Langkawi Moorings & Anchorage

There are ample moorings and anchorage available all around Langkawi including several free anchorage. While most of the popular mooring and anchorage locations that are conveniently located close to the shore get filled up quickly, there are also several other locations to choose from.

In fact there are some areas like the Fjords in South East water area of Langkawi, or the Tanjung Rhu water area off the north shore, or the 'Hole in the Wall' in north east water area of Kilim Geopark that are 'All Weather' protected and offer safe & secured moorings.

However some of such remote areas may not be always very convenient when you look for stores for provisioning and other town benefits close to the shore. But rewards here are also plenty including secured & safe mooring with wider space, tranquility coupled with wonderful scenic settings etc.

While anchorage in mud or sand in Langkawi usually have good holding, you should plan an anchorage by dropping your anchor for a shorter duration. During high wind actions over 20 knots which is not uncommon in the island, your anchor may not always hold and can drag in the mud or sand. For long term parking of your boat, you should consider proper mooring with a buoy, floating pontoon or such.

You should decide on the location depending on the monsoon time of the year. For example, October to May is the dry season when high speed wind flows from the North East, while June to October is the wet monsoon season when wind with rain flows from the South West. Remember, during the south West monsoon, sometimes hurricane like strong winds called 'Sumatra' appear without warning and can cause severe damage to the boats unless proper precautionary measures are taken.

Note that most of the muddy anchor locations in Langkawi result in heavy barnacle growth on the anchor chain and at the bottom of the boat and dinghy. So try lifting your dinghy at nights and bring good chain & deck washing arrangements. You will need them.

If you are looking for proper berthing facilities in Marinas along with modern amenities and willing to pay higher rates, then check out Langkawi Marinas.

Moorings in Langkawi

Here are some of the best mooring facilities in Langkawi:

1) Bass Harbor Mooring next to Kuah Town

Latitude: 06.18.87'North; Longitude: 99.50.89'East; Average Depth: 2 - 3 meters

Best time to moor: December to April;

A very convenient location at the Bass Harbor and in front of the Kuah Town at the south eastern edge of the island. The stores, banks, eateries and all other town based amenities are located within walking distance. There is no additional surcharge for catamarans. Water supply included in the mooring rates (currently RM 300 per month). Wi-Fi is available at designated mooring areas. Most of the yacht maintenance (like electrical, glass work, repair, engine run etc) and even bottom cleaning services are offered at reasonable rates.

Contact Roger:

Malaysia Phone: +60175104865, Thailand Phone: +66(0) 848576271

Email (provide boat details): [email protected]

2) 'Hole in the Wall' mooring

Latitude: 06.25.60'North; Longitude: 99.52.11'East; Average Depth: 2-10 meters

Best time to moor: All through the year

This is an 'All Weather' protected area with absolutely calm waters. The area is located on Kilim river (Kilim Geoforest Park) at the north eastern end of the island. It is on a narrow channel with rising island cliffs on both sides thus making it protected from winds & storms. The holding in the mud is good. During spring, there can be current in the water when it becomes unsuitable for swimming in this area.

The mooring is owned and run by Rahmad who also runs the Hole in the Wall Floating Restaurant & Fish Farm located nearby.

Rahmad offers free drop and pickup by boat to the Kilim Jetty at set times of the day (12:30pm and 5:30pm). He prefers long term mooring (rate is RM 300 per month). Other than the floating restaurant, there are no shops here. To get to Kuah Town for provisioning, you will need to come to Kilim Jetty, walk for about 300 meters to the main road and take a shared taxi (RM 3 per person) for Kuah town. From the Kilim Jetty, the Kuah Town is about 8kms.

Rahmad also offers free but limited supply of water to mooring clients, internet access (on your own laptop) at an hourly rate, cheap beer, basic maintenance services (like engine run etc), and cleaning services.

Contact at the following numbers and Rahmad or his staff will assist and give you directions to take your boat to the mooring area.

Rahmad: 012-5620015; Office: +(6)04-9675301; Fax: + (6) 04-9675302

3) Mooring at Telaga Harbor

Latitude 6. 21.53' N; Longitude 99. 40.96' E; Average Depth: 2-10 meters

Best time to moor: December to April

Other than offering a modern marina, Telaga Harbor also has mooring and anchorage facilities. Mooring rates are RM542 per month for boats up to 12 meters LOA and RM677 per month for bigger yachts. The rates include free dinghy landing at the marina, showers, toilets, wi-fi, rubbish disposal, access to yachters lounge with library & TV etc. At Perdana Quay (a harbor side complex), there are boutique stores and restaurants. For provisioning, you will need to take a taxi to Pedang Matsirat or Kuah town. Note that this a very popular mooring area and you will always find several boats moored here.

VHF Radio Channel 69 / 72; Call sign: "TELAGA HARBOUR"

Address & Contacts:

Telaga Harbour Sdn. Bhd

Lot 1, Telaga Harbor Park, Pantai Kok, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah Darul Aman, Malaysia

Phone: +604 959 2202, Mobile: +6012 297 9195, Fax: +604 959 2204

Email (for inquiries): [email protected]

Free Anchorage in Langkawi

There are several free anchorage locations available around Langkawi's waters. However, they are good for short term anchoring (few hours or days at the most).

Bass Harbor Anchorage next to Kuah Town

Latitude: 06.18.87'North; Longitude: 99.50.89'East; Average Depth: 2 - 3 meters

Best time to anchor: December to April; Holding: In mud & not very good

You will get ample free anchorage at various places in the Bass Harbor in front of Kuah town. A good place is south of the Ferry Jetty. However, do not go too close to the ferries as they can drag and sometimes break loose damaging other boats. The moving ferries can also cause rolling in the water.

Note that the holding in the mud at the Bass harbor is not very good, although okay. During high speed wind action (which is common between May to November), the anchor can drag. Also be aware of the heavy barnacles that may accumulate at the bottom of the boat and dinghy as well as on the chain. Note that the water at the Bass Harbor near Kuah town is murky and not suitable for swimming.

There is no good place where you can land your dinghy alltime during the day. The tiny beach close by disappears during high tide and in low tide your dinghy could be sitting on mud. So best is to pay RM8 per day and land your dinghy at the nearby Royal Langkawi Yacht Club Marina. For an additional RM5 per day, you can enjoy shower and toilet facilities at the club. The club can also offer wi-fi out in the bay at an extra charge.

Note that Bass harbor anchorage is in general suitable for short term mooring. If you don't want to pay landing charges to the club, you can land you dinghy couple of hours before or after the high tide at the Teow Soon Huat Supermarket which is located at the north western end of the bay. Having done your provisioning in Kuah town, it's a good idea moving to a more secured mooring or anchorage like the nearby Jeti Pelancongan (behind Al-Hana Mosque) where the landing charge is only RM3 per day. Here you can land your dinghy even during low tide.

Note: An unmarked treacherous rock lies underwater located south east of Pulau Seland at the end of Bass Harbor (Latitude: 06.15.10'N and Longitude: 99.44.90'E). This rock does not figure in many navigational charts and has been the cause of several boats getting wrecked.

Telega Harbor Anchorage

Latitude: 06.21.70'North; Longitude: 99.40.51'East; Average Depth: 2 - 4 meters

Best time to anchor: December to April; Holding: Good in firm sand.

There is a protected bay area with a sandy beach just beyond the Telaga Harbor behind the two islands. This is one of the favorite anchorage areas for the yachties. For just RM5 a day, you can land your dinghy at the nearby Telaga Harbor Marina which is about 300 meters away. The landing fee includes hot & cold showers, toilets, rubbish disposal, yachters lounge facility etc. You can get wi-fi access at the bay (not all areas though) for an additional RM5 a day. There are weekly and monthly rates also available for dinghy landing and wi-fi.

By the quay side, there is a mini market and general store (at Petronas) and a series of boutique shops & upscale restaurants (at Perdana Quay). However for proper provisioning, you will need to take a taxi and go to Padang Matsirat (15 minutes) or Kuah Town (30 minutes).

VHF Radio Channel 69 / 72; Call sign: "TELAGA HARBOUR"

Address & Contacts:

Telaga Harbour Sdn. Bhd

Lot 1, Telaga Harbor Park, Pantai Kok, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah Darul Aman, Malaysia

Phone: +604 959 2202, Mobile: +6012 297 9195, Fax: +604 959 2204

Email (for inquiries): [email protected]

Other Anchorage locations in Langkawi

(Mostly Free)

The anchorage locations I discussed in the above section are usually in high demand because of their location advantage and get filled up quickly. However, there are several other sheltered and protected anchorage in Langkawi some of which may be a bit remote and devoid of amenities, but do compensate in terms of scenic beauty along with calm & quiet ambience.

Tanjung Rhu Anchorage

Latitude: 06.27.54'North; Longitude: 99.49.30'East; Average Depth: 2- 3 meters.

Best time to anchor: Anytime; Holding: Good in sand & mud.

Tanjung Bay is located at the north eastern end of Langkawi. Get to the inner anchorage area (there is an outer area as well which is not protected from the NW winds and ocean swells). Take the channel from the northern side to enter the bay. You will find a sand spit, go past that and drop your anchor at the adjacent basin area. The Tanjung Rhu Resort offers deluxe amenities and restaurants. There is also a casual restaurant next to the Tanjung Rhu Beach and also some local stalls selling clothes etc. For provisioning, you will need to go down to Kuah town (22 kms, RM40 by taxi). There is a jetty nearby and the area is ideal to explore the Kilim geopark and the mangroves by boat.

Datai Bay Anchoring

Latitude: 06.25.50'North; Longitude: 99.40.30'East; Average Depth: 2 - 5 meters

Best time to anchor: May to November; Holding: Excellent in sand & mud.

Datai Bay is located at the north western end of Langkawi. The area is remote, but the water is clear and great for swimming. There are two exclusive luxury resorts located here - The Data and The Andaman, both provide top class amenities including accommodations, restaurants, poolside bars and lot more. If there is a strong wind flowing (or even otherwise), the best place to anchor would be behind the small island close to the shore. There are no stores or shopping in this area. You will need to rent a car or hire a taxi to get to Kuah Town. The place is also ideal for those who would like to play golf at the plush Datai Golf Course located nearby.

Pantai Cenang Anchoring

Latitude: 06.16.78'North; Longitude: 99.42.66'East; Average Depth: 2 - 4 meters

Best time to anchor: December to March; Holding: Good in sand.

This anchorage is located off the western shore of Langkawi and is great if you like to stay close to the two most popular tourist areas - Pantai Cenang and Pantai Tengah. However, there are busy watersport activities that take place from these beaches like parasailing, jet skiing etc. So you will need to anchor at least 200 meters off the shore. Also note that the difference between the high and low water mark in Pantai Cenang is almost 100 meters. So when you land your dinghy, you will need to pull it fairly long way up to avoid the tide actions.

Both Pantai Cenang and Tengah are full of shops. There are duty free shopping centers here like Zon, Coco Valley etc (liquor and beer are quite cheap). There are also mid sized super markets in the area that can be useful for provisioning.

Sunset Bay Anchorage

Latitude: 06.14.45'North; Longitude: 99.42.98'East; Average Depth: 7-10 meters

Best time to anchor: December to March; Holding: Excellent in sand & mud.

This secluded and picturesque bay is located at the south western water of Langkawi and just off the northern shore of Pulau Beras Basah island. It is so named because of the magnificent sunset views it offers. Other than occasional fishing boats, there would be no other yachts or tourist boats to disturb you. The water is clear and great for snorkeling. There is a reef at the North Western side of the anchorage which is great for snorkeling. The beach is also excellent for lounging and soaking in the great views. However, there are no amenities or shops available in this area.

Pulau Bumbon Besar Anchorage

Latitude: 06.17.31'North; Longitude: 99.52.10'East; Average Depth: 3 - 4 meters.

Best time to anchor: May to November; Holding: Good in mud.

The island Pulau Bumbon Besar is located at the south eastern water of Langkawi and 2.5 miles from Kuah Town. A good place to anchor would be about 4 to 5 meters to the east of the island. This is a good location if you like to stay close to Kuah town and also have an easy access to the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club. The location in general is quite calm and peaceful except for occasional tour boats that bring in loads of snorkelers. Water is clear and quite good for snorkeling. There are no shops here or amenities. For provisioning, you will need to land your dinghy on the shores of Kuah town. Be careful about a few reefs on the fringes.

Towards north of Pulau Bumbon Besar, there are several other islands where anchorage can be done within 5-6 meters from the shore. Some of such areas include Pulau Timun, Pulau Tuba (a fishing village) and Pulau Lintang Galan (there are local restaurants serving Malay food here). Another great area is the channel between Pulau Langguan and Pulau Tanjong Dedang, but move towards calm and circular anchorage area in a scenic setting surrounded by rainforests.

Mooring & Anchorage Locations in Langkawi

Refer to Malaysian Chart 5622 and Thai 350.

1) Langkawi Sailing Info

2) Top Langkawi Activities

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