Western Australia's south coast faces the Southern Ocean directly. Cape Leeuwin, where the Indian and Southern oceans meet, is a turning point respected by every sailor who has rounded it: confused seas, big swell and a long way from shelter. East of it, Albany's King George Sound is one of the finest natural harbours in the country, with Princess Royal Harbour and Oyster Harbour inside it and a marina in the town; further east, Esperance and the Recherche Archipelago are remote, granite-island sailing with hundreds of anchorages and almost no facilities. West of the cape, Geographe Bay (Busselton, Dunsborough) is a broad, northward-facing bay sheltered from the south, the destination of the classic 90-mile passage from Fremantle. This is expedition sailing with real weather; Yachtmasters trained here understand swell and fronts as well as anyone in the country.
The waters
Geographe Bay and Cape Naturaliste
Busselton’s long jetty, Dunsborough, Port Geographe marina; sheltered from the south and west, exposed to the north-west. The cape marks the start of the exposed coast.
Augusta and Cape Leeuwin
Flinders Bay and the Hardy Inlet at Augusta, with a swell-affected entrance; the cape itself with its lighthouse and confused seas.
Albany: King George Sound
A large deep sound with Princess Royal Harbour and Oyster Harbour inside; a marina, a yacht club, a port and shelter from every direction.
Esperance and the Recherche Archipelago
A port town and a marina, then a hundred granite islands stretching east with anchorages for every wind and no services. Remote and spectacular.
Training here
Training here is passage-based: Fremantle to Geographe Bay, round Leeuwin to Albany, along the coast to Esperance. It teaches swell, fronts, long-distance planning and self-reliance.
What an exam here looks like
Passages for the logbook
| Passage | Miles | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fremantle to Busselton | 90 | Qualifying passage south to Geographe Bay. |
| Busselton to Albany | 190 | Round Cape Leeuwin; overnight; a serious passage. |
| Albany to Esperance | 240 | Along the exposed south coast to the archipelago. |
| Albany to Port Lincoln | 900 | Across the Great Australian Bight; one of Australia’s hardest coastal passages and a possible Ocean qualifier if the route stands well offshore. |
Conditions
| Tides | Small and diurnal (0.5 to 1 m) with weather effects dominant. Streams weak except in harbour entrances. |
|---|---|
| Weather | Westerly and south-westerly fronts year-round, stronger in winter; summer south-easterly sea breezes; heavy Southern Ocean swell, often 3 to 4 m, on every exposed shore. Cold water. |
| Facilities and rescue | Port Geographe Marina (Busselton), Albany Waterfront Marina and Princess Royal Sailing Club, Esperance Bay Yacht Club and marina; Volunteer Marine Rescue groups at each town. |
Boat licence
Questions about Albany, Cape Leeuwin and the south coast
When is the best time to round Cape Leeuwin?
Summer and early autumn in a settled window after a front has passed, with the swell easing and the wind south-easterly. Winter roundings are for experienced crews in carefully chosen windows.