Shute Harbour Sailing Guide
Shute Harbour sailing guide. Shute Harbour is one of the most protected deep‑water harbours in the Whitsundays, offering a narrow but secure entrance, steep surrounding hills and a sheltered basin that remains calm even when the sea outside is unsettled. The harbour sits at the eastern end of the Whitsunday Coast and functions as a ferry and service hub, with deep water, strong wind effects and limited manoeuvring space. For skippers transiting between Airlie Beach, the Molle Channel and the Whitsunday islands, Shute Harbour provides a reliable all‑weather refuge and a practical operational base, but it requires disciplined navigation due to its confined layout and commercial traffic.
Although the harbour is extremely sheltered, the approach can be influenced by strong south‑easterlies funnelling through the surrounding hills, creating gusts and cross‑set near the entrance. The basin is deep and calm, but the marina fairways are tight, and the skipper must remain alert to ferry movements and restricted areas. Shute Harbour is not a difficult harbour, but it demands precision, situational awareness and a clear understanding of how wind behaves inside a steep‑sided, enclosed basin.
Shute Harbour Sailing Guide - Location
Shute Harbour lies east of Airlie Beach at the end of Shute Harbour Road, positioned on the mainland opposite the Molle Channel and the western approaches to the Whitsunday islands. The harbour is enclosed by high hills that provide exceptional protection from all wind directions, making it one of the safest mainland harbours in the region. The entrance is narrow and easily identified by the ferry terminal structures and the steep terrain surrounding the bay. Approximate position: 20°17.0’S 148°47.0’E
Shute Harbour Sailing Guide - Approach
The approach to Shute Harbour is straightforward, with 12–20 m of water outside the entrance and a clear line into the bay. The coastline is steep and deep, and the skipper can shape a direct approach from the Molle Channel or from the west via Airlie Passage. Depths remain consistent at 10–15 m in the approach, and the entrance is easy to identify in good visibility. In strong south‑easterlies, wind can funnel through the surrounding hills and create gusts near the entrance, but the sea state remains manageable due to the shelter provided by the mainland. The skipper must remain alert to ferry traffic, which operates at speed and follows predictable routes.
Shute Harbour Sailing Guide - Entrance
Channel and Harbour
The entrance to Shute Harbour is narrow but deep, with 8–12 m of water and steep sides that drop quickly from the shoreline. The harbour is fully protected from swell, and conditions inside remain calm even when the sea outside is steep. The tidal stream is gentle, rarely exceeding 1 knot, but wind effects are significant due to the steep terrain. Gusts can accelerate across the entrance and into the basin, pushing vessels sideways during manoeuvres. Once inside, the harbour opens into a deep basin with 10–20 m of water, and the marina structures occupy the western side of the bay. The skipper must maintain situational awareness due to ferry movements and restricted areas.
Shute Harbour Sailing Guide - Inside the Harbour
Inside the harbour, depths are reliable and the water is calm. The basin is deep, with 10–20 m throughout, and anchoring is restricted due to ferry operations and infrastructure. The marina provides berthing, but the fairways are tight, and strong gusts can make manoeuvring challenging for high‑windage vessels. The surrounding hills create variable wind patterns, with sudden gusts and directional shifts common in strong south‑easterlies. Despite this, the harbour remains one of the safest and most sheltered locations in the Whitsundays, offering secure berthing in almost all conditions.
Shute Harbour Sailing Guide - Wind,
Weather and Tide
Shute Harbour is extremely sheltered from swell, but wind effects are significant due to the steep surrounding hills. Strong south‑easterlies can create gusts and directional shifts inside the harbour, particularly near the entrance and around the marina structures. Northerlies have minimal impact on sea state, and westerlies are largely blocked by the terrain. The tidal range is moderate, and the stream is gentle, with minimal impact on manoeuvring. Inside the harbour, wind has more influence than tide, and the vessel will lie mostly to the breeze rather than the current.
Shute Harbour Sailing Guide - Navigation
Hazards
The primary hazards at Shute Harbour are the narrow entrance, strong gusts caused by the surrounding hills, ferry traffic operating at speed and the restricted anchoring areas inside the basin. The coastline outside the harbour is deep and steep, but the skipper must remain alert to sudden wind shifts and cross‑set near the entrance. Inside the harbour, the main considerations are windage when manoeuvring in tight fairways and maintaining separation from commercial vessels.
Shute Harbour Sailing Guide - Provisioning
Supermarkets: Full provisioning is available in nearby Airlie Beach through Woolworths Airlie Beach, Coles Airlie Beach and Drakes Cannonvale, all providing complete supermarket supplies including fresh produce, dry goods, bakery items and general essentials. These stores are a short drive from Shute Harbour and serve as the primary provisioning points for vessels operating in the Whitsundays.
Markets: Fresh produce is available at the Airlie Beach Lions Community Markets, offering fruit, vegetables and local goods from regional growers. Additional specialty produce can be sourced from the Whitsunday Farmers Market, giving skippers access to higher‑quality local produce than standard supermarket stock.
Fish Markets: Fisho’s Airlie Beach and Whitsunday Seafood Bar supply fresh local seafood including reef fish, prawns and seasonal catch landed from the Whitsunday fleet. These are the most reliable seafood provisioning points for vessels preparing for extended cruising among the islands.
Shute Harbour Sailing Guide - Marina
Shute Harbour Marine Terminal provides berthing, potable water and limited services for yachts, with shore power available at designated berths. Fuel is not available directly at Shute Harbour, and skippers typically refuel at Port of Airlie Marina or Coral Sea Marina in Airlie Beach. Shute Harbour functions primarily as a sheltered berthing and operational base rather than a full‑service marina, but its protection and deep water make it a valuable harbour for vessels operating in the Whitsundays.
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Shute Harbour Sailing Guide - Summary
Shute Harbour is one of the most sheltered deep‑water harbours in the Whitsundays, offering a straightforward approach, a narrow but deep entrance and a calm basin protected from all swell. The approach can be gusty in strong south‑easterlies, and the entrance requires accurate helm, but the harbour itself is secure, forgiving and operationally dependable. For skippers moving between Airlie Beach, the Molle Channel and the Whitsunday islands, Shute Harbour is a valuable all‑weather refuge and a practical mainland base. Shute Harbour Sailing Guide has a lot of useful information.