Marina Berth Guide helps Australian boat owners find a good home for their boat and look after it once it's there. We publish guides to berths and moorings, including the main types of berth, how to choose a marina and how swing moorings and their licences work; to boat handling, including coming alongside a berth, mooring lines and fenders, picking up a mooring and anchoring; and to safety and care, including shore power, refuelling, sewage and pump-outs, hull care and biofouling, and getting ready for severe weather. Our berth fit checker compares your boat's length, beam and draft with a berth's dimensions.
Why we exist
Information about keeping a boat is scattered. Mooring rules sit on state government sites, marina contracts differ from one marina to the next, and good boat handling advice is buried in licence handbooks. We want new and experienced owners to have a clear, neutral place to start.
How we work
We write every guide in our own words. For rules and safety we rely on official sources, such as Transport for NSW, Maritime Safety Queensland, Maritime Safety Victoria, the South Australian boating safety handbook, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Get Ready Queensland and Agriculture Victoria, and we list our sources on each page. We never invent statistics, prices, quotes or testimonials, and we don't rank marinas.
Independence
Marina Berth Guide (marinasguide.com.au) is an independent information site. We don't operate a marina, lease berths or install moorings. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or operated by any marina, mooring authority, association, brand, business or agency named on this site, any previous operator of this domain, or any directory with a similar name. Marina and business names appear in image captions only where they're visible in photos.
General information only
Our guides are general information. Rules differ between states and waterways, and every marina has its own conditions. Always follow your state's marine safety rules, your marina's rules and the directions of the harbour master, and use qualified people for electrical, mooring and structural work.
Contact us
Spotted an error, or have a suggestion? Please use our contact page. We read every message, and we correct mistakes promptly.