This is the region's principal launch. The ramp sits inside the Mackay Harbour breakwaters next to the marina, so the water at the ramp is flat in any weather and there is no bar to cross, as the harbour entrance opens straight onto the Coral Sea. Four lanes and walkways on both sides mean several boats can launch at once, and in December 2018 Maritime Safety Queensland added a second floating walkway on the southern side at a cost of about $1 million.
Parking is generous on an ordinary day, with more than 50 bays close to the ramp and the rest of the 98 further back, plus overflow along the road. On a calm winter weekend the lot still fills by mid-morning. The marina village has fuel, a chandlery, cafés and toilets; the ramp itself has toilets and a water tap.
From here the run is to Round Top and Flat Top islands, the Keswick–St Bees group and the outer reef, in a region where about one person in ten owns a boat. Six knots applies inside the harbour; watch for the pilot boat and commercial traffic at the entrance. Marine Rescue Queensland Mackay is based at the harbour and monitors VHF 16. Stinger season is October to May.
A note on these photographs
The photographs above are from Wikimedia Commons and are used under their Creative Commons licences; each caption gives the year, because the facility may have changed since.
