Jacobs Well & Pacific Point
Jacobs Well is where the Broadwater runs out of room and turns into the islands and channels of Southern Moreton Bay. It's a quiet fishing village with a big public ramp, a marine rescue base and a pub. A couple of kilometres north along the Steiglitz shore is Pacific Point Marina & Boatyard (the old Horizon Shores), one of the biggest marinas in the region, with a travelift and fuel around the clock. For a delivery skipper it's a handy fuel and haul-out stop between the Gold Coast and Moreton Bay. Watch the water, though: it's shallow, the banks shift and the marks keep getting moved.
- 1Cabbage Tree Point ramp · 3 lanes, toilets (TMR).
- 2Rudi Maas Marina · Named only (directory).
- 3Pacific Point Marina & Boatyard · 550+ berths; 24/7 fuel; 70 t lift.
- 4Eden Island channel temporary buoy · Fl G 3s replaces missing beacon (MSQ 507(T)/2026).
- 5Sunken houseboat buoy · Fl Y 2.5s, Sept 2026 (MSQ 520(T)/2026).
- 6Jacobs Well ramp, jetty and pontoon · 4 lanes, pontoon, toilets (TMR).
At a glance
| What it is | Village, public ramp and marine rescue base at Jacobs Well, with big marinas on the Steiglitz shore to the north |
| Getting here | North up the Broadwater channels from Paradise Point, or south from Canaipa Passage and Redland Bay |
| Fuel | Pacific Point Marina: "24/7 fuel" (marina website) |
| Haul-out | Pacific Point: 70-tonne travelift and hardstand |
| Rescue | VMR Jacobs Well (base on the waterfront) |
| Map age | MSQ maps NGC-1/2 current to 6 July 2020; SMB-11/12 current to 9 May 2016 |
| Last checked | 18 October 2026 |
Getting here
From the south, follow the marked channels up the western side of the Broadwater past the Coomera River mouths. From the north, come down Canaipa Passage or round Russell Island (see our Canaipa Passage page). It's a maze of islands in here: Kangaroo, Woogoompah, Eden, Tulleen and Crusoe among them. MSQ's open data has 139 aids in the Tipplers and Jacobs Well area alone, about two-thirds of them lit.
Things to know:
- Shoaling. MSQ's 2016 map warns of shoaling near Jacobs Well and Eden Island. MSQ's Southern Moreton Bay maps also say depth contours mostly haven't been re-surveyed since the 2011 and 2013 floods. Older soundings (2017) give a median of about 1 m on the Jacobs Well side. Go on a rising tide.
- ⚠ September 2026: a green beacon in the Eden Island channel was damaged and is missing. A temporary green buoy (Fl G 3s) marks the spot.
- ⚠ September 2026: a yellow buoy (Fl Y 2.5s) marks a sunken 9 m houseboat in the mooring area north of the VMR Jacobs Well base.
- ⚠ September 2026: beacons in the Tabby Tabby Island channel, east of Pacific Point, were moved because of shoaling.
- Seaplanes. MSQ's map warns that seaplanes use part of the area.
- Aquaculture is labelled near Jacobs Well on MSQ's map.
Anchoring and moorings
MSQ's maps show a lot of anchorage symbols through these islands, but our sources don't give depths, holding or shelter for any of them. There's a marine park mooring area at Jacobs Well (MGA42), and another across the water at Tipplers (MGA43) on South Stradbroke Island (see our South Stradbroke page). Jacobs Well is south of 27°41′S, so the Gold Coast anchoring and mooring time limits in the Waterways Management Regulation apply. Check the Gold Coast Waterways Authority page for the limit that applies where you drop the pick.
Skipper's notes
Garry's own observations from deliveries through Jacobs Well & Pacific Point. First-hand notes, dated, and no substitute for the chart.
- Depth
- [Garry to add: depths seen, state of tide and date.]
- Holding
- [Garry to add: bottom type and how the anchor held.]
- Shelter
- [Garry to add: wind directions it is good or bad in.]
- Other notes
- [Garry to add: anything else worth knowing, with date.]
Notes last updated: [date]
Facilities
- Pacific Point Marina & Boatyard (d'Albora Marinas, formerly Horizon Shores Marina): more than 550 wet berths for boats up to 40 m, plus 330 dry-stack spaces. Casual visitors are welcome. 70-tonne travelift and hardstand, marine tenants on site and a café. Office hours for group services are 8:30 to 5, seven days, and you can book a berth online (all from the marina's website, October 2026).
- Rudi Maas Marina is listed next door. We haven't confirmed its visitor arrangements.
- Calypso Bay Marina at Jacobs Well has its own enlargement on MSQ's 2020 map. We haven't confirmed its details.
- Trades on the Steiglitz shore (directory listings, 16 October 2026): Voyager Catamarans, Legacy Boats (boatbuilder), Mainstream Marine and KLM Electrics (engineering and electrics) and Custom Marine Trimmings, plus boat brokers at the marina.
- Jacobs Well: Hooked Online (bait and tackle) is near the ramp.
Rescue. VMR Jacobs Well is printed on MSQ's maps as a 24-hour base. The 2016 and 2020 maps list slightly different VHF working channels. ⚠ As printed in 2016 and 2020. Confirm current channels.
Fuel, water and pump-out
- Fuel. Pacific Point Marina advertises "24/7 fuel" (marina website, October 2026). We haven't confirmed fuel types or depth at the fuel berth.
- Pump-out and water. Not confirmed for passing boats. Ask the marina.
Boat ramps
From the Queensland Government (TMR) list, managed by City of Gold Coast:
- Jacobs Well, Pimpama–Jacobs Well Road: four lanes, pontoon, toilets, not tide-limited, with a jetty alongside. TMR also lists a Jacobs Well access channel.
- Steiglitz, Cabbage Tree Point Road: three lanes, toilets, not tide-limited.
Rules in brief
- Speed. Southern Moreton Bay near Jacobs Well: 6 knots for boats 8 m and over. Pimpama River: 6 knots. Tipplers Passage, McKenzies Channel, Tiger Mullet Channel and Steiglitz Reach: 6 knots for all boats.
- Marine park. Most of this water is in the Moreton Bay Marine Park. Jacobs Well and Cabbage Tree Point are small general use zones, surrounded by habitat protection and conservation park zones, and there's a green zone (MNP33) at McCoys Creek. Check the zoning maps before you fish.
- Gold Coast rules. South of 27°41′S, the Gold Coast parts of the Waterways Management Regulation apply.
Ashore
What's within about a 15-minute walk (1.2 km) of each marina, ramp or landing on this page, measured along streets and footpaths in OpenStreetMap. Addresses are from OpenStreetMap where it has one; where it doesn't, we show the name and distance only. ⚠ As at 18 October 2026: we haven't confirmed each place is still trading, so check before you walk.
From Jacobs Well ramp, jetty and pontoon (boat ramp / dinghy landing)
| Name | Type | Walk | Street address (OSM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bars, pubs and clubs | |||
| Riverside Tavern | Bar | 200 m | – |
| Restaurants and cafes | |||
| Kingfish & Chips | Takeaway | 320 m | – |
| The Well Bakery Cafe | Cafe | 350 m | – |
| Supermarkets and provisioning | |||
| Jacobs Well Cellars | Bottle shop | 300 m | – |
| Friendly Grocer | Supermarket | 330 m | – |
| Marine stores, chandlers and boat services | |||
| Hooked Online | Fishing tackle & bait | 60 m | 1161 Pimpama Jacobs Well Road, Jacobs Well |
From Cabbage Tree Point ramp (boat ramp / dinghy landing)
| Name | Type | Walk | Street address (OSM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bars, pubs and clubs | |||
| Woongoolba Bowling Club | Bowls club | 580 m | – |
| Marine stores, chandlers and boat services | |||
| Custom Marine Trimmings | Marine engineer / mechanic † | 100 m | – |
From Rudi Maas Marina / Pacific Point Marina & Boatyard (marina)
| Name | Type | Walk | Street address (OSM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine stores, chandlers and boat services | |||
| Wondall Road Marine | Boat builder / repairer † | 140 m | – |
† From our own marine business directory (live directory listings and business websites checked 16 October 2026), not OpenStreetMap; walk measured the same way from the listed position. Where no street address was published, only the suburb or nothing is shown.
Places, types, addresses and walking distances: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), fetched 18 October 2026.
About this page
This page is a planning aid written by a working delivery skipper from public sources. It is not for navigation. Use the official AHO charts (Aus 814 and Aus 236), current MSQ notices to mariners, official tide tables and local advice. Spotted something out of date? Please use Report a correction below.
Official links
Check these before you go. They beat anything on this page.
- MSQ notices to mariners, South East Queensland outside pilotage areas
- Gold Coast Waterways Authority: anchoring and mooring
- Queensland Parks: Moreton Bay Marine Park zoning maps and app
- MSQ: crossing a coastal bar (safety advice)
- Queensland notices to mariners, all areas (subscribe)
- MSQ Queensland tide tables
- Bureau of Meteorology: tide predictions
- Bureau of Meteorology: Queensland warnings (incl. marine wind warnings)
- Bureau of Meteorology: Queensland coastal waters forecasts
Sources & credits
Written in fresh words from the facts in the Hartshorne Marine Sailing Directions area guides for Tipplers, Couran Cove and Jacobs Well, and for Jumpinpin, south Russell Island and Steiglitz (edition of 16 October 2026, Ashore data added 18 October 2026), and chapter 3 and Appendix D of the Tweed to Mooloolaba guidebook. Those draw on MSQ Beacon to Beacon maps NGC-1 and NGC-2 (current to 6 July 2020) and SMB-11 and SMB-12 (current to 9 May 2016), MSQ notices to mariners to 16 October 2026, the MSQ speed-limit schedule, the Moreton Bay Marine Park layers, TMR boating-facility data and the Pacific Point marina website (fetched 15 October 2026).
Maritime Safety Queensland. Contains Maritime Safety Queensland data (Beacon to Beacon guide, notices to mariners, nav-aid open data, pump-out map C2-335, speed-limit schedule, tide information) © State of Queensland (Department of Transport and Main Roads), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Facts restated and summarised in our own words. Not endorsed by MSQ or TMR.
Queensland legislation. Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Regulation 2016 and Transport Infrastructure (Waterways Management) Regulation 2012 © State of Queensland, CC BY 4.0. Summarised; the authorised versions at legislation.qld.gov.au prevail.
NGA. Background from NGA Pub. 127, Sailing Directions (Enroute) East Coast of Australia and New Zealand (2025), U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, a US Government work in the public domain. Parts of it are out of date; where a page leans on it, we say so. Not endorsed by NGA.
OpenStreetMap. Map tiles and some facility positions © OpenStreetMap contributors, data available under the Open Database Licence (ODbL).
Others. Facts from local authority pages and notices (for example the Gold Coast Waterways Authority), volunteer marine rescue sites and businesses' own websites are cited for fact only and restated in our own words. Listing a business is not an endorsement.
Last checked: 18 October 2026.
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