Home · Departure bases · Townsville and Magnetic Island

Townsville and Magnetic Island

A short, sheltered crossing and a quieter alternative to the Whitsundays.

Operators here2of 44 in the directory

Vessels based here4monohull

Charter formats4skippered day sail, private crewed and more

SailsMagnetic Island and Towns…May–October for the tropical coast

Magnetic Island sits eight kilometres off Townsville, and the charter offer here runs both ways: out of Townsville to the island, and out of Nelly Bay around it.

The crossing is short and usually comfortable, which makes this a reasonable place to learn or to take a group with mixed sea legs. The island's bays are the attraction, and the sailing ground is small enough that a weekend is a genuine trip rather than a taster.

Supply is thin compared with Airlie Beach. That is the whole point for some crews and a problem for others: if you want a specific boat on a specific weekend, book a long way out.

What leaves from here

Formats available at this base

All charter types

Skippered day sail2 operators · A professional skipper runs the boat for a few hours Private crewed2 operators · The whole vessel and its crew for your group alone Shared overnight1 operator · A berth on a scheduled multi-day sailing trip alongside other…Heritage and tall ship1 operator · Sailing aboard a working heritage vessel or a square-rigged replica,…

Checked 11 September 2026

2 operators depart from here

Magnetic Island and Townsville

Big Mama Sailing

Magnetic Island and Palm group · Townsville / Magnetic Island · Queensland

Half-daysunsetprivateovernight

Big Mama 18 m ketch; Ragamuffin 111 14 m sloop; Samurai

Public/private limits vary: approximately 8–20 by vessel/productLive booking / quote0437 206 360

5.01,071 reviews
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Pilgrim Sailing

Magnetic Island · Nelly Bay, Magnetic Island · Queensland

Luxury privatecorporatesunset

Pilgrim, 58 ft monohull

Up to 16 on some private productsQuote

5.0887 reviews
TripadvisorView profile

Berthed here

Vessels you could be handed

All vessels

Big MamaKetch-rigged yacht · 18 m / 60 ft12 public; up to 14 private on cited information guests

Ragamuffin 111German Frers racing sloop · 14 m / 47 ft8 public / 10 private guests

SamuraiSailing yacht · 18 m / 60 ftUp to 20 private on selected product guests

PilgrimClassic sailing yacht · 58 ft12 shared sunset; up to 16 selected private guests

From this wharf

Routes that start here

All itineraries

An overnight to Magnetic Island2 days · May to October

Ask before you book flights

Which wharf exactly, and what time is the handover or boarding?
Which airport does the operator expect you at, and is the transfer included?
Where do you leave a car for the duration, and at what cost?
Is there a berth charge, landing fee or marina levy on top of the daily rate?
If the boat cannot leave this base on the day, what is offered instead?

Full booking checklist

How this base page was builtClustered from the base each operator publishes on its own site, read together with the state it operates in, because two marinas in different states share a name. 1 of these 2 operators publish a rate; the rest quote. No facility here has been inspected and no operator was contacted for comment.Methodology

This base is in its window in June, August. The Magnetic Island and Townsville page covers the hazards and anchorages behind it.

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Compiled from public sources and able to be wrong. Checked 11 September 2026. See the disclaimer.