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Nelly Bay · Cleveland Bay · Sunset
Sip and Sail Magnetic Island
Pilgrim Sailing's 58-foot yacht leaves the marina at Nelly Bay in the early evening for about 90 minutes under sail on Cleveland Bay, with unlimited organic wine, local beer and soft drinks and a cheese platter while the sun goes down.
- 5.0 / 5 272+ Reviews
- 1 h 30 min Duration
- 58 ft Racing yacht, launched 1992
- 12 Guests at most on a shared sail
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Sip and Sail Covers
An hour and a half on a racing yacht at sunset, at most 12 guests, drinks and cheese included.
Highlights
- About 90 minutes under sail on Cleveland Bay as the sun goes down
- Unlimited organic wine, local beer and soft drinks, and a local cheese platter
- At most 12 guests on a 58-foot yacht; it does not anchor
- Meets 15 minutes before the start on the Peppers deck by the car-ferry ramp at Nelly Bay
What's Included
- Light refreshments
- Unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks
- Environmental Management Charge (Reef Tax)
Not Included: Hotel pickup and drop-off
How the Sip and Sail Works
Meet on the Peppers deck at Nelly Bay, sail at sunset, and be back in time for dinner or an evening ferry.
Meet on the Peppers Deck
Be on the deck outside the Boardwalk Restaurant at Peppers Blue on Blue, by the car-ferry ramp at Nelly Bay, 15 minutes before your start time. A crew member in a white Pilgrim Sailing shirt walks you to the boat.
Sails Up on Cleveland Bay
The crew settle you on board before leaving the marina, then the sails go up. The skipper picks the course for the wind, and the yacht does not anchor or stop for a swim.
Wine, Beer and Cheese
Once the sails are up the drinks start: organic wines, local beers, soft drinks and non-alcoholic options, followed by a cheese platter with Clare Ley's homemade pumpkin chutney.
Back after Sunset
About 90 minutes after the start you are back at Nelly Bay, a minute's walk from the ferry terminal. SeaLink's evening ferries to Townsville leave the island at 8:00 and 10:00 pm, and at 11:00 pm from Wednesday to Saturday.
Photo Gallery
The Yacht and the Sunset
Photos from the Sip and Sail listing: Pilgrim under sail, the drinks and Cleveland Bay at sunset.
Book Your Experience
Check Dates for the Sip and Sail
Pilgrim Sailing's sunset cruise on Viator. Start times for each day and the live price open on its listing.
Pilgrim Magnetic Island
Magnetic Island Sip and Sail Sunset Cruise
- 5.0/5 from 272 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor
- 1 h 30 min
- From US$104 per person (checked October 2026)
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- The Peppers Blue on Blue deck by the car-ferry ramp at Nelly Bay, 15 minutes before the start
Plan the Evening
More on the Sip and Sail
The yacht and the platter, sunset times, the ferry from Townsville, the weather, a private charter and the other sunset trips.
Prices are each page's featured tour: Viator checked October 2026. Every price is per person unless the card says otherwise.
Four Sunset Trips Compared
The Sip and Sail against the island's other sunset trips and a small sail from Townsville. Prices from the listings, with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE Sip and Sail | Sunset and Shipwreck | West Point Sunset Safari | Townsville Sunset Sail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From US$104 per person (checked October 2026) | From US$80 per person (checked October 2026) | From US$88 per person (checked October 2026) | From US$82 per person (checked October 2026) |
| Time | About 90 minutes, from 4:30 to 5:45 pm by season | 2 hours, from 4:30 pm | 2 hours 30 minutes; meet 4:25 pm, leaves 4:30 pm | 90 minutes, 4:30 or 5:30 pm |
| How You Travel | 58-foot sailing yacht, at most 12 guests | Aquascene boat along the coast | Bus to the beach at West Point | Small yacht, at most 6 guests |
| Where It Starts | Nelly Bay marina, Magnetic Island | Peppers deck, Nelly Bay | Nelly Bay ferry terminal | Townsville Yacht Club |
| Drinks and Food | Unlimited wine, beer and soft drinks; cheese platter | Bring your own | One drink and a shared platter | Two drinks and water; bring your own food |
| Best For | An evening under sail with the drinks included | A history story at sunset | Sunset from a beach, koala spotting on the way | Sailing without the ferry |
| Check dates | See the shipwreck trip | See West Point | See the Townsville sail |
Other Sails and Sunsets
More Sailing and Sunset Trips
Pilgrim's longer sail by day, a sunset boat trip to a shipwreck, the West Point sunset by bus and a small sail from Townsville.
THE SAME YACHT BY DAYMagnetic Island Lunchtime Sailing Cruise
Pilgrim Sailing's four-hour daytime sail from Nelly Bay on the same yacht: about two hours at anchor in a bay such as Radical Bay to swim, and a lunch of local prawns and antipasto with wine and beer.
SUNSET AT A SHIPWRECKAquascene Sunset and Shipwreck Tour
Aquascene's two-hour sunset trip by motor boat from Nelly Bay along the coast to the wreck of the SS City of Adelaide at Cockle Bay. Bring your own drinks and snacks.
WEST POINT BY BUSMagnetic Island West Point Sunset Safari
MI Ride's two-and-a-half-hour evening bus trip to West Point beach for the sunset over the mainland, with a drink, a grazing platter and koala spotting on the way, for at most ten.
A SAIL FROM TOWNSVILLETownsville Sunset Sail from the Yacht Club
Casual Fare Sailing Charters' 90-minute sunset sail from the Townsville Yacht Club for at most six people, along the Strand with Castle Hill and Magnetic Island in view. Two drinks are included; you can bring your own food and drink.
FERRY INCLUDEDMagnetic Island Sailing Cruise from Townsville
Pilgrim Sailing's lunchtime sail sold with SeaLink return ferry tickets from Townsville: the ferry to Nelly Bay, about two hours at anchor in a bay, and a prawn and antipasto lunch with drinks.
The Guide
The Sip and Sail, from the Deck
The yacht and its crew, what is poured, when it sails in each season, what it costs on Viator and on Pilgrim's own page, and who should pick something else.
The Sip and Sail is Pilgrim Sailing’s sunset cruise on Magnetic Island: about 90 minutes under sail on Cleveland Bay from the marina at Nelly Bay, on Pilgrim, a 58-foot racing yacht launched in 1992, with at most 12 guests. Organic wine, local beer and soft drinks are poured without limit once the sails are up, followed by a local cheese platter. The start moves with the sunset, between 4:30 and 5:45 pm. Pilgrim’s own page prices it from AUD 139 a person, plus AUD 6 on Fridays, Saturdays, public holidays, full moons and in peak season (checked October 2026).
The short answer
Book it for an evening on the water without swimming, snorkelling or a big boat. It is on Viator from US$104 a person, rated 5.0 from 272 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor (checked October 2026), with a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before. The yacht does not anchor, so the whole 90 minutes is spent sailing.
Check dates for the Sip and Sail
Pick your evening
Magnetic Island Sip and Sail Sunset Cruise
Pilgrim's 90 minutes on Cleveland Bay from Nelly Bay: unlimited wine, beer and soft drinks and a cheese platter, at most 12 guests. Generally adults only outside school holidays.
Check dates →Aquascene Sunset and Shipwreck Tour
Aquascene's two hours along the coast to the wreck of the SS City of Adelaide at Cockle Bay, with the story of the ship. Bring your own drinks; children welcome.
See the shipwreck trip →Magnetic Island West Point Sunset Safari
MI Ride's bus to West Point on the island's west coast, where the sun sets over the water, with a drink, a platter and a beach chair, and koala spotting on the way.
See West Point →Prices, ratings and review counts from the Viator and GetYourGuide listings (checked October 2026; GetYourGuide checked October 2026). Operators price by season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
The yacht and the crew
Pilgrim was built to race. She was designed by Scott Kaufman, built by David Carter in Moree, New South Wales, and trucked to Fremantle, where SE Ward & Co, the team behind the America’s Cup winner Australia II, fitted her rig and keel; the lead in her keel came from Kookaburra III (Pilgrim’s history of the boat, checked October 2026). She was launched in 1992 and raced around Perth and at regattas in Asia. Paul and Clare Ley bought her in Sydney in 2008, started Pilgrim Sailing in 2010 and moved the boat to Magnetic Island for good in 2020.
Paul Ley skippers, as does Clayton Scott, who has lived on the island since 2005 and is an accredited Master Reef Guide; Clare Ley runs the bookings and the food. The boat is licensed for 24 people, but the shared Sip and Sail takes 12 at most, and a shared sail has a minimum of four guests. The Pilgrim Sailing guide covers the boat, the crew and what is on board.
What is poured and served
The drinks are part of the price and unlimited for the whole sail: Tamburlaine organic wines (sparkling, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, riesling, rosé and moscato; Pilgrim does not serve red), beers from the Maggie Island Brewery in Picnic Bay and Townsville Brewing Co., soft drinks and non-alcoholic options. The cheese platter comes after the first round: cheddar, a soft macadamia-nut cheese and camembert from Gallo Dairyland, a family farm in the Tablelands, homemade labna, dried mango from Ayr and crackers, with Clare Ley’s pumpkin chutney (checked October 2026). It is a grazing plate, not dinner. Pilgrim sells a “Sip, Sail and Dine” add-on with a two-course meal at the Boardwalk Restaurant afterwards for AUD 75 a person.
When it sails
The sail follows the sunset, so the start moves through the year: between 4:30 and 5:45 pm, with each day’s time on Pilgrim’s booking calendar. Viator’s listing shows starts of 4:30, 4:45, 5:00, 5:15 and 5:30 pm. Weekend, holiday and full-moon dates are often fully booked weeks ahead, so book early (Viator calendar, checked October 2026). At Nelly Bay the sun sets as early as 5:41 pm in early June and as late as 6:56 pm in mid-January, and Queensland keeps the same clock all year, with no daylight saving. The sunset times guide has the month-by-month table.
Once a month the sail coincides with the full moon and runs up to 30 minutes longer, coming back after dark with the moon rising. Pilgrim’s next dates are Tuesday 24 November and Thursday 24 December 2026, then Friday 22 January, Sunday 21 February and Monday 22 March 2027 (checked October 2026). Pilgrim’s list prints 20 February; the moon is full on the 21st, so take the date from its booking calendar.
Getting there
The cruise leaves from Magnetic Island, 20 minutes by SeaLink ferry from Townsville’s Breakwater terminal. Meet on the deck outside the Boardwalk Restaurant at Peppers Blue on Blue, beside the car-ferry ramp at Nelly Bay, 15 minutes before your start: it is a minute’s walk to the left from the ferry terminal. From Townsville, the 3:50 pm ferry suits a 4:30 or 4:45 start and the 4:30 pm ferry a start at 5:15 or later. Evening ferries back leave the island at 8:00 and 10:00 pm, and at 11:00 pm from Wednesday to Saturday (checked October 2026). Sip and Sail from Townsville has the fares and the ferry-included option.
For the rest of the island, the bus, the day tours and the koalas, magnetic-island-tours.com covers Magnetic Island bay by bay.
What it costs, on Viator and direct
On Viator the cruise is from US$104 a person (checked October 2026). Viator’s own price schedule for it reads AUD 145 a person on every day to 31 March 2027 and AUD 149 from 1 April 2027 (checked October 2026). Pilgrim’s own page starts at AUD 139 and adds AUD 6 on Fridays, Saturdays, public holidays, full moons and in peak season, which also makes AUD 145. Both prices include the reef’s environmental management charge. Viator’s booking can be cancelled for a full refund up to 24 hours before; Pilgrim’s own terms ask for 48 hours.
Who it suits
- Couples and friends: a small yacht, the drinks poured for you, and the sunset behind the island’s granite hills.
- Non-swimmers: nobody goes in the water, and the yacht does not anchor.
- A first evening on the island: it starts beside the ferry terminal and finishes in time for dinner or an evening ferry.
Who should pick something else
- Families with children: the shared sail is generally adults-only outside school holidays. Aquascene’s Sunset and Shipwreck Tour takes children, and Pilgrim’s private sunset charter welcomes all ages.
- Groups of eight or more: a group this size is better on a private sunset charter, the same sail with the boat to yourselves.
- Anyone wanting a swim: Pilgrim’s four-hour Lunchtime Sailing Cruise anchors for about two hours in a bay such as Radical Bay, from US$171 (checked October 2026).
- Guests who need step-free access: there are steps to board and to the seating, the boat heels under sail, and the one toilet is down a steep staircase. Pilgrim asks wheelchair users to contact it to plan.
Weather and cancellations
Pilgrim watches the forecast and sails only in conditions it judges safe and comfortable. If the weather is doubtful it gets in touch around 11 am on the day, and if the wind is too strong the call comes by about 3 pm, in time to choose your ferry; if it cancels, you get a refund or another date. If you hear nothing, the sail is going ahead (Pilgrim’s terms, checked October 2026). In the Townsville records, January to March bring two-thirds of the year’s rain, and the afternoon breeze is strongest from August to December. The weather by month guide has the figures and the stinger season.
Sunset under Sail off Magnetic Island
Pilgrim Sailing's 90 minutes on Cleveland Bay from Nelly Bay, with unlimited organic wine, local beer and soft drinks and a local cheese platter. Starting from US$104 per person.
Check dates on ViatorOther Trips with Open Dates
More Magnetic Island and Townsville Trips with Open Dates
Sailing, boat trips and island tours with live availability. Times and cancellation terms are on each listing.
Sip and Sail Magnetic Island: Questions
Price, start times, what is poured, the ferry from Townsville, children and the weather.
From US$104 a person on Viator (checked October 2026). Pilgrim Sailing's own page prices it from AUD 139 a person, plus AUD 6 on Fridays, Saturdays, public holidays, full-moon sails and in peak season, with the reef's environmental management charge of AUD 4.25 included (checked October 2026). The drinks and the cheese platter are part of the price; the ferry from Townsville is not.
Between 4:30 and 5:45 pm, depending on the time of year. Pilgrim moves the start with the sunset and publishes the exact time for each day on its booking calendar; Viator's listing shows starts at 4:30, 4:45, 5:00, 5:15 and 5:30 pm. Meet on the Peppers deck at Nelly Bay 15 minutes before. The sunset times guide has the month-by-month figures.
Unlimited organic wine, local beer, soft drinks and non-alcoholic options, and a local cheese platter. Pilgrim pours Tamburlaine organic wines (sparkling, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, riesling, rosé and moscato; no red) and beers from the Maggie Island Brewery and Townsville Brewing Co. The platter carries Gallo Dairyland cheeses, labna, dried mango and Clare Ley's homemade pumpkin chutney. The Pilgrim guide has the details.
The marina at Nelly Bay on Magnetic Island, not from Townsville. Meet on the deck outside the Boardwalk Restaurant at Peppers Blue on Blue, by the car-ferry ramp, a minute's walk from the Nelly Bay ferry terminal. A crew member in a white Pilgrim Sailing shirt meets you there.
Yes, with the 20-minute SeaLink ferry each way. Take the 3:50 pm from the Breakwater terminal for a 4:30 or 4:45 start, or the 4:30 pm for a start at 5:15 or later, and come back on the 8:00 or 10:00 pm ferry, or the 11:00 pm from Wednesday to Saturday. An adult return is AUD 44 at the counter or AUD 41.50 in SeaLink's Go Blue app, plus an AUD 2 fuel surcharge (checked October 2026). Pilgrim also sells the cruise with the ferry tickets included. See Sip and Sail from Townsville.
Generally not, except in school holidays. The shared Sip and Sail is generally adults-only outside school holidays, while Pilgrim's private sunset charters welcome children of all ages. Check with Pilgrim before booking a shared sail with children.
Pilgrim calls off a sail it judges unsafe or uncomfortable, and you get a refund or another date. If the weather is doubtful, Pilgrim gets in touch around 11 am on the day; if the wind is too strong, the call comes by about 3 pm, in time to choose your ferry. If you hear nothing, the sail is going ahead. Booked on Viator, you can cancel yourself up to 24 hours before for a full refund. Booked direct, the cut-off is 48 hours; inside that, the booking is refunded only if Pilgrim resells the places, less an AUD 15 admin fee (Pilgrim's terms, checked October 2026). The weather guide has rain and wind by month.
Once a month the sail runs up to 30 minutes longer, so you come back after dark with the moon rising. Pilgrim's dates include Tuesday 24 November and Thursday 24 December 2026, then Friday 22 January, Sunday 21 February and Monday 22 March 2027 (checked October 2026). Pilgrim's list prints 20 February; the moon is full on the 21st, so take the date from its booking calendar. A full-moon sail carries the AUD 6 supplement.
Comfortable clothes and shoes with light-coloured soles and no heels. Pilgrim asks for that on deck and suggests something warm for sunset sails from June to September. There is one toilet below deck, down a steep staircase.
Cleveland Bay is generally sheltered, but a swell can build with the wind. Pilgrim suggests that guests prone to seasickness take a travel-sickness tablet about an hour before the sail. The yacht heels when it sails, which is part of the ride.
Still have questions? Email us at info@sipandsailmagneticisland.com