Yandina is where the Maroochy River changes character. MSQ describes the North and South arms as converging here, and a 6-knot limit applies to all ships upstream of that confluence, gazetted 21 May 2004. MSQ classes the reach as confined waters navigable for powered ships up to five metres, against seven downstream and twelve below the David Low Bridge, and records no public boat ramps in it. Brown's Rocks and two rock bars upstream of Caboolture Creek form the barrier, with no signs or aids to navigation marking them.
Yandina is the point where the Maroochy gets both legally slower and physically smaller. Maritime Safety Queensland describes the North and South Maroochy arms as converging at Yandina, and applies a 6-knot speed limit to all ships upstream of that confluence, gazetted 21 May 2004. In the same reach MSQ classes the water as confined, navigable for powered ships up to five metres, where the reach downstream allows seven and the water below the David Low Bridge allows twelve. Two numbers, one place, and both of them change how you plan a trip.
The five metre figure is the one that catches people, because it is a limit on the boat rather than on the driver.
MSQ classes the reach upstream of the confluence as confined waters navigable for powered ships up to five metres, smaller than the seven metres allowed downstream and the twelve metres below the David Low Bridge. A boat that is perfectly at home on the lower river is over the mark for this reach. Alongside it sits the speed rule: 6 knots for all ships upstream of the confluence, gazetted 21 May 2004. That is not a go-slow near a ramp or a seasonal limit, it covers the reach.
The second thing to know is what sets the boundary. Brown's Rocks, and two rock bars upstream of Caboolture Creek, form the barrier at the top of the navigable water, and MSQ records that there are no signs or aids to navigation marking them. Unmarked hazards are exactly the case where local knowledge and a careful approach matter more than a chart.
The third is where you launch. MSQ states there are no public boat ramps in that reach. The nearest recorded ramp to Yandina is Lake Dunethin Road, MSQ identifier MA31, reached via the Yandina to Bli Bli road, and MSQ records it as carrying no water and no toilets. Worth packing for. Further down, Muller Park at Bli Bli, MA21, is flagged Low Tide Restricted, while the Cod Hole on Bradman Avenue, MA11, and Fishermans Road, MA14, are not.
All of which is a good argument for training on the river rather than reading about it. Operating at 6 knots or less is one of the mandated tasks in the practical assessment, and on this reach it is not an exercise, it is the standing limit. You complete the online theory first, no more than three months before your practical day, and the on-water day runs at our Maroochydore venue on the same Maroochy River, further down, along the Bruce Highway and the river flats.
The course itself is the same wherever you sit it: the theory online first, in your own time, then a day on the water with a trainer before the assessment. You need a licence for any boat with an engine over 4.5 kilowatts, which is nearly every tinny, runabout and cruiser. Pass, and the Queensland licence never expires. Pick the date that suits you and book online.
