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. Twice monthly races for keelboats and multihulls are held during low season and visitors are welcome. There is youth sailing and RYA instruction available.
The upmarket club restaurant and bar overlooks the bay and is a gathering place for well-oiled yachties and great for trading information. There’s a useful noticeboard where prospective boat crews and skippers can connect and where boats advertise items for sale. Monthly memberships are available for visiting yachts.
Close to the jetty is a decorative lighthouse that was a favourite yachty restaurant called The Lighthouse. At the time of writing, it had been closed for several months. A short walk north (behind a semi-derelict apartment building) is the PCYC, a favourite hang-out for cruising yachties and some of the local contingent. PCYC serves food and drinks at very low prices plus information on all matters nautical, including moorings. 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 roundabout, which has roads leading to Rawai, Nai Harn, Kata, Phuket Town and the main highway to the north of the island, passing the new out-of-town shopping centres on the way to the airport.
