Sip and Sail from Townsville: Ferry Times, Fares, Meeting Point

The Sip and Sail does not leave from Townsville: it leaves from the marina at Nelly Bay on Magnetic Island, a 20-minute SeaLink ferry ride from Townsville’s Breakwater terminal. Catch a ferry that lands at least 15 minutes before your start, walk a minute to the Peppers deck, and come back on an evening ferry: the last ones leave the island at 10:00 pm daily and 11:00 pm from Wednesday to Saturday (checked October 2026). Pilgrim Sailing will add the ferry tickets to your booking if you ask.

Check dates for the Sip and Sail

Map from Townsville to the Sip and Sail: the SeaLink ferry route from the Breakwater Terminal on Sir Leslie Thiess Drive across Cleveland Bay to the Nelly Bay ferry terminal on Magnetic Island, where the Peppers deck is a minute's walk away, and the Townsville Yacht Club, where Casual Fare's sunset sail leaves — The SeaLink ferry from the Breakwater Terminal to Nelly Bay takes about 20 minutes. Casual Fare’s smaller sunset sail leaves from the Townsville Yacht Club.

Which ferry for which start

Your Sip and Sail start	Ferry from Townsville	Lands at Nelly Bay
4:30 or 4:45 pm	3:50 pm	About 4:10 pm
5:00 pm	3:50 pm (the 4:30 lands too close)	About 4:10 pm
5:15, 5:30 or 5:45 pm	4:30 pm	About 4:50 pm

SeaLink’s standard timetable, checked October 2026. The crossing takes about 20 minutes; Pilgrim asks you to be on the Peppers deck 15 minutes before the start. The 5:25 pm ferry runs on weekdays only and lands too late for any start.

Cruise times are set to fit the SeaLink timetable, and the cruise waits for a delayed ferry; Pilgrim cannot refund a sail you miss because you missed the ferry. Board in Townsville at least 20 minutes before the ferry leaves, as SeaLink asks.

The ferry home

Ferry from Nelly Bay	Runs
6:35 pm	Every day; only after an early, winter start
8:00 pm	Every day
10:00 pm	Every day
11:00 pm	Wednesday to Saturday

SeaLink’s standard timetable, checked October 2026. Some early and late sailings do not run on public holidays, and SeaLink can change the timetable without notice. On Christmas Day 2026 the last ferry from Townsville is the 3:50 pm, so there is no evening return.

A 90-minute sail that starts at 5:15 is back at Nelly Bay around 6:45 pm, which leaves time to eat on the island before the 8:00 pm ferry. Pilgrim’s “Sip, Sail and Dine” add-on books a two-course dinner at the Boardwalk Restaurant beside the marina for AUD 75 a person (checked October 2026).

Fares and the ferry-included ticket

A SeaLink adult return is AUD 44 at the counter or AUD 41.50 in SeaLink’s Go Blue app, plus a fuel surcharge of AUD 2 on a return since 1 June 2026. A ticket is not tied to a sailing, so you can come back on whichever ferry suits (checked October 2026). Car parking at the Breakwater terminal is AUD 10.50 for 24 hours.

Pilgrim sells the Sip and Sail “ex-Townsville” with return SeaLink tickets added as an extra, and emails them to you before the sail. On Viator, the Sip and Sail is the cruise alone, from US$104 (checked October 2026); SeaLink’s return ferry is on Viator separately, from US$35.

By day, ferry included

Pilgrim’s Sailing Cruise ex Townsville is its four-hour lunchtime sail with return ferry tickets in the price: the 9:30 am ferry over, the skipper on the Peppers deck at 10:00, about two hours at anchor in a bay with a prawn and antipasto lunch, and the 3:00 pm ferry back or a later one. It is from US$204 on Viator (checked October 2026).

A sunset sail without the ferry

Casual Fare Sailing Charters runs a 90-minute sunset sail from the Townsville Yacht Club for six guests at most, along the Strand with Castle Hill and Magnetic Island in view. It includes two drinks and water, and you can bring your own food and drink; starts are 4:30 or 5:30 pm. It is from US$82 on Viator (checked October 2026). It is a smaller boat and a shorter evening than Pilgrim’s, with no ferry to catch.

On Magnetic Island

Magnetic Island Sip and Sail Sunset Cruise

From US$104 per person · 5.0 ★ (272 reviews) · 1 h 30 min · Viator

Pilgrim's 58-foot yacht on Cleveland Bay, unlimited wine, beer and soft drinks and a cheese platter. Add the ferry: 20 minutes each way.

Check dates →

From Townsville

Townsville Sunset Sail from the Yacht Club

From US$82 per person · 4.7 ★ (27 reviews) · 1 h 30 min · Viator

Casual Fare's small yacht from the Townsville Yacht Club, six guests at most, two drinks included and your own food allowed. No ferry.

See the Townsville sail →

Prices, ratings and review counts from the Viator listings (checked October 2026). Operators price by season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.

Illustration: a white passenger ferry catamaran arriving at the marina at Nelly Bay on Magnetic Island in warm late-afternoon light, adults in light summer clothes walking along the foreshore boardwalk toward a restaurant deck, sailing yachts moored behind — Illustration. Off the ferry at Nelly Bay, the Peppers deck is a minute’s walk along the foreshore.

Walking from the ferry to the boat

Off the ferry at Nelly Bay, turn left and follow the foreshore for about a minute to Peppers Blue on Blue. The meeting point is the deck outside the Boardwalk Restaurant, on the corner by the car-ferry ramp; a crew member in a white Pilgrim Sailing shirt meets you there 15 minutes before the start and walks you to the boat.