Anchorages in Moreton Bay

[svseachange]

We will be in Moreton Bay soon where we hope to stay a few weeks before heading further north.

Can anyone recommend anchorages with access to good services (eg: place to land dinghy, water, groceries) and access to public transport?

Is it possible and/or advisable to rent a mooring on the river near the city for a few days?

Thanks everyone.

[PaulinOz]

One of the better places to do a provisioning run, Runaway Bay Shopping center https://www.runawaybaycentre.com.au/stores/. Technically the Gold Coast broadwater just South of Moreton Bay but a great place to provision, Aldi, Coles and Wollies plus lots more.

Just such a pleasure to go somewhere and feel welcomed and not in the way. We anchored over on the Western shore of South Stradbroke Island and dingied across, approx 0.8 N mile. Two floating docks available with access straight into the shopping center and you can trolley your purchases back to the dinghy when completed. With a friendly sign to complete the experience.



Two docks to tie up at the back of the center.



How often do you see that.



If you do not have the Beacon to Beacon book some of the charts available free here from MSQ https://www.msq.qld.gov.au/Boating-maps

[svseachange]

Great reply. Thanks a million.

[Jim Cate]

Another spot is in Raby Bay. There is a public wharf just across from the marina that you can sometimes tie to with your yacht, always with your dink, and it is handy to shops. Don't remember that there is water available, but could be. One can anchor inside the canal just out from the marina area... we haven't done so, but Sapient Sue (cfer) often does, and it is only a few hundred meters from the wharf.

One can also anchor off of Wynnum, watching tides and your draft, and put your dinghy on the long stone jetty. It's a few blocks up the hill to the shops, but doable.

Similarly one can anchor just outside the Manly harbour and tie the dink up on the William Gunn public jetty. There's a well stocked IGA nearby and a big bottle shop and Muir's chandlery, oneof the best stocked in Oz IMO.

For minor shopping, anchoring in Deanbilla bay (N. Stradbrook Is.) and walking into the little village of Dunwich will find a small grocery, etc.

Up the river, there are pile mooring right downtown in Brisbane, at the Botanical gardens. Availability has been spotty, but supposedly there has been a shakeup in the allocation process and perhaps things are better now. We've usually just anchored just upstream from those moorings. There's lots of traffic and the river is quite tidal there so you get current reversals every day. It's a good idea to pick up your anchor every day to untwist and unwrap the chain from where it may be wrapped around the anchor's shank. A very interesting place to be, for it is right in the CBD, but the garden on one side and a park on the other make it surprisingly bucolic.

Taking on water may require a visit to a fuel dock in one of the marinas. We favor the MBTBC marina in Manly, but there are quite a few scattered around the bay. Someone may know of a free access wharf with water laid on... I don't.

So, enjoy your time there. It's an interesting place.We expect to be in the area around the first of June... perhaps our wakes will cross, so if you see Insatiable II, make yourselves known and come for a cuppa!

Jim

[44'cruisingcat]

Another easy option is to shop at the Gold coast. You can anchor close to the public dock right in front of Australia fair. Water is available (Jerry cans) at the VMR ramp just outside bum's bay.

[svseachange]

Thanks Jim and 44. You are great.

I was born in the home for unmarried mothers in Redcliffe and lived in Brisbane for a few years as a kid after we returned from PNG.

My Mum was a taxi driver and we lived in a caravan park. When times were especially tough, I lived with my grandparents in Holland Park.

As luck would have it a flash boarding school in Southport needed poor kids to raise their test scores so I graduated from high school there and went to run a successful business in the US.

So I know Brisbane and Gold Coast from a dirt poor perspective but we were not in any position to go boating. Find a few dollars for a bus ride was hard.

I'm looking forward to returning and spending a few weeks exploring the waterways my grandfather talked about with such fondness.

[PaulinOz]

Another option when in the Broad-water / Gold Coast area is Couran Cove Marina week days, for any vessel over 8 meters in length, $60/night week days and you receive a $60 voucher to spend on food and drink at the restaurant / bar / cafe.

• Shore Power
• Water
• Rubbish Bins
• Full access to Resort facilities and activities
• Complimentary stand-up paddle boards, kayaks and water toys
• Complimentary use of sports equipment – including tennis, squash, basketball, mini-golf shuffleboard and much more
• Your new, fully redeemable $60 resort voucher

So you spend $60 in the restaurant or bar and have a free night in the marina, fill up your water tanks and empty your rubbish bins. That's not a bad deal.

[svseachange]

Thanks for another great reply, Paul.

One thing I am going to do in Brisbane is take the ridiculous tower of power off the stern of this boat, ditch the davits and the massive RIB and outboard. The contraption makes me nervous at sea and navigating fuel docks and marinas is nerve wracking.

My wife's friends tell her the pile moorings in the river are great and she would like to stay in the city for a few nights. However, I don't want to motor up the river and find there is nothing available then get our anchor fouled. Are there other short stay alternatives near the city on the river?

[44'cruisingcat]

The pile moorings ARE great!

$70 a week right in the heart of the city.

But yes, you can't book them in advance, you just have to rock up and see if any are available, which is indicated by there being no lines between the piles. So there is that uncertainty.

We've anchored up there with no problem though.

We've also anchored just off the northern bank at New Farm, a couple of miles downstream from the pile moorings, in muddy sand with good holding.

It's well worth a week or two, plenty to see, getting around is easy, you can hire bikes for $2 a day, and there are free ferries in the CBD area.

[PaulinOz]

Another option, but involves marina fees is the Dockside Marina, also in the center of the city.

Dockside Marina

[Akapeterc]

Scarborough Marina is good but a bit of a walk to the shopping centre

[Jim Cate]

There are plenty of decent to excellent marinas in the Moreton Bay area... I thought the OP was looking for anchorages, especially with good shore access and shopping opportunities.

Jim

[44'cruisingcat]

Some favorites in moreton bay.

In SW to SE, Raby bay. Also out the front of Scarborough.

If it's from the North, there's the duck pond in Newport.

In SE to NE, Tangalooma. But not on weekends or holidays.

And our all weather favourite, Kooringal, at the south end of moreton island.

We go in to a real shallow sand patch, but there are possies for the draught afflicted too.

[gradywhite]

Originally Posted by svseachange

We will be in Moreton Bay soon where we hope to stay a few weeks before heading further north.

Can anyone recommend anchorages with access to good services (eg: place to land dinghy, water, groceries) and access to public transport?

Is it possible and/or advisable to rent a mooring on the river near the city for a few days?

Thanks everyone.

Hi,
You can rent the twin pole moorings opposite the Brisbane gardens up the Brisbane river.
And Dunwich on Nth Stradbroke has moorings.
If you are new to the area look up Alan Lucas's book on cruising this region. Very good.
Simon
Duo. "It's A dogs life" sailing.

[svseachange]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Some favorites in moreton bay.

In SW to SE, Raby bay. Also out the front of Scarborough.

If it's from the North, there's the duck pond in Newport.

In SE to NE, Tangalooma. But not on weekends or holidays.

And our all weather favourite, Kooringal, at the south end of moreton island.

We go in to a real shallow sand patch, but there are possies for the draught afflicted too.

We've had a good week off Wave Break Island and spent some time with my sister and her kids. Excellent anchorage in southerly conditions, a bit of party boat traffic. The dinghy dock at Runaway Bay shopping centre is magic.

Pick up my daughter at Brisbane airport on Tuesday so we head north tomorrow. To north side of Karragarra Island then to Raby Bay. Might try Kooringal too, looks lovely but we are draught afflicted (1.5m).

44cruisingcat, can you provide a few details on the Newport duck pond? I see Newport on the map. Anchorage appears viable north west of Scarborough. Is this what you mean? Is there a good dinghy landing spot?

We will probably go straight to Double Island Point from the north side Moreton Bay unless someone can give a compelling reason to stop at Mooloolaba. If they don't like cruisers and the boys in blue have a heavy hand I don't want to stop there.