Just inside Whangārei Harbour, Marsden Cove is a sheltered, well-serviced stop on the coast north of Auckland, with the peaks and bays of Whangārei Heads right across the water.
Updated October 2026 · By the YachtShare team, Westhaven Marina
The marina is about 3 nm inside the Whangārei Harbour entrance, on the southern side. It sits roughly halfway between Auckland and the Bay of Islands, so it makes a natural overnight stop on the way north.
From Westhaven, head up the Rangitoto Channel and along the Whangaparāoa Peninsula, passing inside Tiritiri Matangi. Carry on past Kawau and round Cape Rodney, then cross Bream Bay to Te Whara/Bream Head. Allow about 70 nm, or about 9 hours at 8 knots.
North of Cape Rodney you are on the open coast, with little shelter until Whangārei Harbour. Choose a settled forecast and check the MetService marine forecasts for the Hauraki Gulf and Northland's east coast. A night at Kawau shortens the open-coast day to about 41 nm, or about 5 hours at 8 knots.
Off Bream Head, keep outside Mauitaha, the outer Bream Island. Bream Rock, about 700 m east-north-east of it with only 3.3 m over it, breaks in heavy weather.
Inside the heads, a 3-knot ebb near Busby Head is not unusual, and wind against tide quickly kicks up a steep sea. Aim to arrive on the flood if you can.
The marina channel is well buoyed and comes into view once you pass the commercial wharves. It is dredged to about 3 m at low tide, but can shoal to around 2.5 m where Blacksmiths Creek joins it. 'Zen', our Dufour 520, draws 2.2 m, so take extra care there near low water. Call the marina on VHF channel 18 as you arrive.
To book a visitor berth, contact the marina office on 09 432 7740 or at info@marsdencovemarina.co.nz before you leave. Bring your own dock lines. Hull cleaning is not allowed in the marina.
Urquharts Bay: just inside the heads on the northern side, this is the classic stopover between Auckland and the Bay of Islands. It gives good shelter except from the west and south-west, though a big south-east swell can wrap in. It gets busy in summer.
McLeod Bay: further up the northern shore, under Mt Manaia. It is lovely in calm weather but becomes a lee shore in a strong north-easterly.
Smugglers Bay: just outside the harbour, east of Busby Head. Its sandy beach makes a lovely lunch stop, but it is open to the south and to ground swell, and holding is patchy. A small patch of exotic caulerpa was found and treated here in June 2026, so check your anchor and chain before you leave.
Stay on marked tracks to help protect kauri.
Heading further? Tutukaka is about 23 nm on (about 3 hours at 8 knots), then the Bay of Islands. Bookings run from one to 14 days.
Marsden Cove is within the fleet's survey limits under our Maritime NZ MOSS certification. The larger yachts are more comfortable on the open-coast legs: the Beneteau Oceanis 41 'Schonica', Dufour 412 'Incognito', Dufour 520 'Zen' or the Orana 44 catamaran 'The Bach'. The J/112e 'Oro Rosa' suits an experienced crew. Fuel is extra, and our 24-hour support line is always there. See the fleet, how it works, membership options and more sailing guides.
Planning note: distances and times are approximate, calculated at an average of 8 knots. Always check current charts, the marine forecast and local notices, including biosecurity rules, before you set out.
YachtShare members have sailed from Westhaven since 1998. Plans start from $880/month + GST.
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