North of the Whitsundays the Queensland coast turns into the Great Barrier Reef proper. Townsville is a working port with a large marina and Magnetic Island eight miles offshore; the Hinchinbrook Channel is a 30-mile mangrove passage under the highest island in Australia; Cairns is the last big harbour before the Cape, with an international airport, a river port and the outer reef an hour away by fast boat; Port Douglas is the boutique alternative; and Lizard Island marks the edge of civilisation. Beyond it the coast runs 350 miles to Cape York and the Torres Strait through some of the best and most demanding sailing on earth: reefs, strong tidal streams, few facilities and constant trade winds. The dry season from May to October is the window; the wet closes the coast.
The waters
Townsville and Magnetic Island
The Breakwater Marina in the city, Cleveland Bay, and Magnetic Island’s Horseshoe Bay anchorage. A commercial port with shipping and a naval presence.
Hinchinbrook Channel
A sheltered mangrove channel between Hinchinbrook Island and the mainland with tidal streams, shallow bars at each end and crocodiles. Lucinda and Cardwell at the ends.
Cairns and Trinity Inlet
A dredged river harbour with marinas, the reef-boat fleet and customs facilities. The Marlin Marina in the city is the hub; Fitzroy Island is the local anchorage.
Port Douglas and the Low Isles
A small harbour with a marina and a shallow entrance; the Low Isles are a coral cay anchorage.
Lizard Island and the far north
Watson’s Bay on Lizard is the last easy anchorage; beyond, Cape Flattery, Cape Melville, the Flinders Group and the run to Cape York through Cape Grenville and the Escape River are expedition territory.
Training here
Courses from Townsville and Cairns teach reef navigation, use of the reef’s marked passages, anchoring in coral (on the sand patches), tropical weather and the discipline of the dry season. Passages between the ports provide qualifying legs inside the reef.
What an exam here looks like
Passages for the logbook
| Passage | Miles | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Townsville to Cairns | 150 | Overnight inside the reef via the Hinchinbrook Channel or outside Hinchinbrook Island. |
| Cairns to Lizard Island | 150 | North to the edge of the cruising ground; overnight. |
| Lizard Island to Thursday Island | 350 | The expedition passage to Torres Strait; several days with reef anchorages. |
| Cairns to Port Moresby | 450 | Across the Coral Sea; not long enough for an Ocean qualifier. |
Conditions
| Tides | Semi-diurnal, range 2.5 to 3.5 m. Streams of 2 to 4 knots in the Hinchinbrook Channel, the river harbours and the reef passages; stronger north of Lizard. |
|---|---|
| Weather | Trade winds from April to October; wet season from November to April with monsoon, storms and cyclones. Water temperature over 28 degrees in summer; stingers from November to May. |
| Facilities and rescue | Breakwater Marina (Townsville), Cairns Marlin Marina and Yorkeys Knob, Port Douglas Reef Marina; Volunteer Marine Rescue and Coast Guard at each port. |
Boat licence
Questions about Townsville, Cairns and the far north
Can a yacht sail outside the reef?
Yes, through the charted passages, and the outer reef anchorages are spectacular in settled weather, but the swell and the lack of shelter make it expedition sailing. Most passages north run inside the reef on the shipping route.