Where to moor your private boat near Keswick Island
What you need to know about moorings in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Eva Browne-Paterson
Last Update vor 2 Jahren
There's no doubt that bringing your own marine vessel is the cheapest and easiest way to get to Keswick Island. It's also handy if you want to visit other islands close by or go fishing during your stay. With St Bees Island right next door, there are several safe places you can moor your boat.
There are four public moorings in Homestead Bay at St Bees Island. To see a map of the mooring locations, click here »
Keswick Island has six private moorings located in Horseshoe Bay that can be utilised for $45/night. They are provided by Keswick Island's head lessee. For enquiries, click here »
There are several privately owned moorings in Egremont Passage between Keswick Island and St Bees Island that are not for public use as they are registered by residents.
There are plenty of places to anchor without a mooring as long as the conditions are safe and you have checked the upcoming weather conditions and tides in advance. You also need to ensure you have enough chain for the water depth on your anchor.
Basil Bay and Victor Bay on Keswick Island are good places to anchor when there are strong N/NE winds as they're more protected than Horseshoe Bay. Both have sandy beaches but there is some rock and coral in places. It's better for twin-hulled vessels overnight in low tide rather than single-hulled vessels. In the prevailing S/SE winds, which we get ~8 months of the year, Horseshoe Bay is the better location to moor.
Please, always check the tides in advance when planning to moor or anchor as we often get visitors who arrive during an extra high tide, only to find they're stuck for the next 12 hours while the tide changes because they came in too close to the beach to anchor.
With the fringing reefs around Keswick and St Bees Islands being particularly vulnerable to anchor damage, there are several no anchor zones you should be aware of. They have white triangle reef protection markers that mustn't be used as moorings. You can see the RPA locations here »
It is really important that you learn about the best environmental practices when mooring in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Read and download the Public Mooring brochure for the Mackay area here »
Singapore Bay on Keswick Island is a green zone where you can't fish or collect. For more information about zone restrictions and a public moorings guide with boat sizes and wind conditions, click here »