Forster and Tuncurry to Camden Haven and Laurieton

Northbound coastal passage | Approximately 40 nm to the offshore arrival holding area | Usually 42 to 44 nm berth to berth TWO COASTAL BARS: Cape Hawke Harbour departure and Camden Haven River arrival CONDITIONAL DESTINATION: The official NSW Map 5A says the Camden Haven entrance channel is dangerous and should not be navigated without local knowledge. No departure date selected: Forecasts, warnings, tides, Notices to Mariners, both bar conditions, current local advice and a suitable berth, wharf position or mooring have not been confirmed.

Hey sailors. This is the next northbound step after Port Stephens to Forster, and on paper it looks easier. The distance is shorter, the route stays inside one Bureau coastal forecast zone, and Laurieton has long been a popular stop for cruising yachts.

The catch is that the trip begins and ends with a coastal bar. Leaving Forster means crossing the changeable Cape Hawke Harbour entrance. Arriving at Camden Haven means finding the current safe entrance channel, avoiding Telegraph Rock and other coastal hazards, lining up the official leads, and crossing another bar after a full day at sea.

The official NSW boating map does not describe Camden Haven as a routine entrance. It states that the entrance channel is dangerous and should not be navigated without local knowledge. The NSW webcam page also says the trained entrance is prone to sudden and unpredictable changes in conditions.

This guide gives the crew a serious planning framework, but it is not the final route and it is not permission to cross either bar. Conditions, depths, navigation marks, shoals, bomboras, harbour works, wharf access and local arrangements can change.

Before departure, check current official charts or ENCs, Australian Notices to Mariners, Bureau of Meteorology forecasts and warnings, NSW boating information, both coastal-bar webcams, current Marine Rescue NSW advice, actual conditions and the vessel's own limits.

The coordinates in this guide are planning references. They are not surveyed safe-water waypoints, not an entrance track and not autopilot instructions. The skipper must complete independent chart work and replace every illustrative position with a validated route.

If either bar is uncertain, the passage is not confirmed.

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Critical: A safe Camden Haven arrival requires more than reaching the coast. Confirm the bar, entrance channel, lead alignment, tide, daylight, vessel draft and actual place to secure before leaving Forster.

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The passage has six distinct phases.

Leaving Cape Hawke Harbour. The crew begins with a bar crossing. The entrance is changeable, tidal flow can be strong and the vessel may have little room to organise once committed.

Nine Mile Beach and Black Head. The route opens into a long exposed coastal run. The coast provides landmarks but not a protected yacht harbour. Onshore weather can turn the coast into a lee shore.

Old Bar and the Manning coast. The passage runs past shallow and changing river entrances. They must not be treated as automatic refuges simply because a river appears on the chart.

Crowdy Head. This is the main intermediate decision point. The boat harbour can be useful, but it is small, can experience surge, has current infrastructure changes and cannot be assumed available without direct confirmation.

Mermaid Reef and Diamond Head. The route becomes a deliberate reef-avoidance exercise. Mermaid Reef has an official published WGS84 reference, and Crowdy Head's light sector warns of Mermaid Reef, Giles Shoal and Curphey Shoal to the north.

Telegraph Rock and Camden Haven. The final approach contains a rock hazard east of the entrance and a coastal bar that must be entered using current local knowledge and the current official lead line. The safest offshore route is not the same thing as a safe bar approach.

How the day normally unfolds

The departure time is controlled by Camden Haven. Work backwards from a suitable daylight arrival, a favourable bar assessment and enough spare time to wait offshore or continue to a fully planned alternative.

A run-in departure at Forster is not automatically ideal. The skipper must solve the Cape Hawke exit and Camden Haven arrival as separate tidal problems. The correct departure window depends on both bars, actual speed and daylight.

Crowdy Head is the main decision checkpoint. Recalculate arrival time, fuel, current, crew condition and Camden Haven bar information. If the arrival is slipping outside the safe window, make the decision while options remain.

The final approach needs fresh eyes. Telegraph Rock can be difficult to identify in calm water and high tide. The arrival crew should be rested before the boat reaches Diamond Head.

The bar decision stays independent. Distance already travelled, fatigue and a desire to finish are not evidence that the entrance is safe.

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1. Cape Hawke Harbour departure

The official NSW Forster-Tuncurry map warns that:

• The Cape Hawke Harbour entrance bar is subject to change.
• The entrance should only be attempted by people possessing expert local knowledge.
• Navigating or anchoring seaward of the bridge can be dangerous during ebb or runout tides.
• Depth contours are indicative and may change.

The Forster coastal-bar webcam supports situational awareness only. It must not be the sole source.

2. Camden Haven arrival

The current official NSW Map 5A for Camden Haven and Laurieton states:

• The entrance channel is dangerous.
• It should not be navigated without local knowledge.
• Depth contours are indicative and can change over time.
• Bomboras can break at any time near bomboras, shoals and reefs.
• A submerged rock wall is marked inside the lower river.
• The area downstream of Dunbogan Bridge has poor holding and anchoring requires caution.
• Extensive oyster leases exist in the waterways.
• Bank erosion is serious and wash must be minimised.

The Camden Haven coastal-bar webcam says the trained entrance is open but prone to sudden and unpredictable changes. The camera is for general situational awareness and conditions can change rapidly.

3. The departure and arrival windows may conflict

Two-bar departure gate

Do not leave the berth until every field is complete:

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Forster and Tuncurry departure facilities

Crowdy Head conditional staging facility

Crowdy Head Boat Harbour is the only realistic built intermediate harbour on this route, but it is not an automatic refuge.

Transport for NSW reported in 2026 that the harbour renewal included a floating pontoon, new vessel berths and electricity access. Berth expressions of interest were still being managed during the project period. The official NSW Map 6A warns that strong surge can exist at the ramp and jetties.

Before treating Crowdy Head as a stop, confirm:

• Construction and dredging status
• Current entrance depth and controlling depth inside
• Vessel length, beam, draft and displacement limits
• Visitor-berth availability and permission
• Surge forecast and current observations
• Fender-board requirement
• Water and electricity availability
• Fuel availability, which must not be assumed
• Whether the harbour remains tenable for the forecast wind and swell
• Whether leaving again at the required time is realistic

Camden Haven and Laurieton destination facilities

Destination confirmation gate

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Option 1: Direct one-day passage

Option 2: Two-day passage through Crowdy Head

This is a separate harbour plan, not a default stop.

The two-day plan reduces daily distance but creates another harbour entrance, another departure and another set of facility assumptions. It is safer only when Crowdy Head is genuinely suitable.

Option 3: Bypass Camden Haven

A yacht without current local knowledge or a confirmed destination may plan a longer northbound passage. Port Macquarie is the next major town but has its own coastal bar. Trial Bay and other anchorages have different weather limitations. None is an automatic fallback.

Option 4: Slow-vessel or overnight plan

A slower yacht may be unable to complete both bars in daylight on the same tide sequence. The solution may be a different date, a confirmed Crowdy Head stop or a separately planned offshore night passage. It is not to force a dark Camden Haven entrance.

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Coordinate standard: WGS84 unless a source is specifically noted otherwise. Positions are shown in degrees and decimal minutes and decimal degrees. Bearings are approximate initial degrees true. Distances are approximate great-circle planning distances.

Navigation status: P01 to P12 describes an illustrative offshore corridor only. It is not a surveyed safe route. P13 to P15 are location references, not a bar track. YouSail intentionally does not publish a point-to-point line across Camden Haven bar because the official channel can change and requires current local knowledge.

Main planning-point register

Published and independently sourced hazard references

Offshore leg calculations, P01 to P12

No distance or bearing is published from P12 across the bar. Plot the current entrance from official charting and current local information.

Passage-time calculator

Add time for:

• Leaving the actual berth
• Cape Hawke bar assessment and crossing
• Sail changes or reefing
• Adverse current or sea state
• Standing off Camden Haven
• Local pilotage to the destination
• Berthing in tidal stream
• Any Crowdy Head deviation

Backward departure calculation

Use:

`Latest berth departure = preferred Camden Haven crossing time - offshore passage time - Cape Hawke exit allowance - Camden Haven assessment allowance - safety margin`

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The entire offshore route sits within the Bureau's Macquarie Coastal Waters forecast zone, from Smoky Cape to Seal Rocks.

The forecast is a starting point, not a route-specific guarantee. Check:

• Coastal Waters Forecast and warnings
• MetEye wind, wave and weather detail
• Latest coastal observations
• Rain radar and thunderstorm activity
• Swell height, direction and period
• Wind-wave height and direction
• Wind gust information
• Both bar webcams
• Marine Rescue local reports
• IMOS OceanCurrent or Bureau sea-temperature and current products

Directional planning matrix

Weather-window requirements

Wind and wave forecast caution

The Bureau notes that forecast wind and wave values are averages. Gusts can be stronger than forecast, and maximum waves can be substantially higher than the significant wave-height value. Build the skipper's limits around peaks and breaking behaviour, not only the average number.

Weather record

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Cape Hawke departure

The first bar crossing occurs before the passage has properly begun. Prepare the vessel while still secured. Crew should not be trying to rig tethers, stow the anchor or move loose equipment in the entrance.

Record:

• Predicted high and low water
• Current correction for the local station
• Actual water level if available
• Expected ebb or flood at departure
• Wind-against-tide risk
• Observed breaker pattern
• Expert local advice
• Abort point before commitment

Offshore current

The East Australian Current generally flows southward along the NSW coast, but its distance offshore, strength and eddies vary. A northbound yacht may encounter adverse current, little current or local counter-flow.

Do not insert a fixed current allowance into every passage. Compare actual speed through water with GPS speed over ground and review current products. A one-knot adverse set adds about 1 hour 26 minutes to a 43 nm passage if boat speed through water is 6 knots and SOG falls to 5 knots.

Camden Haven arrival

The entrance contains trained walls, official leads and a bar. The existence of training walls does not make the channel fixed.

Before leaving Crowdy Head abeam, confirm:

• Tide prediction and local time basis
• Actual bar report
• Wind, swell and breaking pattern
• Current lead marks and light status
• Controlling depth for the vessel's draft
• Whether dredging, flood debris or navigation changes exist
• Destination permission and space
• Alternative passage remains achievable

Bar-readiness record

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Stage-specific hazard notes

#### Cape Hawke to Black Head

• Complete the bar crossing before setting the coastal routine.
• Confirm engine cooling, charging, steering and bilge condition once clear.
• Do not cut the offing simply to shorten the route.
• Monitor whether the actual wind is stronger offshore than at the berth.

#### Black Head to Manning Point

• Expect fishing traffic around coastal settlements and river approaches.
• Treat Old Bar and other inlets as hazards unless independently planned.
• Recalculate SOG and daylight before reaching Crowdy Head.

#### Crowdy Head

• Identify the light and its sectors using the current chart.
• Plot the bombora, Forde Rock and harbour entrance.
• If entering, confirm berth permission and surge before commitment.
• If continuing, establish a safe Mermaid Reef corridor before rounding north.

#### Mermaid Reef to Diamond Head

• Do not navigate toward the published reef-centre coordinate.
• Plot the entire reef, adjacent shoals and charted breaking areas.
• Use radar and visual lookout as support, not as substitutes for chart work.
• Expect the sea state to change over shallow ground.

#### Camden Haven approach

• Telegraph Rock is an arrival hazard, not a waypoint.
• Do not steer directly from the offshore holding reference to the entrance reference.
• Contact Marine Rescue Camden Haven and obtain current local information.
• Identify the current leads before approaching the bar.
• Put every person in the required lifejacket before the bar zone.

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Decision log

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1. Confirm actual berth permission and route to the entrance. 2. Obtain current Cape Hawke expert local advice. 3. Check the Forster webcam, tide, forecast, warnings and actual entrance. 4. Prepare sails, engine, steering, anchor, jacklines, tethers and safety equipment before leaving the berth. 5. Put every person in the legally required lifejacket before the coastal-bar zone. 6. Secure all loose equipment and close vulnerable openings. 7. Brief the crew on the exit, abort point and actions if propulsion or steering fails. 8.

Log on with Marine Rescue NSW using VHF Channel 16 or the app. 9. Cross only when the skipper independently judges the bar safe. 10. Once clear, report position if required, complete engine and bilge checks and establish the coastal watch routine.

Departure record

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Before Crowdy Head

• Obtain an updated Camden Haven bar report.
• Recheck forecast, warnings and webcam.
• Recalculate P12 and bar-arrival time from actual SOG.
• Confirm visitor wharf, mooring or anchorage remains available.
• Decide whether Crowdy Head is a viable confirmed stop.

Before Mermaid Reef

• Load the large-scale current chart or ENC.
• Independently verify the reef and shoal avoidance route.
• Bring a rested crew member on watch.
• Test engine, steering and communications.
• Review the Telegraph Rock and bar approach briefing.

Before Diamond Head

• Obtain final local advice from Marine Rescue Camden Haven.
• Confirm the current entrance leads and any navigation changes.
• Recheck bar webcam if connectivity allows.
• Prepare warps, fenders, fender board and anchor.
• Secure sails for rapid control and clear the foredeck.
• Put every person in the required lifejacket and tether where appropriate.

At the offshore holding area

• Remain in independently verified charted safe water.
• Do not drift toward Telegraph Rock, reefs or the lee shore.
• Compare actual breaking water with the forecast and advice.
• Positively identify the entrance leads.
• Confirm that the destination is ready to receive the yacht.
• Review the abort and offshore alternative before committing.

Bar-crossing sequence

1. Receive and understand current local advice. 2. Confirm the actual lead line and channel from current official information. 3. Assess wind, swell, tide, breakers, visibility and vessel readiness. 4. Establish the skipper's final go/no-go decision. 5. Keep all crew in appropriate lifejackets. 6. Maintain the current lead alignment and safe steerage speed. 7. Avoid sudden course changes unless required for immediate safety. 8. Continue following current aids and local pilotage inside. 9. Keep clear of the submerged rock wall and other charted hazards. 10. Rig for the tidal stream before approaching the wharf or mooring.

Arrival record

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Suitable characteristics

• Reliable auxiliary engine capable of maintaining steerage in bar current
• Known fuel consumption and adequate clean fuel
• Reliable primary and backup navigation
• VHF radio with masthead antenna and handheld backup
• Suitable lifejackets for every person
• Jacklines and tether points where required
• Anchor that can be deployed rapidly without loose gear becoming hazardous
• Adequate fenders, long warps and a fender board
• Steering and emergency-steering systems tested
• Bilge pumps and high-water alarm checked
• Crew able to manage a long day followed by a high-workload bar arrival

Draft gate

Use:

`Required minimum depth = static draft + squat allowance + motion allowance + under-keel clearance`

Air-draft gate

The main Laurieton visitor-wharf route should be checked for any bridge requirement. The official map shows several low bridge clearances in upper Camden Haven waterways. A mast-up yacht must not continue beneath any bridge unless the exact bridge, clearance datum, tide and full air draft have been positively verified.

Vessel-size considerations

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Minimum roles

On a two-person yacht, roles overlap. The plan must still nominate who rests before the Camden Haven approach.

Watch and rest record

Fatigue controls

• Sleep properly before departure.
• Prepare food and drinks for one-handed access.
• Avoid placing the same person on helm all day and then on the arrival lines.
• Put the best-rested competent person on navigation before Diamond Head.
• Reef before workload becomes excessive.
• Treat seasickness, cold, dehydration and anxiety as operational factors.
• Bypass or stop before fatigue removes safe bar-crossing capacity.

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Use:

`Minimum operating fuel = expected engine hours × measured consumption per hour`

Then add separate allowances for:

• Leaving the berth and Cape Hawke bar
• Motor-sailing during light or adverse wind
• Standing off Camden Haven
• Bar crossing and tidal berthing
• A complete alternative passage
• A protected reserve that is not planned consumption

Worked planning example

For a yacht planning 45 nm at 5 knots:

• Base passage time: 9.0 hours
• Manoeuvring and two-bar allowance: 0.75 hour
• Stand-off or alternative allowance: 3.0 hours
• Planning engine time before protected reserve: 12.75 hours

This is an arithmetic example, not a recommendation. Use the vessel's measured consumption in comparable sea conditions and include generator use separately.

Fuel log

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Marine Rescue contacts

Always verify published contacts before the passage. Use the radio for maritime distress and urgency procedures as appropriate.

Radio plan

Position-report template

`Vessel [name/call sign], position [lat/long or named checkpoint], persons aboard [number], destination [place], ETA [time], conditions [brief], all well / issue [details].`

Communications check

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NSW requires everyone aboard a sailing boat over 4.8 m to wear a Level 100 lifejacket or above while crossing a coastal bar. Different rules apply to other vessel categories. Confirm the current rule for the actual vessel.

Use the current NSW essential safety-equipment guidance and NSW lifejacket rules.

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Plan for the passage plus at least one unplanned night, even when the intended trip is a single day.

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Seven days before

• [ ] Confirm vessel documents, insurance and skipper qualifications.
• [ ] Identify current official charts and ENCs through AHO Chart Explorer.
• [ ] Review Australian Notices to Mariners.
• [ ] Download NSW Maps 6B, 6A, coastal maps 5 and 6, and Map 5A.
• [ ] Confirm both bar local-advice contacts.
• [ ] Confirm Laurieton visitor wharf, mooring or anchorage.
• [ ] Confirm Crowdy Head status if it is part of the plan.
• [ ] Inspect engine, steering, rig, sails, batteries and bilges.
• [ ] Measure fuel and water.
• [ ] Prepare fender board and long warps.
• [ ] Establish vessel-specific wind, sea, swell, depth and daylight limits.
• [ ] Develop the complete alternative passage.

Forty-eight hours before

• [ ] Review the synoptic pattern and Macquarie forecast.
• [ ] Check marine warnings and thunderstorm risk.
• [ ] Review swell direction, period and secondary swell.
• [ ] Check both bar webcams.
• [ ] Obtain preliminary local advice for both bars.
• [ ] Calculate tides using the correct local time standard.
• [ ] Calculate arrival at P12 for realistic SOG values.
• [ ] Confirm destination permission again.
• [ ] Confirm Crowdy berth if staging.
• [ ] Buy food, water, medication and spare fuel as required.

Evening before

• [ ] Recheck charts, Notices to Mariners and navigation warnings.
• [ ] Enter only independently validated route points.
• [ ] Plot Mermaid Reef, Giles and Curphey shoals, Crowdy hazards and Telegraph Rock.
• [ ] Charge handheld electronics and backup batteries.
• [ ] Test navigation lights, VHF, AIS, EPIRB status and bilge alarm.
• [ ] Prepare meals and drinks.
• [ ] Brief crew on two-bar strategy and alternatives.
• [ ] Confirm sleep and watch plan.
• [ ] Calculate latest departure and decision times.

Before leaving the berth

• [ ] Obtain current Cape Hawke bar advice.
• [ ] Obtain current Camden Haven information.
• [ ] Check both webcams.
• [ ] Check Bureau forecast, warning and observations.
• [ ] Confirm destination and alternative.
• [ ] Inspect raw-water intake, oil, coolant, belts and fuel system.
• [ ] Test ahead and astern propulsion.
• [ ] Test steering and emergency method.
• [ ] Stow loose gear and secure anchor.
• [ ] Rig jacklines and tethers.
• [ ] Put crew in correct lifejackets.
• [ ] Log on with Marine Rescue NSW.

At Cape Hawke entrance

• [ ] Positively assess actual bar conditions.
• [ ] Confirm tide and wind-against-tide effect.
• [ ] Confirm crew and vessel readiness.
• [ ] Identify abort point.
• [ ] Cross only inside limits.
• [ ] Once clear, check engine, bilge and rig.

At Old Bar offing

• [ ] Record actual SOG and revised Camden Haven ETA.
• [ ] Recheck current and weather trend.
• [ ] Confirm Crowdy Head decision time.
• [ ] Confirm fuel remains above plan.
• [ ] Feed and hydrate crew.

At Crowdy Head

• [ ] Identify light sectors and charted hazards.
• [ ] Decide continue, confirmed harbour entry, return or bypass.
• [ ] Update Marine Rescue if plan or ETA changes.
• [ ] Obtain refreshed Camden Haven bar advice.
• [ ] Confirm arrival remains in daylight.
• [ ] Prepare Mermaid Reef route.

At Mermaid Reef south gate

• [ ] Independently confirm vessel position.
• [ ] Confirm safe corridor and clearance from all reef hazards.
• [ ] Place rested navigator and lookout on duty.
• [ ] Recheck visibility and breaking water.
• [ ] Confirm P12 ETA and alternative range.

At Diamond Head

• [ ] Obtain final Camden Haven local advice.
• [ ] Confirm entrance leads and destination.
• [ ] Recheck bar webcam if possible.
• [ ] Test engine and steering.
• [ ] Rig warps, fenders and fender board.
• [ ] Put all crew in required lifejackets.
• [ ] Secure sails and deck gear for the bar.

At P12 outer holding area

• [ ] Remain in independently verified safe water.
• [ ] Do not steer direct to the entrance reference.
• [ ] Plot and remain clear of Telegraph Rock.
• [ ] Positively identify current leads.
• [ ] Assess breakers, tide, wind and swell.
• [ ] Confirm the berth or mooring is ready.
• [ ] Make a formal go/no-go decision.
• [ ] Enact the alternative if any item fails.

After securing

• [ ] Use sufficient warps and fender board for tide and piles.
• [ ] Confirm depth through the tide cycle.
• [ ] Log off with Marine Rescue NSW.
• [ ] Check bilges, engine, rig and deck.
• [ ] Record actual track, times, fuel and conditions.
• [ ] Report navigation-aid faults through the proper channel.
• [ ] Submit dated community information to YouSail if appropriate.

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User inputs

Calculated outputs

The YouSail planner should calculate:

• Route distance from actual start to actual destination
• Offshore route distance and local-pilotage distance separately
• Time at selected speed and adverse-current scenarios
• Cape Hawke departure window
• Camden Haven arrival and latest safe crossing time
• Sunrise, twilight and sunset margin
• Crowdy Head decision time
• Mermaid Reef and Diamond Head ETAs
• Fuel required, alternative fuel and protected reserve
• Remaining range at each decision point
• Watch and rest schedule
• Required water and delay provisions
• Go/no-go flags for missing local advice or destination permission
• Warnings when any route point is being treated as an autopilot waypoint without validation

Example planner output

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YouSail community reports should supplement official sources and remain clearly dated.

Every report must show its date, vessel draft, instrument limitations and information source. A recent community report does not replace official charting or local knowledge.

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Navigation

• Australian Hydrographic Office Chart Explorer
• Australian Chart Index
• Australian Notices to Mariners
• Current official ENC coverage selected through AHO Chart Explorer
• NSW boating maps index
• NSW Map 6B, Forster-Tuncurry detail
• NSW Coastal Map 6, Mermaid Reef to Seal Rocks
• NSW Map 6A, Manning River and Crowdy Head Boat Harbour
• NSW Map 6A, Harrington and Old Bar
• NSW Coastal Map 5, Hat Head to Mermaid Reef
• NSW Map 5A, Camden Haven and Laurieton

NSW Map 5A cites AUS219 and coastal boating Map 5. Product catalogues change, so identify the current official AHO chart or ENC rather than assuming an older chart number remains current.

Weather, tide, current and bars

• Bureau Macquarie Coastal Waters
• Bureau NSW coastal observations
• Bureau sea temperatures and currents
• IMOS OceanCurrent
• NSW tide tables
• Forster coastal-bar webcam
• Camden Haven coastal-bar webcam
• NSW coastal-bar safety guide

Communications and safety

• Marine Rescue Forster Tuncurry
• Marine Rescue Camden Haven
• Marine Rescue NSW log-on and log-off
• NSW essential safety equipment
• NSW lifejacket rules

Hazards and facilities

• NSW Fisheries Crowdy Head and Mermaid Reef closure information
• NSW maritime heritage Telegraph wreck record
• Transport for NSW Crowdy Head Boat Harbour project
• YouSail Crowdy Head Boat Harbour
• YouSail Laurieton United Services Club Visitor Wharf
• Laurieton United Services Club
• YouSail Dunbogan Boat Shed and Marina
• Coastal Cruising Club of Australia Camden Haven notes, historical cruising context only and not an official navigation source

Source-check record

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This passage guide is general community planning information. It is not navigation advice, a hydrographic product, a weather forecast, a coastal-bar assessment, local knowledge, berth permission or a substitute for competent seamanship.

Coordinates, distances, bearings, times, chart references, bar notes, depth information, bridge information, facility details and hazards may be approximate, incomplete or outdated. Conditions and requirements can change without notice.

The skipper remains responsible for current official charts and ENCs, Notices to Mariners, forecasts, warnings, tides, current, both bar routes, depth, bridge clearance, safety equipment, vessel seaworthiness, crew competence and every decision to depart, continue, stop, return, bypass or enter.

Never copy the illustrative coordinates directly into an autopilot or navigation system without independently validating them against current official charting and the vessel's own safe route.

Do not navigate directly from P12 to P13. Telegraph Rock and the changeable entrance lie within the approach area. Use current official charting, current entrance leads, actual conditions and current local knowledge.

Do not depart unless both bars, daylight, vessel draft, destination, Crowdy Head status if required and the complete alternative passage are confirmed.