Areas Covered
Southern Spencer Gulf is a wonderful cruising ground with many excellent anchorages. This guide describes more than 30, but more anchorages exist and time spent exploring this area is very rewarding.
This part of the gulf is open to swells from the Southern Ocean which may be experienced east of Thistle Island. This island provides a complete barrier to south-westerly swells for vessels on the northern side, while to the west of Thistle, shelter from other islands and the southern tip of Eyre Peninsula usually ensures comfortable seas.
There are hazards to safe cruising which must be understood. These include numerous rocks and reefs which are well charted and can be readily avoided by careful navigation. The man-made hazards include fish farms which are common in the waters around Port Lincoln, and cray pot buoys which may be encountered in waters around and to the west of Cape Spencer. The buoys are often hard to see in daylight and almost impossible to see at night.
Major population centres are at Port Lincoln and Wallaroo, which are both large regional towns with an excellent range of services and facilities. No services are available at any other anchorages in this guide. Mobile phone coverage is generally good in areas near population centres. However, some of the anchorages have a remote and rugged feel, and have poor or non-existent mobile phone coverage. Radio communication on VHF Channel 81 is generally good throughout this area.