Molle Island Group Sailing Guide

Molle Island Group Sailing Guide. The Molle Islands sit between Airlie Beach and the central Whitsunday passages, forming a compact chain of wooded hills, shallow fringing reefs, and sheltered western anchorages. Their proximity to the mainland makes them some of the most accessible islands in the region, yet each island carries its own navigational personality. Together they form a transitional zone between the mainland coast and the deeper, more exposed waters around Whitsunday and Hook Islands, and the sailing experience here is shaped by short hops, predictable depth gradients, and reliable trade‑wind shelter.

The western sides of the Molles provide the most dependable anchorages, with sand, gentle shelves, and good protection in the prevailing SE–E trade‑wind pattern. The eastern faces are steeper, reef‑edged, and open to the Coral Sea, offering little in the way of workable overnight options. The group is best treated as a collection of calm‑weather and moderate‑trade anchorages, ideal for day sailing, staging, and relaxed overnight stops when the weather is settled. Their closeness to Shute Harbour and Airlie Beach makes them especially useful for short itineraries, late departures, and early returns.

Molle Island Group Sailing Guide - Island Summaries

• North Molle Island.  A small, steep‑sided island with narrow shelves and a single fair‑weather anchorage on its western side.
• Mid Molle Island.  A compact island ringed by shallow fringing reef with one workable anchorage that performs best in light conditions.
• South Molle Island.  The largest and most developed of the group, offering multiple anchorages, walking tracks, and reliable shelter in the trades.
• Long Island.  A long, narrow island with several protected bays on its western side and the region’s most accessible resort‑style facilities.

These four islands form a sheltered inner‑Whitsunday corridor that is easy to navigate and forgiving for skippers who prefer shorter passages.

Molle Island Group Sailing Guide - North Molle Island

North Molle sits at the northern end of the group and provides two workable anchorages on its northern and western sides. Offshore depths of 16–26 m reduce to 10–14 m near the shoreline, with anchoring depths of 5–9 m over firm sand. North Bay is the primary anchorage, offering reliable shelter in SE–E winds. West Bay is workable in moderate SE–S winds but exposed to W–N winds. The eastern and southern sides are steep, exposed, and unsuitable for anchoring.

Molle Island Group Sailing Guide - Mid Molle Island

Mid Molle lies between North and South Molle and offers limited but usable anchorages on its western side. Offshore depths of 16–28 m reduce to 10–14 m, with anchoring depths of 5–9 m over sand. West Bay is the only consistently workable anchorage, providing partial shelter in SE–S winds. A small north‑west pocket is strictly fair‑weather. The eastern and southern sides are exposed to the Whitsunday Passage and unsuitable for anchoring.

Molle Island Group Sailing Guide - South Molle Island.

South Molle is the largest island in the group and provides several reliable anchorages on its western side. Offshore depths of 18–28 m reduce to 12–16 m, with anchoring depths of 6–10 m over firm sand. Bauer Bay is the primary anchorage and remains comfortable in fresh SE–E trades. Sandy Bay and Paddle Bay offer workable alternatives in moderate conditions. The eastern and southern sides are exposed and only suitable in calm weather.

Molle Island Group Sailing Guide - Long Island

Long Island forms the eastern boundary of the Molle Channel and offers multiple anchorages along its western shore. Offshore depths of 18–32 m reduce to 12–18 m, with anchoring depths of 5–10 m over sand. Happy Bay is the most reliable anchorage, providing strong protection in SE–E winds. Palm Bay and Little Paradise Bay are workable in moderate conditions. The eastern side is exposed to the Whitsunday Passage and only suitable in calm weather.

Molle Island Group Sailing Guide - Anchorage Characteristics

Across the Molle Group, anchoring conditions are consistent:

• Offshore depths: 18–32 m
• Near‑shore depths: 10–16 m
• Anchoring depths: 5–10 m over firm sand
• Fringing reef: 3–5 m, confined to headlands
• Coral heads: Occasional, typically 2–3 m in fair‑weather pockets
• Bottom type: Predominantly sand with isolated coral near points

The western sides of all islands provide the most reliable shelter in SE–E winds. Eastern sides are exposed and only workable in light W–SW winds.

Molle Island Group Sailing Guide - Anchorage

The Molle Group follows a simple pattern: the western sides of all four islands provide the only practical anchorages, with sand, predictable shelves, and reliable shelter in the SE–E trades. These western pockets behave consistently, with depths easing cleanly from offshore water into workable anchoring basins and minimal coral inside the swing areas. The eastern faces are uniformly steep, reef‑edged, and exposed to the Coral Sea, offering no overnight options and only limited daytime use in calm conditions. The northern and southern points of each island carry narrow coral tongues that rise quickly but are easy to read in good light. South Molle and Long Island offer the most versatile anchorages, while North and Mid Molle are best treated as fair‑weather stops with limited room and shallow fringing reef close to shore.

Molle Island Group Sailing Guide - Navigation

Navigation through the Molle Group is straightforward, with wide channels, clean depth gradients, and easily read reef edges. Offshore depths typically ease from 15–25 m into 8–12 m as you close the western shores, flattening into 4–8 m over sand inside the anchoring pockets. The fringing reef sits tight to the shoreline and rises into 2–4 m, especially around the points. Coral tongues extend from the northern and southern tips of each island, but they are visible in good light and simple to avoid. The region rewards daylight navigation, as low‑sun angles can obscure reef edges when approaching from the west in the late afternoon. Tidal streams are weak, with mild cross‑set during springs, particularly near the northern approaches.

Molle Island Group Sailing Guide - Weather

The Molle Group is strongly influenced by the SE trade‑wind regime, with winds commonly 15–22 knots during the season. In typical trade‑wind conditions the anchorages are calm, with only minor gusting off the hills. Northerlies open the western sides and shift the best shelter toward Long Island’s southern bays. Westerlies expose the entire group, allowing a low swell to creep into the western anchorages. Calm conditions transform the region into a relaxed, scenic cruising ground where every western anchorage becomes usable.

• Best shelter: Western sides of all islands in SE–E winds
• Exposed: All anchorages in N winds
• Fair‑weather only: Eastern sides of all islands
• Swell: Minimal on western sides; immediate intrusion on eastern sides when wind shifts east of south

Molle Island Group Sailing Guide - Hazards

Hazards in the Molle Group are modest but consistent. The eastern sides of all islands are steep and reef‑edged, with little room for manoeuvring. The coral tongues on the points rise abruptly and should be avoided in low light. Shallow shelves near the beaches require attention at low tide, and westerly swell can enter the western anchorages unexpectedly during wind shifts. None of these hazards are complex, but they reward conservative routing and good visibility.

Molle Island Group Sailing Guide - Fishing

Fishing around the Molle Islands is a classic Whitsunday inshore–reef blend, shaped by the shallow banks, fringing coral, and fast‑moving channels that run between South Molle, North Molle, Mid Molle, and the mainland. The water is clearer and more energetic than the Newry group but far more sheltered than the outer islands, giving the region a dependable mix of reef species and pelagics whenever the tide and water clarity line up. Coral trout, sweetlip, and tuskfish work the bommies and rubble patches around the headlands, while queenfish, trevally, and mackerel move through the channels on clean water, especially on the first of the flood when bait lifts off the bottom. The sand tongues between the islands hold grunter and flathead, and the deeper pockets behind the reefs often fire when the current slackens. Most skippers fish from the dinghy, drifting the channels or working the reef edges in calm conditions, as anchoring close to structure is rarely practical. Ciguatera risk exists but is lower than in the outer island groups, with only larger reef predators warranting caution. Overall, the Molle Islands offer a reliable, easygoing fishery with enough variety to make a stop here worthwhile, tide‑driven, structure‑focused, and best worked when the water is clean and the current begins to ease

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Molle Island Group Sailing Guide - Summary

The Molle Group provides a compact, predictable cruising region with reliable anchorages on the western sides of North Molle, Mid Molle, South Molle, and Long Island. Depth profiles are consistent, navigation is straightforward, and holding is generally excellent over firm sand. The region functions as a practical staging area for vessels moving between Airlie Beach, Shute Harbour, the Whitsunday Passage, and the central Whitsunday islands. The western anchorages remain dependable in SE–E winds, while the eastern sides are strictly fair‑weather. The Molle Island Group Sailing Guide is here to help you.