Out of Cairns

My favourite spots: FNQ

Cairns makes a great base from which to explore tropical Queensland.

Sailing in and around Cairns is a pleasure, regardless of what size or type of yacht you own. Although the city is rapidly developing into one of the world's superyacht hubs, it remains affordable for the retired silver-sailor.

There are three marinas. The Marlin is located at the entrance to Cairns harbour and is adjacent to the CBD. The Yorkeys Knob Boat Club is about 12km north of Cairns and the Bluewater is just around the corner from Yorkeys Knob in Moon Creek.

If you choose to find your own anchorage, there is an extensive mangrove system with many anchorages. Trailer-sailors who decide to choose their own anchorages will need a tender with a suitable outboard motor because it is more convenient to leave your yacht at anchor and dinghy to the yacht clubs and CBD.

Close at hand
There are many attractions close at hand, ranging from the Great Barrier Reef and tropical rainforests. For sheer convenience, my wife and I Cheryle moored our CAL 21 trailer-sailer, Splash, at the Marlin Marina, which ensured we were within walking distance of supermarkets, restaurants, cinemas, hardware stores, a magnificent swimming pool and some great nightlife.

The harbour itself
Sailing in Cairns Harbour can be quite eventful and entertaining. There is the Cairns Yacht Club (CYC), which holds WAGS and SAGS (Wednesday and Saturday afternoon non-spinnaker pursuit events) and welcomes visitors but has no boat facilities for visiting yachts. To be fair, CYC is in the throes of moving from its current location to a new facility that will be located within the Marlin Marina precinct. Around from the main harbour, in Smith's Creek, you will find the Cairns Cruising Yacht Squadron (CCYS). CCYS has hardstand storage and can accommodate cars and trailers while you are off sailing. Both clubs have strong social calendars.

Admiralty Island is at the south end of the main harbour. This is the main feature of an extensive mangrove system that offers excellent sheltered anchorages and extensive waterways to explore. All of the creeks, beaches and waterways in Far North Queensland offer potential croc-spotting opportunities. Commonsense dictates that when you are conducting any activity on or alongside these waters stay alert.

On the harbour are a major sugar export terminal, a busy operational naval base, a large customs and water police depot, a huge commercial fishing fleet, slipways and floating docks, shipping companies servicing the Cape, the Gulf, New Guinea and the SW Pacific and more fishing and diving tour operators than you can poke a stick at, including sea-planes and parasail operators.

There is always something nautical to see and the contrasts between the ages of boats, the types of boats and the size of boats is entertaining.

Double and Haycock
Double Island and Haycock Island are close together 28km north of Cairns Harbour. If you leave Cairns early in the morning (before 0800) you can easily reach and circumnavigate these islands then return to Cairns before nightfall, even in winter. This trip makes for a most enjoyable day-sail. If you have a tender, it is worth anchoring off from Haycock and going ashore.

If you have ever pondered the great question, "How many oysters are too many oysters?", this is the place to answer it. If you like eating large fresh oysters directly from the rocks, you will find it hard to leave.

Fitzroy Island
Fitzroy is located directly to the east of Cairns Harbour and requires a lazy half-day sail out around False Cape and Cape Grafton to get there. This heavily wooded island offers magnificent forest and beach walks, sensational snorkel and scuba-diving direct from the beach and is a top anchorage affording unmatched mainland sunsets. Fitzroy was named by James Cook during his voyage along our east coast in 1770.

Green Island
Green Island is a coral atoll in a protected marine park and is surrounded by coral reef. Extensive areas of the surrounding reef are exposed at low water. On the island, showers, change rooms, shops and beach hire equipment are available. Visiting sailors can relax on the beach or stroll through the island's cool green forest. There is an underwater observatory and opportunities for scuba and snorkel diving.

Farther to the north are the Low Isles, near Port Douglas. South from Cairns are the Frankland Islands, including High Island and Russell Island.

A return trip to Daintree makes for a great cruise. The section of coast that links Cairns to the mouth of the Daintree River is one of the most stunning sections of our east coast, and with small seaside townships close to many of the beaches, attractions and supplies are never far away.

Beaches and rivers
North from Cairns there are beaches and rivers and creeks that offer a cruising opportunity that can still be classed as an adventure. With road access to most of the coast between Cairns and the Daintree River, it was easy to visit many of the beaches at low tide to see where our trailer-sailer could be dried out at points along this stretch of the coast.

Having completed our road reconnaissance, we were able to look at tide tables and weather forecasts and plan our cruises along this section of coast. It is comforting when sailing any coast to have first-hand knowledge of all the little coastal nooks and crannies that offer lunchtime anchorages and or shelter from unexpected weather.

Cairns to Double Island
Cruising north from Cairns you will sail past Machans Beach and Holloways Beach. The next beach along is Yorkeys Knob. At the northern end of York Beach, behind Yorkeys Knob are Half Moon Bay and the entrance to Moon Creek. The Yorkeys Knob Boat Club Marina is located in Half Moon Bay and the Bluewater Marina is located in Moon Creek. These two marinas offer total shelter from the weather and make excellent stopover points when sailing between Cairns and points north. In Moon Creek, there are excellent opportunities to dry out or to use your anchor.

Heading further north you will pass Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach and Palm Cove. Of these beaches, Kewarra Beach is the only beach that offers some shelter from strong southerly winds. There is a small shallow bay behind Taylor Point, which offers an excellent lunchtime anchorage for smaller (less than eight metres) yachts that can retract their keels.

Off the northern end of Palm Cove, you will find Double Island and Haycock Island.

Double Island to Mossman
Once you set your course north from Double Island, the next opportunity for shelter or rest is the Mowbray River. From the Mowbray around to Port Douglas is the famous Four Mile Beach. While this beach offers excellent drying out opportunities, it is totally exposed to the wind. Around the corner is Port Douglas, which has an excellent marina and a river that offers excellent anchorages. Out from Port Douglas are the Low Isles - well worth a visit and another excellent opportunity to fish, snorkel or scuba dive to your hearts content.

Crossing from Port Douglas to Mossman brings you into the Mossman River. This river also offers sheltered anchorages suited to a comfortable overnight stay.

Mossman to Daintree
Once you leave Mossman you will have a clear run to Snapper Island. Again there are drying-out opportunities at Dayman Point and along Wonga Beach. Wonga Beach is like Four Mile Beach in that it offers extensive flat sand for long periods of time either side of low water, but no shelter from the wind.

Snapper Island is directly opposite the mouth of the Daintree River. Snapper is a large enough island to offer shelter on its leeward side in all but the most severe weather. It is also and interesting island to explore.

The Daintree River is navigable at low water, but care must be taken and I suggest sails be furled and slow motoring be the order of the day. There are no bridges between the mouth of the river and Daintree township, but there is a car ferry. The river offers lots of sheltered anchorages. And the Daintree Hotel makes an excellent turn-around point for the return trip to Cairns.

Allow a week
If you sailed hard and used your motor a bit, you could make the trip from Cairns to Daintree and back in as little as two days. However, I suggest that a week should be the minimum time. This will allow time for beach walks, island exploring and visits to the shops in places like Port Douglas, Mossman and Daintree. If you can plan your trip so that you are in Port Douglas for a Sunday market, my advice is to do so.

A bit of fun
And finally, for those with an interest in history, we have a copy of HM Bark Endeavour by Ray Parkin and whenever sailing Australia's east coast, we carry copies of the relevant pages with us. We often enter James' plots as waypoints on our GPS. It is fun to cruise in the wake of Endeavour and - as we sail - to read the words of Cook, Banks and others from that ship's company.

AUTHORS BIO

Ralph was born in Cairns and left to join the army as a youngster. He spent 16 of his 22 years in the army as a cartographic photographer and developed a strong interest in all things relating to James Cook and 18th-century cartography. He and Cheryle spend several months a year cruising in their CAL 21 trailer-sailer. They live in Bendigo, Victoria.

Facts & further info

Boat ramps
The following are suitable for trailer-sailers:
* Cairns - next to the bulk sugar terminal and next to the customs and police depot at the bottom of Tingara Road.
* Yorkeys Knob/Half Moon Bay - next to the Yorkeys Knob Boat Club.
* Bluewater - bottom of Reed Road next to the Bluewater Marina.
* Palm Cove - north end of the beach (exposed).
* Port Douglas - on the esplanade in town.
* Mossman - on the river.
* Daintree River - upstream from the ferry and one in the town (shallow, but long enough at high water).

Charts
* Chart AUS 830, 373.
* Cairns detailed zoning map MPZ6.

Mussel quarantine area
Parts of Trinity Inlet were quarantined early this year due to the discovery of Asian mussels (see Waterfront May for more info).