Phuket Sailing Guide

Anchorages - Ao Chalong (Phuket)

Malacca Straits | Ao Chalong | Kata Beach | Phi Phi | Krabi

Ao Chalong is a year-round anchorage at the southern end of Phuket. It is a big shallow bay facing south and protected by the large island of Koh Lon at its entrance. Only 10 kilometres from Phuket Town by road, this is traditionally the first port of call for visiting yachts, and offers many restaurants on shore. The main anchorage has a long jetty to give access at low water to dinghies and shallow draft vessels. Large areas of sticky mud dry on low spring tides, making dinghy access to the beach impossible.

There are two approaches to Ao Chalong. From the south, care should be taken to stay closer to Koh Lon on your starboard side than to the mainland. This is because both the bank and the reef extend farther than the Admiralty and Thai charts suggest. Just south of the southern jetty there is a shallow sandbank, so do not turn into the area where all the yachts are anchored until you are abeam of the anchorage. From the east, head just north of west toward the entrance and from there proceed towards a prominent rocky patch on the hillside directly ahead. You will then see port and starboard buoys marking the entrance to the anchorage, thus avoiding the shallow bank in the north of the bay.

Anchor on the muddy bottom in 3-7 metres well offshore and well beyond the end of the jetty. Holding is excellent, and the biggest danger is other boats with inadequate ground tackle dragging into you in a strong wind. Try to anchor north of the jetty, as it is used daily by express ferries of all shapes, sizes, and speeds.

Alternatively, moorings are available at a monthly fee. Check with some of the local yachtsmen who hang out in Chalong for details of cost and which moorings are safe.

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 sometimes makes long dingy 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 Fishing Lodge is situated to the North of Jimmy's Lighthouse, a prominent sailor's hang-out. The Port Control Centre is located on the second floor for all yachts checking in.

The Ao Chalong Yacht Club can be found on the top floor of Jimmy’s Lighthouse Restaurant. It usually organises twice monthly races for keelboats. Jimmy’s waterfront restaurant, like the club above, is a well-known, well-oiled yachties’ gathering place. There is a useful notice board here where prospective boat crew advertise their availability, and boat’s advertise needs for additional crew and items for sale, etc.