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Anchor on the muddy bottom in 3-7 metres well offshore. Preferably well beyond the end of the 800-metre-long concrete jetty, or to the north of it, as it is used daily by express ferries, day trip catamarans and dive boats of all shapes, sizes and speeds. Holding is excellent and the most likely hazard is other boats with inadequate ground tackle dragging into you in a strong wind.
Alternatively, moorings may be arranged for a fee. Check with Capt. Brent at the Phuket Cruising Yacht Club (PCYC) for details of cost, location and safety of the moorings.
In the southwest monsoon season, this is one of the few perfectly protected anchorages on the island (although some ground swell may be experienced). In the northeast season, on the other hand, conditions can be a little choppy because of the long fetch in the bay and this can make dinghy transfers to the beach uncomfortable. There are about 10 days per month when, due to the tide, dinghy access to the beach is impossible for a few hours.
The Phuket Yacht Club (formerly Ao Chalong Yacht Club) is found on the beach half a mile to the north of the jetty at 7°49.634N, 98°20.885E. There’s a floating dinghy jetty in front of the club giving slightly longer access. Best to check with the club if it’s OK to tie your dinghy up to the jetty. The club holds occasional races and/or rallies for keelboats and multihulls and visitors are welcome. There is youth sailing and instruction available.
The club has a bar and restaurant overlooking the bay. Monthly memberships are available for visiting yachts.
Close to the main jetty is a decorative lighthouse that was once a favourite yachty restaurant called ‘The Lighthouse’. At the time of writing, it has been resurrected as Chalong Lighthouse & Lightweed. On the corner by the boat ramp is The Corner Food & Drink. A short walk north, behind the Arch39 hotel, is the Phuket Cruising Yacht Club (PCYC). Both are favourite hangouts for local and cruising yachties and are the source of information on all matters nautical. Both serve food and drinks at low prices. Many other restaurants and bars, both along the beach road and inland up the two roads heading west, also cater to the yachting crowd, a fact reflected in their price structure.
Take either of these roads to the Chalong Circle, a five-way round-a-bout and a bustling commercial centre. An underpass was completed in 2019 running north-south under the 5-way roundabout. From here, roads lead to Rawai, Nai Harn, Kata, Phuket City and the main highway to the airport and the north of the island. On the way you’ll pass an ever-increasing number of out-of-town shopping centres.
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