Brisbane
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==Berthing== | ==Berthing== | ||
| - | For berthing near [[{{PAGENAME}}]] see [[Manly]], | + | For berthing near [[{{PAGENAME}}]] ''see [[Manly]], [[Scarborough, Queensland|Scarborough]], and [[Southport, Queensland |Gold Coast - Southport]]''. |
===Marinas and Yacht Clubs=== | ===Marinas and Yacht Clubs=== | ||
Revision as of 22:10, 23 April 2017
| Brisbane Port of Entry
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 Brisbane and Moreton Bay |
Brisbane is the capital of Queensland, the state of prepetual sunshine. Residents of this fair city have an outdoor, beachgoing lifestyle with boating and fishing being very popular. The multitude of islands and channels off the coast make for waters protected from the ravages of the open sea and afford good recreational boating even for those with little experience.
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland, and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of 2.24 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred on Brisbane, encompasses a population of more than 3 million. The Brisbane central business district is situated inside a bend of the Brisbane River, approximately 15 kilometres (9 NM) from its mouth at Moreton Bay.
Moreton Bay itself has wide sandbanks, many muddy/tidal islands, and difficult shallows. Navigate with care, paying attention to any buoys and chart details. It's a common saying that there are two types of boat in Brisbane -- those that have hit bottom in Moreton Bay and those that have not yet hit bottom in Moreton Bay.
As a yachting destination, despite being the capital, Brisbane is frequently overshadowed by the nearby Southport region on the Gold Coast.
Charts
- Australian Hydrographic Service
- Aus235 - Australia East Coast - Queensland - Approaches to Moreton Bay
- Aus236 - Australia East Coast - Queensland - Moreton Bay
- Aus237 - Australia East Coast - Queensland - Brisbane River The Bar to Lytton Reach
- Aus814 - Australia East Coast - Queensland - Point Danger to Cape Moreton
Weather
Sub-tropical with sunshine most of the year but a tendency for sudden heavy downpours during the summer months, often depositing inches of rain in a few hours. In winter the sun drops out early and fast, as if someone had turned out the lights. Queensland is the only Australian state that didn't go with Daylight Savings, the Premier of the time—Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen—giving the reason that getting up earlier would confuse the cows and fade the curtains. It could only happen in Queensland!
Sources for Weather forecasts:
- Bureau of Meteorology - Official Weather for Brisbane
Passages
Islands
– harbour || 
– marina || 
– anchorage || 
– needs data ||- Bribie Island | – needs data |
- Coochiemudlo Island | – needs data |
- Lamb Island | – needs data |
- Karragarra Island | – needs data |
- Macleay Island | – needs data |
- Moreton Island | – needs data |
- North Stradbroke Island | – needs data |
- Peel Island | – needs data |
- Russell Island | – needs data |
- South Stradbroke Island | – needs data |
Communication
- See Queensland
The city of Brisbane provides a unique opportunity for visiting yachts to anchor or moor in the heart of a major urban centre. The Brisbane River is navigable by deep-draft vessels the 12 miles up river to the city. Low bridge clearances there restrict further upstream excursions by masted yachts. Note that the river can run at 3 knots at times.
Getting into and out of Brisbane is not always trivial. Study the charts in detail.
Your two main routes are:
- From the north, via the North East or North West passages, around the north end of Moreton Island.
- From the south, via the Gold Coast Seaway near Southport, and then via the inland waterways. Attempt this only with detailed local knowledge, a full set of tide charts, and extreme patience.
The northern route is most strongly recommended. There are two sub-routes here, one via the North East passage which takes you wide around the top of Moreton Island. The other is via one of the Freeman Passages (I prefer the Inner Freeman Passage) nearer to Moreton Island itself. Study your charts in detail -- many parts of Moreton Bay are quite shallow, and it is very easy to end up on a shoal here.
There are two other routes, which are:
- South Passage, between Moreton Island, and North Stradbroke Island.
- Jumpinpin, between North and South Stradbroke Islands.
The simplest advice is: do not attempt either of these passages in a keelboat. They are shallow, and the sandbars shift constantly. You will end up aground. Locals who do these passages all of the time may be keen to try them with you for a bit of a laugh, but even so they are exceedingly dangerous.
Entrance
Brisbane is a port of entry for Australia. For details see Entrance: Australia.
Rivergate Marina is the mandated entry facility for cruising yachts. It is located about 10nm up the Brisbane River on the port side, just before the Gateway Bridge.
Berthing
For berthing near Brisbane see Manly, Scarborough, and Gold Coast - Southport.
Marinas and Yacht Clubs
Take care entering Manly Harbour to stick strictly to the entry channel. Surrounding water can be under 1 metre, the channel and harbour is dredged to 2m SAT, so vessels with over 3m draft should only enter at high tide, and those over 4m should seek another location. Tides in this area are 1.5 to 2.5m.
Brisbane River
- Rivergate Marina is the Brisbane port of entry facility for cruising yachts. The marina is located about 10nm up the Brisbane River just before the Gateway Bridge. It has first class berthing and hardstand facilities, however development of the retail complex is currently stalled. There is no public transport in walking distance of this facility at present (Jan 2009), although Brisbane's excellent Rivercat service may soon service the complex.
Scarborough Boat Harbour
- Scarborough Marina is in the Scarborough Boat Harbour, on the Redcliffe peninsula about 40 minutes drive north of Brisbane. There is a chandler present as well as some repair facilities.
Anchorages
- Anchoring is permitted in the Brisbane River, and the area around Colmslie Reserve in Morningside (just after the Gateway Bridge) is popular with cruisers and liveaboards. Stay within 100 metres of the southern shore as large vessels use the channels here on a daily basis, including several cruise ships.
Colmslie Reserve has toilets, electric barbeques (free), drinking water and cold showers available and the local swimming pool is a short walk for hot showers at $2.00 per person. Council has taken to replacing water taps with a special tamper-proof fitting but a brass key for these is available in hardware stores for about $5.00 and will be needed in other places within Australia anyhow.
Dinghies and outboards should be chained securely, there have been thefts in the area. It can be a busy place on weekends when trailer-sailers and jetskis are using the launch ramp. Dragon boats also train here in the evening several nights a week. There is a CitiCat ferry terminal opposite, and food shopping is within dinghy distance if you have an engine.
- Pylon moorings fore-and-aft are available in Brisbane city at the Botanical Gardens on a daily or weekly basis.
Yacht Services and Repairs
Also see each Port.
Marine stores
- Whitworths is the best known marine chandlery in Australia, and the Wollongabba and Breakfast Creek stores are conveniently located in Brisbane.
- BIAS Boating Warehouse is also a good supplier of all marine equipment. Their showrooms are more widely distributed than those of Whitworths. Brisbane shops are at Tingalpa, Slacks Creek, and Virginia.
- Bargain Boat Bits sell boat bits, sometimes at a bargain price. Caveat: shop around, as the name of the store may not reflect any relation to having consistently the lowest prices.
- At Manly, Muir Marine offer a full chandlery service near the marinas.
Repairs/Yards
- There are two budget slipways for doing antifouling in Sandgate - Deagon Slipways and Cabbage Tree Creek Slipways - but for the full service treatment there is none better in Australia than The Boat Works, which lies 50 miles south in Coomera. They often have special deals during off-season periods and have a large number of trades onsite as well as a chandlery.
- Queensland Cruising Yacht Club are also located in Cabbage Tree Creek.
- Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron at Manly Harbour has a haul out yard and various repair facilities.
Fuel, Water, & Electricity
- Fuel
- Give details on fuel
- Water
- Water can be obtained at all marina berths.
- Electricity
- Electricity can be obtained at all marina berths.
Things to do Ashore
Tourism
List places of interest, tours, etc.
Grocery & Supply Stores
Eateries
Internet/WiFi
Available?
Laundry
Motorbike & Car Rentals
Garbage Disposal
?
Transportation
Transportation (local and/or international)
Friends
Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.
Forums
List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)
Links
References & Publications
- The Queensland Government publication Beacon to Beacon can be obtained in any chandlery and contains a comprehensive set of charts for all Queensland waterways and satellite photographs of most harbours, entrances, and anchorages. This is a "must have" publication for cruising in Queensland. Although the charts are not legal navigation charts they're likely to be more up to date than those from the Hydrostatic office or those in your chart plotter. (Comment: Since the Australian Hydrographic Service is the official source of correct maps, this is a ludicrous suggestion. Use the official maps! --Haiqu 04:23, 6 June 2011 (BST))
- Alan Lucas's Cruising the Coral Coast if you're heading north, and Cruising the NSW Coast if you're heading south.
Comments
We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.
- Winds in Brisbane can be fierce in early Spring, with the month of October generally being the worst. Winds of 50 knots are not uncommon on Brisbane River and can cause an anchor to drag easily despite generally good holding in a muddy bottom. Let out lots of scope and keep an eye on the weather report. --Haiqu
Verified by
Date of member's last visit to Brisbane and this page's details validated:
- 26 Oct 2015 --Haiqu
| This is a usable page of the cruising guide. However, please contribute if you can to help it grow further. Click on Comments to add your personal notes on this page or to discuss its contents. Alternatively, if you feel confident to edit the page, click on the edit tab at the top and enter your changes directly. |
 Contributors to this page |
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Names: Lighthouse, Delatbabel, Yttrill, Haiqu |
