Teague Island Sailing Guide
Teague Island sailing guide. Teague Island is a small, low‑lying sand‑and‑reef island sitting quietly between Shaw Island and the deeper water of the southern Whitsunday passages. Its broad surrounding shoals and shallow banks give it a softer, more forgiving feel than the steep islands nearby, and the sea state stays low even when the trades freshen. Teague has a gentle, open character a place where the reef shelves are easy to read, the anchorage is uncomplicated, and the island feels more like a quiet sand cay than a rugged outcrop.
The western side provides the only workable anchorage, a shallow, sandy apron that settles nicely in moderate trade‑wind weather. The eastern face is more exposed, with a sharper reef edge and little room for manoeuvre. Teague is best treated as a short‑stay, fair‑weather anchorage, a peaceful stop for lunch, a tide wait, or a brief pause on passage between Shaw and the Lindeman Group. Its simplicity is its strength: one anchorage, one approach, and a calm, low‑energy environment that suits skippers looking for a quiet pocket away from the busier islands.
Teague Island Sailing Guide - Approaches
Approaches to Teague Island are straightforward in good light. Offshore depths ease from 10–16 m into 6–10 m as you close the island, flattening into 3–6 m over sand inside the anchoring pocket. The surrounding shoals extend well out from the island, with the fringing reef rising into 2–3 m around the northern and southern tips. The reef edge is broad, pale, and easy to read. Approaches from the east are more exposed and shaped by a sharper reef shelf, with depths dropping quickly and little room to turn.
Teague Island Sailing Guide - Western
Anchorage (Primary)
The western side offers the only reliable anchorage, with sand in 3–6 m and good shelter in SE–E winds. The holding is firm, the swing room generous, and the sea state remains low thanks to the surrounding shoals. The fringing reef sits tight to the points, rising into 2–3 m, and is easy to avoid in good light. A light roll can develop in W–SW winds, but the anchorage remains workable in moderate conditions.
Teague Island Sailing Guide - Eastern
Side Anchorage
The eastern face is exposed, steep, and shaped by fringing reef rising into 2–3 m. Depths outside the reef sit in the 8–12 m range, but the shelf is too narrow for anchoring. This side of the island is best treated as a transit zone.
Teague Island Sailing Guide - Navigation
Navigation around Teague Island is simple, with a broad, predictable depth gradient and easily read reef edges. The western approach offers clean sand and a gentle transition into the anchorage, while the eastern side has a sharper drop‑off and more abrupt reef shelves. The northern and southern tips have wide, shallow coral tongues that rise quickly and should be avoided in low light. Tidal streams are mild and rarely complicate anchoring.
Teague Island Sailing Guide - Weather
Teague Island sits low in the water and doesn’t block the trades as effectively as the larger islands nearby, but the surrounding shoals keep the sea state manageable. The western anchorage remains comfortable in moderate SE–E winds, though gusts can spill across the island in fresh trades. The eastern side is exposed in all trade‑wind conditions and is not suitable for anchoring. Swell intrusion is minimal, and the anchorage performs best in settled to moderate weather.
Teague Island Sailing Guide - Fishing
Fishing around Teague Island has a shallow‑bank, sand‑flat personality that sets it apart from the steeper islands nearby. The western side holds flathead, grunter, and small sweetlip along the sandy apron, with scattered bommies producing trout and tuskfish in calm conditions. The tide is gentle here, and the best bites often come on the first of the flood when bait drifts off the reef edge and across the sand. The eastern face carries cleaner water and draws trevally and queenfish on calm days, though the reef edge is too abrupt for comfortable anchoring. Water clarity varies with wind direction, improving quickly after a run of light easterlies. Most skippers fish from the dinghy, drifting the western flats or working the bommies in settled conditions. Ciguatera risk is low this close inshore, with only larger reef predators warranting caution. Teague’s fishery is modest but reliable, a gentle, shallow‑reef environment that rewards timing the tide and working the structure when the water is clean.
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Teague Island Sailing Guide - Summary
Teague Island is a quiet, low‑energy waypoint with a single reliable anchorage on its western side and simple approaches in good light. Offshore depths ease predictably, the reef edges are easy to read, and the sea state stays low thanks to the surrounding shoals. The eastern side is too exposed for anchoring, while the western pocket offers a calm, dependable stop in moderate conditions. Fishing is modest but consistent, shaped by shallow sand tongues, scattered bommies, and gentle tidal flow. Teague is best enjoyed as a peaceful, short‑stay anchorage on passage through the southern Whitsundays. The Teague Island Sailing Guide is here to help.