Sailing areas in Queensland
Brisbane and Moreton Bay
Shoal-water pilotage and a working port.
Gold Coast and the Broadwater
A sheltered Broadwater and a trained Seaway that teaches entrance timing.
Sunshine Coast, the Wide Bay Bar and Hervey Bay
Mooloolaba, the most famous bar in Australia and the Great Sandy Strait.
Mackay, Keppel and the Capricorn Coast
Where the tides grow big and the tropics begin.
The Whitsundays and Airlie Beach
Trade winds, island passages and the bareboat capital of Australia.
Townsville, Cairns and the far north
Reef navigation, Hinchinbrook and the road to Cape York.
Overview
Queensland is where Australian cruising sailors go to spend the winter, and where a great deal of Yachtmaster training happens in the process. The south-east trade winds blow steadily from April to October, the water is warm, and the coast north of Brisbane is a string of islands, reefs and harbours that lends itself to passage-making. Tides are the great teacher here: the range grows from about 2 m at Brisbane to over 4 m in the Whitsundays and reaches nearly 9 m around Broad Sound, so tidal-height and tidal-stream calculations are not academic exercises but daily necessities. Moreton Bay's shallow channels and sandbanks make it one of the best pilotage classrooms in Australia.
Moreton Bay
A large, shallow, tidal bay protected by Moreton and North Stradbroke islands, with the Port of Brisbane on its western shore. Marked channels wind between sandbanks that dry at low water, making height-of-tide calculations, buoyage and pilotage the daily bread of any skipper. Marinas at Manly, Scarborough, Redcliffe and the Brisbane River. Peel, Moreton and the Stradbroke anchorages give excellent anchoring practice.
Gold Coast Broadwater and Seaway
The sheltered Broadwater behind South Stradbroke Island connects to the sea through the Gold Coast Seaway, a trained entrance that is usually straightforward but can be dangerous in an easterly swell against an ebb. Good for berthing practice in busy marinas and for understanding entrance timing.
Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay Bar and the Great Sandy Strait
Mooloolaba is the main harbour north of Brisbane. Beyond it, the Wide Bay Bar leads into the Great Sandy Strait behind K'gari (Fraser Island), a shallow, tidal, hugely rewarding waterway that finishes in Hervey Bay, where humpback whales rest from August to October. The Wide Bay Bar is one of Australia's best-known bar crossings and the strait is a masterclass in shoal-water pilotage.
Bundaberg, Gladstone and the Keppels
Bundaberg is the traditional departure and arrival port for the South Pacific rallies. Gladstone is a heavy industrial port with strict traffic rules. Yeppoon and Great Keppel Island mark the start of the Capricorn Coast and the tropics.
Mackay and the Whitsundays
The Whitsundays are Australia's bareboat charter and cruising heartland: 74 islands, sheltered passages, reef anchorages and steady trade winds. Tidal range exceeds 4 m and streams run hard through Hook, Solway and Fitzalan passages, with well-known bullets and lulls in the lee of high islands. Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island are the hubs. Mackay is the deep-water port to the south with the largest tidal range on the east coast nearby.
Townsville, Cairns and the far north
Magnetic Island, Hinchinbrook Channel, Cairns and Port Douglas open on to the outer reef and the Coral Sea. North of Lizard Island the coast becomes expedition territory through to Cape York and Torres Strait, where tidal streams are fierce and reef navigation is demanding.
Conditions
| Tidal range | Semi-diurnal. Roughly 2 m at Brisbane, 3 to 4 m at Airlie Beach, 6 m at Mackay and up to 9 m in Broad Sound, the largest tidal range on the east coast. Streams of 3 to 5 knots in island passages are common. |
|---|---|
| Prevailing winds | South-east trade winds of 15 to 25 knots from April to October, occasionally reinforced to 30 knots for days at a time. Lighter, more variable northerlies in summer. |
| Cyclone season | November to April north of about Bundaberg. Most cruising boats leave the tropics or lay up in a cyclone-rated marina; insurers apply latitude limits. |
| Signature hazards | River and bay bars (Wide Bay, Noosa, Gold Coast Seaway, Mooloolaba in a swell), reef navigation, unmarked bommies and drying sandbanks, and strong tidal streams in the Whitsunday passages. |
| Water | Warm year-round in the north; stingers (box jellyfish and irukandji) from roughly November to May north of Gladstone, and crocodiles in northern rivers and estuaries. |
Hazards to plan for
- Bar crossings in swell
- Tidal streams and eddies in island passages
- Drying sandbanks and unmarked reef
- Cyclones from November to April
- Stingers and crocodiles in the north
Seasons and calendar
The dry season, May to October, is the sailing season in the tropics: trade winds, clear skies and cool nights. South-east Queensland sails all year, with summer thunderstorms and northerlies. The northbound migration of cruising yachts begins around April and the fleets return south in October.
| Months | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Nov to Mar | Wet season in the tropics: heat, storms, cyclone risk; south-east Queensland sails on with northerlies and storms. |
| Apr to May | Trades establish; the northbound migration of cruising yachts begins; rallies to New Caledonia depart. |
| Jun to Aug | Peak dry season: steady trades, clear skies, Hamilton Island Race Week in August, whales in Hervey Bay. |
| Sep to Oct | Trades ease, temperatures rise, the fleets head south; Pacific rallies return. |
What training and exams are like here
Passages for the logbook
Distances below are approximate route ideas, not verified qualifying-passage measurements. Check the shortest navigable route, actual distance, non-stop passage and your role against the current RYA rules before claiming a passage.
| Passage | Miles | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Manly (Brisbane) to Mooloolaba | 55 | Through the northern channels of Moreton Bay and past Caloundra; a pilotage-rich day sail. |
| Mooloolaba to Bundaberg via the Wide Bay Bar | 110 | Qualifying passage over 60 miles with a bar crossing and the Great Sandy Strait. |
| Bundaberg to Great Keppel Island | 110 | Qualifying passage, usually sailed overnight. |
| Great Keppel to Mackay | 180 | Two nights; the tidal ranges grow dramatically. |
| Mackay to Airlie Beach | 70 | Qualifying passage over 60 miles into the Whitsundays. |
| Airlie Beach to Townsville | 140 | Overnight, inside the reef. |
| Bundaberg or Brisbane to Noumea | 800 | The most popular Australian Yachtmaster Ocean qualifying passage. |
Weather, tides and rescue services
Weather sources
- Bureau of Meteorology coastal waters forecasts: Gold Coast Waters, Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast Waters, Hervey Bay, Capricornia Coast, Mackay Coast, Whitsunday Coast, Townsville Coast, Cairns Coast, Cooktown Coast, Cape York
- Tropical cyclone outlooks and warnings from November to April
- Great Barrier Reef marine park zoning maps for anchoring restrictions
Tide reference ports
- Brisbane Bar, Mooloolaba, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rosslyn Bay, Mackay, Shute Harbour, Townsville and Cairns are standard ports
- Secondary ports for every island anchorage in the Whitsundays and the strait
Rescue and traffic services
- Volunteer Marine Rescue Queensland and the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard operate bases along the coast, take trip reports and give bar reports
- Port vessel traffic services at Brisbane, Gladstone, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns
Boat licence rules in Queensland
State licences cover the recreational use of a powered vessel. They are not sailing qualifications and they do not authorise commercial work, which is regulated nationally by AMSA. See working commercially.
Questions about Queensland
Is a Queensland exam harder because of the tides?
Not harder, but different. The syllabus is the same everywhere; Queensland examiners simply have more tidal material to draw on, and a candidate who understands heights and streams finds the exam natural.
Can I sail the Queensland coast in the wet season?
South-east Queensland, yes, with attention to storms. North of Bundaberg most cruising yachts leave or lay up from November to April because of cyclone risk and insurance conditions.