Geographe Bay Boat Ramps

1. Geographe Bay Yacht Club
2. Dolphin Rd ramp
3. Abbey Rd ramp
4. Siesta Park
5. Quindalup Public ramp
6. Quindalup Yacht Club
7. Dunsborough (Pt Dalling) ramp

Port Geographe & Georgette St not indicated above
Red indicates realistically usable ramps

DoT Bunbury - Geographe Bay Boating Guide pdf
Chart WA966 Cape Naturaliste
Dunsborough Forecast
Coastal Waters Forecast: Dawesville to Cape Naturaliste

A large public ramp with 3 jetties, size similar to Woodman Pt. Has all the facilities (and busy-ness) you would expect to see at a large ramp. The distance from the ramp to open sea is a surprising 1.2km and weaves past the marina and waterfront houses. The entrance to the Marina is quite a narrow. Once clear of the entrance the official boat channel goes WNW for about 400 metres. From the harbour entrance to Busselton Jetty is around 2.4n.miles (4.5km).

Google Maps location

This ramp is 0.5 n.miles/1km east of Busso’ jetty, and is a single-track ramp onto a sandy beach. The track through the dunes is limestone and firm. On the beach there are large heavy matts. The sand between the end of the mats and the sea is reasonably firm, but in reality, probably only suited for a 4WD vehicle. Good parking and rigging facilities, public toilets.

Good quality matting, but there is a gap between the end of the mats and the sea! The sand on this particular day was pretty firm, but this will vary over time.

Google Maps location

The club ramp is now closed due to storm damage. The club uses a tractor to launch their rescue and larger boats across the sandy beach, so this location is not a realistic proposition for us.

This ramp has large heavy plastic sheets laid on part of the sandy beach to help with traction, there are gaps at the top and bottom of the beach, so in reality a 4WD only ramp. Limited parking, so not recommended for us.

Google Maps location

A big well-built double ramp with a central jetty, suitable for all types of vehicle. Ramp is concrete with good non-slip. Has a large rigging and parking area, there are public toilets. No over hanging trees. Sandy beach to the west suitable to draw boats onto.

Google Maps location

Siesta Park resort consists of a mix of cabins, shacks and bricked chalet accommodation. The ramp which is for residents only is rudimentary with large heavy rubber sheets laid on the beach. There is a gap between the last rubber sheet and the sea. Approach to the ramp is overhung with branches, as is most of the resort. Boat rigging will have to be completed after launching. Sandy beach on each side of the ramp. Despite this not really a practical ramp for us.

Google Maps location

A big well-built double ramp with a central jetty. Suitable for all types of vehicle. Good parking, but rigging would have to be done at the top of the ramp due to overhanging trees on the approach road. With care there would be room for 3-4 boats to rig simultaneously without impeding other ramp users. Naturaliste volunteer sea rescue operates from this ramp. There are sandy beaches on each side of the ramp suitable to draw a boat up on.

Approach and exit roads, note trees!

Parking area

Rigging area in the foreground, exit road from the ramp to the left of the white post, entry road to the right of this photograph

Google Maps location

An over the beach sand ramp with no pads to help with traction, only suitable for 4WD vehicles. Not much space for parking trailers and cars. Not suitable for us.

Picturesque single ramp with a jetty on the north side. Overhanging trees at the top of the ramp may be an issue for most of our boats, so rigging in the car park may not be possible. No beach access on either side (lots of rocks) meaning that once launched boats will either have to stay moored to the outer end of the jetty to rig up, or head out and anchor. The south easterly was blowing when I was there, generating wind waves directly onto the ramp and the jetty, so for our lighter boats, this might be an issue. Despite the trees this would be a good ramp in winds with no easterly in their direction, as its location is close to the interesting coastline leading up to Cape Naturaliste.

Overhanging trees at the top of the ramp (bottom left). Parking area (bottom right), not the largest, so on a good boating day may be full!

Google Maps location

• RAC Holiday Camp Busselton, 7.5km west from Busselton (close to the Abbey ramp) Offers a mix of studios and bungalows with beds for 2 to 6 people. Camping on powered and unpowered sites, camp kitchen, shower and toilet facilities.

• Four Seasons Holiday Park Busselton, near Anniebrook, midway between Busso’ and Dunsborough (9km from each tow). Offers chalets, camping on powered and unpowered sites, camp kitchen. Amenities block, toilets and showers.

• Siesta Park. Offers villa’s and chalets with 2 to 3 bedrooms (ie 4 to 6 people).

• Being a holiday destination there are many other places to stay!

Approximate distances across the bay in nautical miles

1. Measured using Google Earth and assuming a course 1km offshore and running roughly parallel to the coast line, ie not straight across the bay
2. Red locations are the preferred ramps
3. Points of interest and lunch spots are Dunsborough, Castle Rock, Eagle Bay and Bunker Bay

Geographe Bay is an attractive dinghy cruising ground with several well-located ramps. The central and eastern parts of the bay do not offer many attractions apart from the iconic Busselton Jetty and Busselton itself. The western and north west sections do offer a far more attractive coastline with large rocky headlands and picturesque bays.

With a predominantly north and eastern facing coastline, Geographe Bay is quite different from the west facing coastline around Perth. From Port Geographe to Dunsborough the coastline is shallow and sandy. From Dunsborough north the coastline changes and is characterised by sandy bays and rocky headlands.

Summer and autumn winds typically blow from the east or southeasterly winds in the morning, then slowly shift to the south and then the southwest in the afternoon. In the morning this implies that winds may be blowing parallel with the beach line or slightly offshore if from the SE. Later in the day as the wind shifts south then south west the wind can be quite gusty as it blows over the land before reaching the sea. This will be quite pronounced in a southwest wind east of peninsula leading up to Cape Naturaliste.

Strong easterly, south easterly and northerly winds will make this a challenging area to sail in especially when launching and retrieving our boats as all boat ramps except the Port Geographe ramps will be exposed.

However, given the conditions there are multiple sailing scenarios on offer. A day sail where boats are launched and retrieved from the same ramp, with the launch ramp chosen to suit the weather forecast and proposed destination. The bay also offers the chance to plan a one-way sail (downwind?) with a car dropped at the destination so that some participants can drive back and collect the cars and trailers from the launch point.

Accommodation is plentiful with camping, on site chalets through to holiday houses on offer.

• Bunbury ACRM: VHF Channel 16/80 call ACRM (spoken as ‘akram radio’)
• Marine Rescue Busselton: VHF 16/80 or Assistance 0407 755 715
• Marine Rescue Naturaliste: VHF 16/80/22 or 9781 3030

James Bennett
March 2025