (near Normandy River)

Another overnight rest stop, this one was a doozy. Firstly, we had to anchor in the dark again (not our favourite time to do this), this time in mud. A shallow bay, we anchored in 6 metres of water approximately 2 nautical miles offshore. We had trouble setting the anchor due to wind and current, in the end we just dumped 40 metres of chain, and with anchor watch on we hoped for the best. Good call or just pure luck, we held all through the night.

Fisherman’s Wharf Cooktown

This was purely a fuel stop for us. The owners gave us permission to tie up overnight at the fuel dock which opens at 0630. We had an easy approach through the channel at 0300 hours. The wharf was well lit, and we had no trouble docking next to the fuel pumps.

Fitzroy Island – Mooring

Moorings at Fitzroy Island are highly sought after, and this doesn’t take account of those who overstay the 24 hour time limit. So, its super important to get there early or be prepared to anchor in 11 – 16 metres of water in sand. NB There is a ‘no anchoring area’ which is signed by markers.

When we arrived there were no ‘blue moorings’ available, however there was a large can type white one, on the eastern side of the mooring field with no number on it that we commandeered. We stayed on the mooring for 2 nights, luckily with no issues. Be aware that beach access is not possible by dinghy as the beach is too steep and has a fringing coral reef. We tied up at the ladder on the jetty each day for easy access to the island.

Vlasoff Reef/Cay – Anchorage

Limited moorings are available, and none were available when we arrived. So, we ended up anchoring in 8 – 9 metres on sand. In south easterlies this anchorage is quite rolly. Dinghy access to the cay can be tricky especially if there is a swell. We encountered quite a strong swell which made landing and launching the dinghy very difficult. This anchorage is best in under 10 knots of wind.

Michaelmas Reef/Cay – Anchorage

Once again moorings were at a premium, and we noted two monohulls which appeared to have been on public moorings for some time. The area is also popular with day tours which used their own private moorings. We anchored once again in sand. Anchorage was much calmer than Vlasoff, and there is easy access to the cay. Note that most of the cay is restricted due to the presence of a bird rookery. A nice well protected anchorage.

Yorkeys Knob Boating Club – Half Moon Bay Marina

Location: Yorkeys Knob, Cairns

Duration:  17 days

Approach: This marina must be approached with caution. Firstly, the channel is very narrow, two large-ish yachts would struggle to pass each other safely. Secondly, the channel is very shallow, do not rely on channel contours. We strongly advise not to enter or exit within 2 hours of low tide on springs as there is a high risk of touching the bottom. When entering at other times keep the port lateral marker by the marina breakwater to starboard as it is deeper here. Thirdly, the marina is subject to tidal surge. And lastly, fairways are tight in this marina.

Duration & Cost:

• Our first visit of 7 days – $97.88 per day for catamaran berth inclusive of water, electricity and GST.
• Our second visit of 11 days – $83.54 per day for catamaran berth inclusive of water, electricity and GST.

Overview

Staffing: Office and marina staff are available onsite Monday – Sunday. Docking assistance is available at this marina.

Security: Marina staff walk the berth area at least once a day to log berth usage. Access to the marina is via two solitary gates, one at each end of the marina. On arrival a key set including one for the marina gate and one for the doors of the ablution block can be sourced from the reception area of the club house (a deposit of $50.00 per key is required).

A CCTV camera is located at each marina gate, there are no CCTV cameras on the docks themselves which was problematic when our fishing rod holder was stolen from Sea Goddess one night whilst we were berthed and sleeping. Costing $150.00, the fishing rod holder had been attached to the starboard rail since we picked up our catamaran in France i.e. just over 5 years. We were also concerned that the theft happened around the time we had booked to return to Adelaide for a catch up visit i.e. no one would be onboard. Not that being onboard had deterred the theft in the first place.

When we reported the theft to Reception staff, the response we received was less than satisfactory. It was during this conversation that it came to light that security cameras were not in place to monitor activity on each dock. We were both flabbergasted by this. There were multi-million dollar boats berthed on our dock alone, several without anyone on board. Yes, they may have on board security but then they may not. The staff member then proceeded to tell us that ‘hundreds’ of people go along the docks each day, and it’s not possible to monitor everyone. Honestly if hundreds of people are allowed to access the docks each day, then they have an even bigger reason to have cameras installed.

When we mentioned our concerns about leaving Sea Goddess for our trip away, we were told to bring everything inside and lock up. No kidding!! Which we had fully intended to do. We then requested additional oversight of our boat by marina staff during the time we were away. Response: email your request in writing. We did email a request for this, and the emailed reply stated that this could be arranged for an additional fee!

We have lived aboard Sea Goddess for just over five years now, and the majority of that time in marinas – Europe; across the Atlantic, Central America, South Pacific, throughout mainland Australia and have never experienced theft of any kind till now. So, they have an opportunistic thief in this marina, or one that has access to the marina, with no plan in place to address the potential for further thefts by this or any other person. If you intend to use this marina, just be aware of the risk and implement adequate protections.

Parking: Off street parking is available for berth holders and club patrons.

Amenities: Basic ATCO style huts house combined showers and toilets for marina berth holders. A laundry with two washing machines and two dryers which accepts credit card, is also located here. ($5.00 per wash, $4.00 per drying cycle). Large dumpsters for rubbish are located nearby.

Pump out: Not available.

Wifi:  Free wifi is not available at this marina.

Hard stand i.e. travel lift etc and haul out facilities: are not available at this marina.

Fuel: a fuel dock is in place pay by credit card

Eateries & Shops: The Boat Club has a restaurant and bar onsite, operating Monday – Sunday it is open to club members and the public.

A small shopping centre is located a short walk from the marina on Varley Street. You’ll find a supermarket, liquor store, pharmacy, butcher, Thai restaurant, bakeries, fish and chip shop to name a few.

A large shopping centre is located at Smithfield Shopping Centre. You’ll find Coles, Woolworths, Kmart, BWS liquor, an Asian supermarket and a variety of other shops and eateries here. Bunnings is on the other side of the main road, a short walk away.

Chandlery: There isn’t a chandlery at or near this marina.

Transport: We used public transport to access Smithfield Shopping Centre and the city centre of Cairns from the bus stop opposite the Yorkeys Knob Shopping Centre on Varley Street. Ticket costs during our time at the marina were 50 cents each, and last for 2 hours.

We did occasionally use a taxi. Post grocery shop from Smithfield Shopping Centre to marina $32.00, to and from Cairns Airport around $60.00 each way.

Noise: The music and general noise from patrons at the boat club does carry across the marina, and depending on where you are berthed this may be an issue. We had no concerns and enjoyed the music including the karaoke performances. Additionally, any noise finishes at a reasonable hour.

Overall, we rated this marina 4/10.

*Prices correct at time of publication.

Thomas Bay: There are no lead lines or lights to enter this bay. There is a drying reef in the middle of the bay to be avoided. We entered on the southern side of the reef, which is a relatively narrow gap. All reefs are fully exposed at low tide. Depth contours were not accurate on C-map and Navionics, so we entered cautiously using the depth sounder. We anchored in the centre of the bay southeast of the small drying reef, in approximately 7 metres of water. Bottom is sand, good holding. There is a Telstra tower nearby so phone and internet connectivity is available. Tip: put tracks on your chart plotter so you can follow your way out.

Silver Gull Creek: We anchored in the bay at the end of the creek. We anchored in 9 metres of water at Neaps, good holding in mud. Very tranquil and picturesque anchorage.

NB In this region we have found that on retrieval of the anchor and anchor chain they are generally covered in mud. In these instances, we use our saltwater deck wash to remove as much mud as possible as we are bringing them up.

Dugong Bay: Once again anchorage was in mud. It was challenging to find a level sea floor at the right depth to anchor. This required us to anchor further out in the bay than we had planned. That said holding was good once anchor was set and the bay was quite protected.

Talbot Bay (Horizontal Falls): Good anchorage in mud, but it is essential that anchoring occurs outside the Anchorage Exclusion Zone. For details of exclusion zones refer to the WA Department of Transport Boating Guide for Horizontal Falls.

Melomys Island: We anchored in the middle of the bay on the western side of the island in approximately 9 metres of water at mid tide. Slightly sloping bottom, but this didn’t present any problems with setting the anchor in sandy mud.

Raft Point & Doubtful Bay: We couldn’t get the anchor to set at Raft Point, the seabed was too steep. As a result, we moved to Doubtful Bay (Raft Point east) and successfully anchored here at the entrance to the lagoon. Good holding in mud and very sheltered.

Red Cone Creek: We anchored in the middle of the creek (lagoon) before the Y split in the river. Good holding in mud.

Deception Bay: Pleasant overnight rest stop. Large, sheltered bay, well protected. Anchored in the southern end, good holding in mud.

Sheep Island: We anchored in Brecknock Harbour on the southwest side of Sheep Island, between the island and the reef. When entering from the southwest be aware there is a shoal area extending from the reef to the shore, of approximately 3 metres depth. Good holding in mud; reasonably sheltered though we experienced a westerly chop in the afternoon due to the sea breeze coming down the Harbour. And best of all, bug free.

Near Greville Island (Prince Regent National Park): In terms of depth contours, both C-map and Navionics charts were incorrect. We anchored in mud near the shore in 9 metres of water during Neap’s. Holding was good. Beware, we did note an uncharted rock in the area which was 4 metres underwater close to high tide. We used the forward scanner and adopted a slow and cautious approach. Anchorage was well sheltered.

Careening Bay: Good anchorage in sand, not recommended in northerly winds but well protected from easterly and southeasterly winds. Easy dinghy ride to the beach and Mermaid Tree.

NB The cliffs and hills to the west of the beach are known indigenous burial and ceremonial grounds and are off limits.

Tjungkurakutangari Island: Deep and well protected bay between the island and the mainland, with good holding. We didn’t experience any issues with current or tides.

Bigge Island (Wary Bay): We anchored in about 9 metres to the western side of the bay. Bay is fairly deep with good holding. Beware of coral reefs closer to shore. Beach access is best from the western side of the bay as the reef is deeper here. Tides were 3 – 4 metres on Neaps.

Wollaston Island: The bay provides easy access to indigenous rock art via the beach on the mainland directly across the bay. (Look for large slab of rock on the beach, and conch shells on the rocks). Great anchorage, very sheltered and gently shelving. Mud bottom.

Swift Bay: We anchored in the western horseshoe harbour. Navionics and C-map contours were totally inaccurate, the anchorage has much shallower depth. Well protected, good holding in mud.

Vansittart Bay: We anchored for the day in sand and mud near the beach access to the DC3 wreck. The bay is very exposed, and the only alternative anchorage would be around Jar Island which we did not visit. There is a coral reef that protrudes from the beach, so care must be taken when coming into anchor and when accessing the beach. Best to come in from the Jar Island side. Holding was iffy in 15knot winds, and it took us two tries to set the anchor. Definitely not an overnight anchorage off the beach.

Glycomis Bay: Great anchorage near the beach and headland near the sand bar. Good holding in mud and well protected from winds other than north/northwest. Tidal range was very small 1.5m.

Koolama Bay (near Lesueur Island): Anchorage near King George River. We stayed overnight anchoring on the northeastern side of the bay close to the cliffs, which provided shelter from the south easterly winds. Anchorage is marked on Navionics and depths are reasonably accurate. We anchored in 6m on low tide on Neaps. Holding was very good, and very protected. Not recommended for winds with a westerly aspect, the other side of the bay could be used for that scenario.

Fannie Bay (Darwin): Good anchoring in sand and mud in approximately 6m of water. Anchor held well on both days that we anchored here. If possible, get in close to East Point to gain some shelter from the winds. The bay does shallow, so you will end up anchoring a fair way from the beach. No major obstructions other than the charted shoal area which exposes at high tide.

Keep scrolling down for our review of Cullen Bay Marina or click here https://seagoddessadventures.com/cullen-bay-marina/ ‎

Location: Darwin, Northern Territory

Duration: 1 week

Cost: $717.00 per week + $375.00* Entry Administration Fee for a 17 metre catamaran berth inclusive of water. Additional charge for electricity which is metered on the dock.

*We had originally planned to stay at this marina for three nights, however given that the Entry Administration Fee is a flat rate irrespective of length of stay we extended this to one week.

On confirmation of marina booking a useful marina information booklet will be forwarded via email.

NB A Statutory Declaration for Vessel Marine Pest Clearance with Northern Territory Fisheries must be completed prior to entering Cullen Bay Marina, Darwin. This form will be emailed for completion.

Cullen Bay Lock: Accessing the marina berth requires transiting a lock. To transit the lock you will need to contact the Lockmaster via VHF Channel 11 at least an hour before desired entry time. (Peter contacted the lockmaster the day before to organise our transit time of 1100 hours). The lock operates between 0600 – 2300 each day. Lock movements run on the hour, unless by other approved arrangements.

Maximum Vessel Dimensions: LOA 25m – Beam 8.5m; Draft 2.5 – 3m (tide dependent).

NB The sides of the lock are smooth and have a thick rope encased in a protective cover down each side, along with plenty of fenders on both sides, your boat will be protected. It’s advised to have lines on both sides fore and aft. The hardest part is actually entering and exiting the lock, the key is to get the entry and exit lines right. More information about our experience of transiting the lock can be found in the Darwin section of the Broome to Darwin blog. Click here https://seagoddessadventures.com/broome-to-darwin/

Staffing: Office staff are available onsite Monday – Friday during business hours, marina staff are available seven days a week and on call 24 hours each day. Marina staff are helpful assisting not just with marina queries, but the township, transport and the like. Docking assistance is available at this marina.

Security: Marina staff patrol the berth area on a regular basis, seven days a week. Access to the marina is via a solitary gate which is activated by a swipe card or fob. (Cards and fobs are provided prior to or on transiting the lock).

Parking: There is no designated marina parking area in place; street parking only.

Amenities: A separate and maintained male and female shower/toilet block for marina berth holders is located to the left as you exit the main marina dock. A room housing commercial dumpsters is located behind this and accessible via swipe card or fob. A privately run laundromat which also offers dry cleaning is located behind the amenities block.

Pump out: Is available on the fuel dock.

Wifi:  Free wifi is not available at this marina.

Noise: We didn’t experience any noise issues while at this marina.

Hard stand and haul out facilities: are not available at this marina.

Fuel: a fuel dock is in place on the seaward side of the lock – pay by credit card.

Shops/Chandlery: A number of eateries are located at the marina pedestrian exit point; a couple are open 7 days a week. There isn’t a chandlery at or near the marina. The nearest chandleries are about 4 – 5 kms away. We easily located them via a web search. Similarly, a grocery store, deli, supermarket or liquor store is not located nearby. We caught a bus from and back to the Sealink Terminal, a short walk from the marina, into Darwin centre where you will find Woolworths, BWS, chemists and the like. We also placed an online grocery order prior to our departure which was delivered to the marina with no difficulty.

Overall, we rated this marina 7/10.

We motored into the bay using the lead lines, the Navionics chart was accurate, but be mindful of crab/lobster pots nearby. (Lancelin is one of the largest lobster fishing ports in WA). Once we were approximately three quarters in, we turned to starboard and anchored between the mainland and Lancelin Island, beside the channel in four metres of water (S31° 00.281’E115° 19.364’). Good holding in sand. Note; When we left the next day, a 1 – 1 ½ metre swell was running with waves breaking over several nearby reefs. Just be aware it could be dicey if a 3 metre swell is running.

We approached the islands via the south entrance with a 2+ metre swell running, being mindful of the surrounding and breaking reefs on both sides of the passage. We had plenty of depth, but we had to go further into the lagoon to avoid numerous shoal patches near the islands. We anchored in the lee of the northern island in about 4 metres of water. This provided protection from the south westerly swell. Next morning the wind had swung to the southeast and we had some protection, but it got very choppy as we were raising the anchor and Sandra got saturated. It was a bumpy motor out from the anchorage following our track in to ensure a safe exit. The anchorage itself provided good holding in sand and would be ideal in calmer conditions.