NEW SOUTH WALES
Since we sailed the NSW Coast, we’ve always said: Were we to pass there again, we would do it without stopping. We simply do not like bar crossings and in New South Wales there are lots.
On the bright side, there are an incredible number of public moorings available up the coast, which makes “anchoring” very easy. This list consists mostly of Public moorings and Wharfs, jetties and pontoons, some at a cost but most free.
Useful Navigation Resources
- Cruising the NSW Coast by Alan Lucas is an absolute must. It helped us across every single bar up the NSW Coast. https://www.alanlucascruisingguides.com/shop/p/product-name-4-xtlcb
- Navionics is very accurate and has lots of information about anchorages and Bar Crossings.
- Zulu Waterways is fantastic for finding, Anchorages, Public moorings, Jetties, Water, Diesel and much more. You can download the app or use it online when you have internet connection. https://www.zuluwaterways.com/
| ANCHORAGES | LAT/LONG | DEPTH | NOTES | DATES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Boyd Bay, Eden | 34°6.523'S 149°55.598'E | 5-6m | We arrived in Eden at night and used beacons to get it. This is simple enough using a chart which displays beacons for reference. We anchored in East Boyd Bay behind Naval Wharf where protection is good during 30-40kn SW. It is far from town at 2.5nm. A few days later when the wind had calmed a little, we went across the Bay and grabbed a Courtesy Mooring in Snug Bay with dinghy access at the Wharf and showers available ashore. | JUN 2019 |
| Bermagui | WHARF | BAR CROSSING: This bar should only be attempted during ideal conditions. Do not cross during Northern winds and swell. Time entrance between sets, line up leads and follow eastern rock wall to enter harbor. We had very light wind and very minimal swell. We crossed the bar at near low tide. There was a bit of swell on the bar but we made it in fine. WHARF: We stayed on fisherman's wharf the first night. This is a very active wharf used by the local fishing boats, so to get out of the way we decided to move the next day to the big wharf to the east. Here we were charged AUD25 pr night. No anchoring or mooring available. | JUN 2019 | |
| Batemans Bay (at Square Heads) | 35°42.510'S 150°12.362'E (mooring not recommended) | We entered Batemans Bay between Black Rock and Tollgate Island. We passed North of Snapper Island (Where anchorage can also be found) and grabbed an empty mooring (something we usually don't do) at Square Heads. For Batemans Bay Marina, another bar must be crossed. We took the dinghy across 1nm to town and parked in on ramp close to the bridge. | JUN 2019 | |
| Manly, Port Jackson (Sydney) | Public mooring (pink) https://www.zuluwaterways.com/ | The entrance to Port Jackson is straight forward. The charts are detailed an accurate. Watch out for ferries and other boats. The harbor is busy. A slight roll made it into Manly, but it was bearable and we came back to that same mooring many times. Note that this was coming into wintertime and the harbor is less crowded. We never struggled to find available public moorings, though this is harder in summer. | JUN 2019 | |
| Mort Bay, Balmain, Port Jackson (Sydney) | 33°51.216'S 151°11.147'E | Plenty deep | This is a good anchorage, at the old dry-dock, if you want easy access to the City. We stayed here a couple of nights and took friends out on the boat to sail past the Opera House and under the Sydney Harbor Bridge. | JUN 2019 |
| Bantry Bay, Middle Harbor (Sydney) | Public mooring (pink) https://www.zuluwaterways.com/ | N/A | We really liked this spot surrounded by green bush and the old ammunition stores. For Spit Bridge opening times consult your Navionics chart or Zulu Waterways. | JUN 2019 |
| Salt Pan Bay, Pittwater | Private Mooring | N/A | We borrowed a private mooring here for 1 month as we went on a road trip to Central Australia. There is a public pontoon, which can be used during high tide, with water available. | JUL 2019 |
| America's Bay, Pittwater | Public Mooring (Pink) https://www.zuluwaterways.com/ | N/A | Nice spot! | AUG 2019 |
| Nelson Bay, Port Stephens | Public Mooring | N/A | We entered Port Stephens after dark with good visibility from full moon. Pass north of Shoals at entrance. | AUG 2019 |
| Fame Cove, Port Stephens | Public Mooring | N/A | Nice spot! | AUG 2019 |
| Coffs Harbor | Public Mooring north of Historic Jetty | N/A | I do not recommend grabbing this mooring in any bad weather. We left our boat here for the night while visiting a friend ashore only to return the next morning to find Black Duck surfing up and down a huge swell which had entered the harbor. It was jerking with such force it had bent our bronze bow roller and slightly damaged our bowsprit. (There were people surfing right next to our boat) If weather is up, go to the marina! | AUG 2019 |
| Iluka, Clarence River | Mooring | N/A | BAR CROSSING: should only be navigated in good conditions. Contact VMR prior to entering to ask about conditions and local knowledge. We followed Navionics and stayed closer to port channel marker to give room to local trawlers heading out. We followed the North Channel in and entered to Iluka Harbor through the southern gap. | AUG 2019 |
| MacLean, Clarence River | Floating Pontoon | N/A | A mild breeze might find its way up the Clarence river and make for a slow but calm sail. Drifting with the current is also an option. The jetty in MacLean was very convenient and a shower key can be obtained at the bottle shop across the road. | AUG 2019 |
| Lawrence, Clarence River | Jetty | N/A | Lawrence was a nice quiet town. Fender-board is needed for this jetty. | AUG 2019 |
| Bushgrave, Clarence River | Floating Pontoon | N/A | This was a really nice spot. | AUG 2019 |
| Ulmarra, Clarence River | Floating Pontoon | N/A | Crossing path of Cable Ferry outside Ulmarra. Ulmarra is a really pretty little town with a cool antique shop. | AUG 2019 |
| Grafton, Clarence River | 29°41.763'S 152°56.773'E | Forgot to check | This is where it ends for boats with masts as they have built a new bridge over the river which does not open up like the old one. There is plenty of room to anchor in Grafton, but it was not clear to us where best to go ashore. We took the dinghy to public boat ramp on the south side of the river passed the bridge. | AUG 2019 |
| Yamba, Clerance River | Private Mooring | N/A | We entered through Middle Wall at 29°25.522'S 153°21.069'E and followed channel markers and Alan Lucas all the way to Yamba Harbor. We borrowed a mooring from a friend right at the end as far in as you can go. This was great and convenient until wind picked up and we nearly dragged into public boat ramp. Anchoring close to Sailing club is recommended. | SEP 2019 |
| Byron Bay | 28°37.933'S 153°36.749'E | 6m | This is a roadstead Anchorage and should only be used during very mild weather. We stopped here due to too much whale activity for our liking for night sailing. | SEP 2019 |