A guide to your marina stopover – Cruising North
by Andy Kancachian / Boat Gold Coast on 12 Oct 2017
Horizon Shores, Gold Coast Boat Gold Coast
Just like a road trip, cruising the coast of Queensland is a delightful adventure. Knowing where to find safe anchorages and fuel stops are important to keep the adventure enjoyable.
But sometimes, both you and your vessel may also need some TLC, as the wandering spirit becomes weary from the travels. Here are several recommended marina locations as you cruise north along the Queensland coast.
Horizon Shores Marina
Ideally located between Brisbane and Gold Coast, Horizon Shores is one of the largest wet berth marinas in Australia. The marina caters to vessels up to 80ft in length, including catamarans, houseboats and cruising boats. Visiting boats are welcome, as the marina provides short-term or long-term berthing arrangements to suit your budget.
Each berth offers power and water, after-hours security patrols, access-controlled and key-entry gates. The marina offers a variety of services: 500 wet berths, 350 dry stack storage bays, 200 trailer boat storage locations, a 70t travelift, 24/7 dockside assistance to catch your lines and assist you into the berth, on-water fuel facility, fresh water, chandlery, marine refit and repair trades, hardstand, and refit sheds, plus onsite cafe.
Lat/Long: S 27° 45 E 153° 21
www.horizonshores.com.au
1 Cabbage Tree Point Rd, Woongoolba 4207 Ph:(07) 5546 2300
Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron
The Squadron is proud of its world-class marina, and shipyard services and facilities. Facilities include: floating berths (10m-33.5m mono berths and 12m-18.5m multihull berths), the Boardwalk Café (casual dining, coffee, snacks, packed lunch, burgers, fish and chips or formal a la carte dining), three laundry facilities, bathroom and showers, Wi-Fi, and a 24-hour fuel pontoon.
The marina also offer various services: 35-tonne marine travelift (up to a maximum beam of 16 9), a 2.5-tonne slew crane, on-site maintenance and slipping facilities, and a concrete hardstand area. The Trade Centre service providers include: stainless steel fabrication, boat building and repairs, marine electrician, boat trimmer, rigger, marine mechanic, marine plumbing, welding and machining. Call ahead of time to arrange overnight, short, medium or long-term berthing.
Lat/Long: S 27° 26.7’ E 153° 12.3’
www.rqys.com.au
578 Royal Esplanade, Manly 4179 Ph:(07) 3396 8666
Scarborough Marina
Centrally located with direct access to Moreton Bay, Scarborough Marina offers a broad range of services and facilities to suit the needs of all boating enthusiasts. The marina comprises over 230 wet berths, a full service boat yard and a valet-serviced rack storage facility for the modern, affordable and convenient alternative to trailer boating.
Whether passing through or planning to stay, the full-service marina, backed by great customer service, aims to bring back the real enjoyment to your boating. It has a modern cruisers lounge with TV and free WIFI, electronic-gate access, 24-hour CCTV monitoring, and 24-hour fuel service. Casual, overnight and long-term berthing are available, but bookings are essential. This marina is home to a full-service boatyard and on-site services, including chandlery, rigging, mechanics, boat repairs, and more.
Lat/Long: S 27°10.75’ E 153°06.3’
www.scarbmarina.com.au
28 Thurecht Parade, Scarborough 4020 Ph:(07) 3880 0300
Mooloolaba Marina
The Sunshine Coast’s largest and most popular marina, the Mooloolaba Marina is the home of the Sunshine Coast Yacht Club (SCYC), and the famous The Yacht Club bar and restaurant. The marina has 265 wet berths, with 24-hour access to onshore amenities. The marina office is open seven days with access to quality local trades and services for maintenance, upgrades, and improvements.
There are fuel and haul-out services nearby. It is best known for its friendly welcoming atmosphere and relaxed lifestyle. The proximity to the beach is a definite attraction, along with access to the freshest seafood in the region within 200m, being the fisheries and associated restaurants. It is located 100 metres from Mooloolaba Beach, and is only 500 metres away from the esplanade, which offers a full range of cafes, dining, and Sunshine Coast nightlife.
Lat/Long: S 26°, E 153°
www.mooloolabamarina.com.au
33-45 Parkyn Parade, Mooloolaba QLD 4557 Ph: (07) 5444 5653
Great Sandy Straits Marina
Located in the Urangan Boat Harbour at Hervey Bay, the Great Sandy Straits Marina offers 176 berths, which cater for the 8m-30m vessels. The marina is situated at the doorstep of the whale-watch capital, and is a perfect place to explore the sheltered waters of Hervey Bay, the Great Sandy Marine Park, and world heritage-listed Fraser Island. The secure facilities include toilets, showers, laundry and hire car services.
A restaurant and cafe, hotels, souvenir shop, chandlery/food store, and local craft shop are located in the marina. There is 24hr fuel wharf, a slipway with a 300-tonne and a 30-tonne lift, and a range of marine tradespeople available to assist. The Hervey Bay Boat Club, which welcomes visitors, is a five-minute walk from the marina.
Lat/Long: S 25-17.613, E 152-54.641
www.greatsandystraitsmarina.com.au
17 Buccaneer Dr, Urangan 4655 Ph:(07) 4125 3822
Keppel Bay Marina
Located in Rosslyn Bay, the gateway to the stunning Keppel group of islands, the award-winning facility includes long- and short-term berth rental, boatyard and chandlery, fuel, water, 40-tonne travelift, onsite marine services, charter boats, sailing cruises, fishing charters, residential villas for sale, and the best local cuisine. With over 500 marina berths for vessels up to 30m, Keppel Bay Marina is the largest marina north of Brisbane, with wide channels for easy navigation and colour-coded pile cape to assist vessel berth location.
The Keppel group of islands on the Capricorn Coast are a destination in their own right, which includes Great Keppel Island offering 17 beaches, and North Keppel Island, are uncrowded safe anchorages in all weather conditions. Be mindful of “No Anchoring Areas” around the islands.
Lat/Long: S 23° 10’ , E 150° 48’
www.keppelbaymarina.com.au
Rosslyn Bay, Waterline Way, Yeppoon 4703 Ph:(07) 4933 6244
Abell Point Marina
Located in Airlie Beach at the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef, Abell Point Marina (APM) is the first in the world to attain Global 5 Gold Anchor Marina Accreditation in 2016. Visiting APM, you can expect the Blue Carpet Treatment they roll out for the boating family – from dockhand concierge to assist you with berthing, to the complimentary use of the fleet of courtesy cars.
The newly launched Ocean Club provides 12 en suite private bathrooms and an expansive sundeck. A range of dining and leisure options are on offer within the vibrant marina village. A Marina Lifestyle Card provides guests the access to the hidden gem experience of the Whitsunday region.
Lat/Long: S 20° 16, E 148° 43
www.abellpointmarina.com.au
Shingley Dr, Airlie Beach 4802 Ph:(07) 4946 2400
The Reef Marina – Port Douglas
With 135 berths that accommodate monohull and multihull vessels, all serviced with power and water, the Reef Marina can berth superyachts up to 50 metres. There are 20 superyacht berths available to accommodate 25-50m vessels. Each berth is of heavy-duty concrete construction, equipped with three-phase power (up to 2 x 63 amps), potable water, and fire services. The marina offers a designated 24-hour fuel berth, with high-flow diesel pumps up to 250 litres per minute.
The secure facilities include shower and laundry services, concierge services, dock master assistance, chandlery, mechanical services, and courtesy trolleys. The marine services for repairs and maintenance are available, and can service vessels up to 50 tonnes and 9 m beam. The marina is 31 nautical miles northwest of Cairns Harbour and 62 nautical miles south of Cooktown.
Lat/Long: S16 29’06, E 145 27’33
www.thereefmarina.com.au
44 Wharf St, Port Douglas 4877 Ph:(07) 4099 5775
This article has been provided courtesy of the BoatGoldCoast.
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