Pittwater and Broken Bay to Newcastle Harbour

Northbound coastal passage | Approximately 50 to 54 nautical miles | Usually one long day No departure date selected: Live forecasts, warnings, tides, Notices to Mariners, port movements and marina availability have not been loaded.

Hey sailors. We put this guide together because the run from Pittwater and Broken Bay to Newcastle is a natural next step for people cruising north from Sydney. It is a beautiful stretch of the New South Wales coast, but it is also a serious coastal passage. For most cruising yachts it means a long day outside, limited straightforward refuge options, a possible adverse current, and an arrival at one of Australia's busiest working harbours.

Use this page as a strong planning head start, not as the final word. Weather, swell, current, visibility, harbour traffic, navigation marks, depths, marina access and temporary restrictions can all change. Check the current official chart or ENC, Australian Notices to Mariners, Bureau of Meteorology forecasts and warnings, NSW boating information, Newcastle Harbour information and the conditions you can actually see before leaving.

Please do your own route work. The positions below are planning references, not a safe track and not autopilot instructions. Decide whether the vessel, crew, weather window and available daylight are genuinely suitable. Talk to yacht clubs, marina staff, Marine Rescue NSW and sailors who have completed the route recently. Local Facebook and cruising groups are useful for recent observations, but note the date, vessel type and experience behind each comment, then confirm safety-critical information with an official source.

This is community information. It is not an instruction to depart, a guarantee of safe water or a substitute for the skipper's judgement. Delaying for a better window is a successful passage decision.

---

Planning level: YouSail Passage Level 4, long exposed coastal day. This is not intended as a first unsupervised coastal passage or a beginner solo trip.

Distance warning: All distances are indicative. Plot the route on current official charting and calculate from the actual departure berth to the assigned arrival berth.

---

This route has four distinct phases.

Pittwater and Broken Bay departure. The first job is to leave the berth or mooring, clear the Pittwater traffic and mooring areas, and reach Broken Bay with the crew and boat fully ready. Barrenjoey is the final protected-water landmark. The ocean state outside can be materially different from conditions in the marina.

Broken Bay to Norah Head. The route works north past Cape Three Points, the Bouddi coast, Terrigal and The Entrance. This is a long exposed section with no normal all-weather harbour. Terrigal is an open coastal roadstead and should not be treated as a guaranteed refuge.

Norah Head to Newcastle. Norah Head is a useful strategic review point. North of it, the route passes the Swansea and Moon Island sector, then Redhead. Swansea provides access to Lake Macquarie only through a coastal bar, a shallow channel and bridge arrangements. It is a separate passage plan, not a casual turn-left option.

Newcastle approach and harbour entry. The final miles enter a major commercial port. Bulk carriers, pilot vessels, tugs, fishing vessels and recreational craft may all be present. The crew must be rested, the engine dependable, the radio ready and the current Newcastle traffic picture understood before reaching the breakwaters.

How the day normally unfolds

The alarm may feel unreasonably early. A boat averaging 4 to 5 knots may need a pre-dawn or first-light departure to reach Newcastle comfortably before dark. The departure time should be worked backwards from the latest acceptable Newcastle entrance time, not selected because it feels convenient.

Broken Bay is the first real decision gate. Conditions at the berth are not enough. At the entrance, compare actual wind, swell, sea, visibility, boat performance and crew condition with the plan. If the boat is already slow or uncomfortable, the coast ahead does not become easier simply because Newcastle is booked.

The middle can feel deceptively repetitive. Terrigal and The Entrance pass to port, but there is no easy marina stop. This is where small speed losses matter. A one-knot difference over 50 miles can shift arrival by several hours.

Norah Head is the big review. Check daylight, weather trend, speed over ground, fuel, crew fatigue and the Newcastle arrival picture. A skipper who has defined limits before leaving can make a calmer decision here.

Swansea can look reassuring on the chart. It is not a default bolt-hole. A diversion requires current bar information, a suitable tide and sea state, lifejackets, channel knowledge, bridge planning and sufficient depth for the vessel.

Newcastle begins before the breakwaters. Offshore ships, pilot activity and commercial movements can affect the approach well outside the harbour. Prepare fenders and lines early, monitor the required radio channels and do not obstruct shipping.

---

Recent local experience adds context to the official plan. Ask specific questions:

• When did you last sail this route, and in which direction?
• What yacht length, draft and average speed were involved?
• What were the forecast and actual wind, swell and current?
• How close to the coast did you remain, and why?
• What speed over ground did you see between Norah Head and Swansea?
• Were fishing lines, pots, debris or commercial vessels a problem?
• How did you manage the Newcastle approach and radio call?
• Was a berth actually available at NCYC, and what were the after-hours arrangements?
• If Swansea was considered, had it been planned in advance as a bar crossing?
• What would you change next time?

Useful places to ask include Pittwater and Newcastle yacht-club cruising groups, Central Coast and Lake Macquarie sailing groups, Marine Rescue units at Brisbane Water, Terrigal, Norah Head, Lake Macquarie and Newcastle, local delivery skippers, and marina teams at both ends.

Community observations should always include a date. A bar report, depth comment, marina instruction or VHF procedure from years ago is not current navigation information.

---

Pittwater departure options

Browse the YouSail marina and marine-services directory for additional departure services. A directory listing is a starting point only. Contact the operator directly before relying on a berth, fuel, water, pump-out, depth or operating time.

No routine halfway marina

There is no normal all-weather marina between Broken Bay and Newcastle on the direct coastal route.

Swansea is a separate diversion plan

Do not include Swansea as a simple automatic waypoint. A vessel considering Lake Macquarie must create a separate plan covering:

• Current Swansea Bar webcam and local condition reports
• Wind, swell, tide and bar timing
• Legal requirement for everyone aboard to wear a lifejacket while crossing a coastal bar
• Current charted depths, recent shoaling information and vessel draft
• Swansea Channel route and marks
• Swansea Bridge opening procedure and timing, where relevant
• A confirmed marina, mooring or anchorage inside the lake
• A decision made before fatigue or deteriorating conditions remove safe options

If the bar is unsuitable, Swansea is not a refuge. The presence of an entrance on a chart does not make it available to a particular vessel at a particular time.

Newcastle arrival marina

The Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club marina is the principal practical recreational destination for this passage. The club's current marina information advertises:

• 180 floating berths
• Short-term and long-term berthing
• Power and water at each berth
• Bathrooms and laundry
• A fuel berth on F Arm with diesel and premium unleaded petrol
• Card payment at the fuel berth 24 hours a day
• A marina-booking contact and published office hours
• An insurance requirement, including A$10 million public liability cover

Book ahead. Obtain the assigned berth, marina approach instructions, after-hours procedure, vessel-size acceptance and the latest contact details directly from NCYC. The club publishes an after-hours arrangement for an unbooked arrival, but it should not be used as a substitute for planning and confirmation.

Use the YouSail Newcastle marine-services guide for repair, maintenance and support options around Newcastle.

Marina booking record

---

Option 1: Direct one-day passage

This is the normal plan for a prepared cruising yacht with a suitable forecast and dependable speed.

Option 2: Two-day plan with Pittwater positioning

This option makes the passage morning simpler but does not divide the exposed coastline.

Option 3: Lake Macquarie variation

This is not the default YouSail route. It is appropriate only when the skipper has separately planned and verified Swansea Bar, the channel, bridge, depths and accommodation.

This variation creates two coastal-bar crossings and may increase risk rather than reduce it. Never assume the bar will remain suitable for the exit simply because it was suitable on entry.

Option 4: Overnight passage

An experienced night crew may choose a later departure and overnight arrival structure. It requires a full night-navigation plan, watch system, lighting discipline, fatigue management, commercial-traffic monitoring and a clear Newcastle arrival window. It is not recommended as a workaround for a boat that cannot make the distance comfortably or a crew without recent night experience.

---

Coordinate standard: WGS84. Latitude and longitude are shown in degrees and decimal minutes and decimal degrees. Bearings are approximate initial degrees true. Distances are approximate geodesic planning distances between the listed positions.

Navigation status: These are illustrative offshore corridor and decision references. They are not surveyed safe-water waypoints, not a recommended minimum offing and not autopilot instructions. The skipper must plot the intended route on current official charting, inspect all depths, dangers, traffic routes and restrictions, then move, replace or delete each point as required. Displayed precision does not prove positional accuracy.

Main route point register

The official NSW lighthouse positions provide useful geographic checks: Barrenjoey is published at 33°34.8′S, 151°19.7′E, and Norah Head at 33°16.9′S, 151°34.7′E. The offshore route points above deliberately differ from the lighthouse positions and still require chart validation.

Leg calculations

These bearings and distances are calculations between illustrative positions. They do not account for the safe charted route, tacking, traffic avoidance, current, sea room, exclusion zones or the vessel's actual manoeuvres.

Passage-time calculator

Add time for leaving the berth, navigating Pittwater, traffic, sail changes, adverse current, reduced visibility, Newcastle entry and berthing. A planning average is not the boat's best speed in flat water.

Backward departure calculation

Use the latest acceptable Newcastle entrance time to determine departure:

`Latest departure = latest safe arrival minus conservative passage duration minus delay allowance`

Example only:

• Latest acceptable Newcastle entrance: 17:00
• Conservative 54 nm duration at 5 knots: 10 hours 48 minutes
• Delay and arrival allowance: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Latest departure from the Pittwater berth: approximately 04:42

If that departure requires darkness, the skipper must separately accept and plan the night departure. Choosing an optimistic speed to avoid the night is not a valid control.

---

The primary marine forecast is Hunter Coastal Waters: Seal Rocks to Broken Bay. Near the southern boundary, also review Sydney Coastal Waters, current warnings and the Central Coastal Districts marine outlook.

The Bureau notes that wind gusts may be about 40 percent stronger than the averages in a forecast and maximum waves may be up to twice the significant wave height. Use the detailed forecast, not only the headline wind number.

Directional planning matrix for a northbound yacht

An early start can reduce exposure to a developing afternoon north-east sea breeze, but it does not override the date-specific forecast. The chosen weather window should cover the whole passage plus 12 to 16 hours of margin appropriate to the boat and plan, not merely the first few hours after Broken Bay.

Weather information record

Personal limits declaration

Complete this before studying the most favourable forecast model.

---

Tide is not the only driver on this open-coast route. The principal current issue may be the East Australian Current, which generally flows southward along the coast. A northbound yacht can encounter an adverse set, but local flow, eddies and nearshore conditions vary. Do not simply subtract a fixed current from every leg.

Use the vessel's actual speed through the water and speed over ground to estimate the current being experienced. Recalculate ETA after Broken Bay, Terrigal, Norah Head and Swansea rather than waiting until Newcastle is close.

Check the official NSW tide tables for the relevant stations and the current chart for tidal streams or cautions. Tidal state matters especially at:

• Broken Bay departure and local entrance conditions
• Swansea Bar if a separately planned diversion is contemplated
• Newcastle entrance, where swell, wind and outflow can affect the sea state
• Marina depth and final berth access

Current and ETA log

---

Hazard notes by stage

#### Broken Bay to Terrigal

• Do not cut headlands or coastal features using the illustrative positions alone.
• Establish whether returning to Pittwater remains the safest option while it is still close.
• Keep the crew clipped or secured according to the vessel's heavy-weather and night procedures.

#### Terrigal to Norah Head

• Recalculate arrival using actual speed over ground.
• Watch for developing north-east wind and changes in sea state.
• Treat The Entrance as a landmark, not a yacht harbour for this plan.

#### Norah Head to Swansea

• This is the longest single route-table leg and a major commitment sector.
• Check current, fuel, crew condition and weather before proceeding.
• Identify Moon Island, Swansea sector dangers and commercial or fishing traffic from current charting.

#### Swansea to Newcastle

• Prepare the Newcastle traffic and communications plan before Redhead.
• Check the official daily vessel-movement information.
• Keep the engine immediately available and verify steering.
• Rig fenders and lines before harbour workload peaks.

---

The decision should be made while safe options still exist.

Decision call-out format

At each gate, say the decision aloud and log it:

`Time, position, actual conditions, fuel, crew state, destination ETA, decision, next review time.`

Example: `09:20, Norah Head outer gate, S 12 knots, 1.5 m swell, 42 L fuel, crew fit, NCYC ETA 15:40, continue, review at Swansea sector.`

---

Newcastle is a working commercial harbour. Port Authority information and current directions take priority over this community guide.

Before the south approach

• Review Newcastle Harbour daily vessel movements.
• Review current Newcastle Harbour pilotage and navigation information.
• Understand the role of Newcastle Vessel Traffic Services, which operates continuously.
• Confirm the current recreational-vessel monitoring and calling channels. Published Newcastle approach information commonly uses VHF channels 9 and 16, but the skipper must verify the current procedure before arrival.
• Do not confuse pilot-transfer working channels with the general recreational-vessel procedure.
• Check AIS, but use it only as an aid. Not every small vessel or hazard transmits AIS.
• Start the engine early enough to confirm dependable operation before the entrance.
• Prepare the anchor for emergency use as appropriate to the vessel and conditions.
• Rig fenders and lines for the assigned NCYC berth.
• Brief the crew on commercial traffic, no-go areas, berth side and line sequence.

Arrival sequence

1. Confirm vessel position, traffic and sea state south of Newcastle. 2. Establish the current radio watch and make any required call early and clearly. 3. Remain outside the path of commercial vessels, pilot operations and tugs. 4. Identify the entrance and navigation marks using current official charting. 5. Enter only when safe and consistent with current port information or direction. 6. Maintain control through wash, current and traffic inside the harbour. 7. Follow NCYC's assigned approach, berth and after-hours instructions. 8. Log arrival with Marine Rescue NSW if a voyage plan or log-on is active. 9. Secure the vessel, isolate unneeded systems and conduct a post-passage inspection.

Arrival record

---

Length alone does not make a vessel suitable. The skipper should assess:

Indicative vessel-size discussion

• A well-prepared smaller yacht may complete the route safely in a suitable window, but speed, motion, storage, fatigue and night exposure can become limiting factors.
• A larger yacht may be faster and more comfortable, but draft, momentum, berth dimensions and handling loads increase.
• Multihulls need the same full weather, traffic and berth planning and must confirm marina beam acceptance.
• The correct test is not whether a vessel of that model has completed the route before. It is whether this vessel, crew and forecast fit the current plan.

---

For a one-day passage, assign roles before departure:

For two or more competent crew, use short rotations before anyone is tired. One person should not helm for ten hours and then be expected to manage the most demanding arrival. Food, water, warm layers, sun protection and seasickness prevention should be accessible without opening deep lockers offshore.

If any part occurs in darkness:

• Establish a watch and wake-up protocol.
• Require lifejackets and harness use according to the vessel's night procedure.
• Brief navigation-light recognition and reporting.
• Preserve night vision and limit unnecessary screen brightness.
• Ensure the arrival helm and navigator obtain rest before Newcastle.

---

Calculate fuel from the vessel's measured consumption, not a brochure claim.

`Fuel required = planned engine hours × measured litres per hour + protected reserve`

Example only for the 54 nm route:

• Full-route motoring at 5 knots: 54 ÷ 5 = 10.8 hours
• Departure and arrival manoeuvring: 0.75 hour
• Contingency engine time: 2 hours
• Total planning engine time: 13.55 hours

The skipper must then add a clearly protected reserve suitable for the vessel and circumstances. Confirm that all of the calculated fuel is usable in the expected heel and sea state. Account for generator or heater use separately.

Fuel log

---

NSW open-water safety guidance includes at least 2 litres of drinking water per person. For this exposed long day, carry a practical additional margin for heat, delay, seasickness and an unplanned overnight wait.

Plan:

• Drinking water that can be reached from the cockpit
• Electrolytes where appropriate
• Meals and snacks that can be eaten without cooking offshore
• Seasickness prevention selected and tested before departure
• Warm and waterproof layers despite a warm daytime forecast
• Sun protection, hats and sunglasses
• Personal medications plus passage delay allowance
• A dry set of clothes for the arrival watch
• Food and water for at least one substantial delay beyond the planned arrival

Do not rely on marina restaurants or shops being open when the boat arrives.

---

Marine Rescue NSW

Log on with Marine Rescue NSW through the Marine Rescue app or VHF channel 16. Provide the actual departure point, Newcastle destination, persons aboard and a realistic ETA. Update the ETA if current, weather or speed materially changes it, and log off after secure arrival.

Coverage along the route may involve Brisbane Water or Terrigal, Norah Head, Lake Macquarie and Newcastle units. Follow the instructions received rather than assuming a local working channel.

Radio plan

Standard position report

`Vessel name, call sign, position, time, course, speed, destination, ETA, persons aboard, conditions and any concern.`

Emergency contacts record

---

Use the current NSW essential safety equipment requirements for the exact vessel and operating area. A normal route will travel more than 2 nm from shore, so requirements for open water and the greater-than-2-nm category are likely to apply.

The checklist below is a planning prompt, not a legal determination:

• Correctly fitted lifejackets for every person, accessible and used according to law and vessel procedure
• Registered 406 MHz EPIRB when operating more than 2 nm from shore
• Marine radio when operating more than 2 nm from shore
• Required in-date distress flares for open water
• Current chart or map and compass
• At least 2 litres of drinking water per person
• Anchor and adequate cable
• Bailer or bilge pumping arrangement
• Fire extinguisher where required
• Waterproof torch
• Sound signal
• Navigation lights for any period from sunset to sunrise or restricted visibility
• First-aid kit appropriate to the crew and distance
• Tool kit, spare fuel filters, belts, engine fluids and critical spares
• Harnesses, tethers and jacklines appropriate to the vessel's procedures

Check the current NSW lifejacket rules. If Swansea Bar becomes part of a separate plan, everyone aboard must wear a lifejacket while crossing the coastal bar.

---

Seven days before

• [ ] Confirm the boat's registration, insurance and NCYC insurance requirements.
• [ ] Book the Newcastle berth and record after-hours instructions.
• [ ] Plot the full route on current official charting.
• [ ] Check chart and ENC updates and Australian Notices to Mariners.
• [ ] Review Newcastle Harbour procedures and expected movements.
• [ ] Inspect rig, steering, engine, fuel system, batteries and bilge pumps.
• [ ] Check every lifejacket, EPIRB, flare and fire-extinguisher date.
• [ ] Identify the crew's seasickness, medical and fatigue risks.
• [ ] Define personal wind, swell, current, speed and daylight limits.
• [ ] Decide whether Swansea is excluded or supported by a full separate plan.

Forty-eight hours before

• [ ] Review Bureau warnings and the detailed Hunter Coastal Waters forecast.
• [ ] Compare forecast wind, sea and swell for every six-hour period.
• [ ] Check whether a north-east sea breeze or southerly change is expected.
• [ ] Calculate the latest safe departure from the latest acceptable arrival.
• [ ] Confirm fuel quantity from measured consumption and reserve policy.
• [ ] Check NCYC booking and current marina access.
• [ ] Review Newcastle daily vessel movements.
• [ ] Download or print necessary information for offline use.
• [ ] Brief the shore contact on route, ETA and escalation time.

Evening before

• [ ] Recheck forecast, warnings, tides and Notices to Mariners.
• [ ] Recalculate all ETAs using conservative speed.
• [ ] Test navigation lights, radio, AIS, GPS, compass and charging.
• [ ] Conduct engine checks and inspect for fuel, coolant or oil leaks.
• [ ] Fill water and secure food where it can be reached at sea.
• [ ] Rig or inspect jacklines and safety tethers.
• [ ] Secure deck gear, cabin equipment, anchors and tenders.
• [ ] Prepare warm, waterproof and sun-protection clothing.
• [ ] Set alarms and preserve adequate crew sleep.

Before leaving the berth

• [ ] Obtain the latest forecast and warnings.
• [ ] Confirm Newcastle berth and arrival contact.
• [ ] Log on with Marine Rescue NSW.
• [ ] Record persons aboard, fuel, water and departure time.
• [ ] Verify engine, cooling water, steering and controls.
• [ ] Test VHF transmission and select the watch channels.
• [ ] Confirm chart, route, hazards and no-go areas with the whole crew.
• [ ] Brief man-overboard, fire, flooding and loss-of-steering responses.
• [ ] Assign watch, radio, navigation and arrival roles.
• [ ] Confirm the formal Broken Bay and Norah Head decision limits.

At Broken Bay entrance

• [ ] Record actual wind, gust, sea, swell and visibility.
• [ ] Compare actual conditions with declared limits.
• [ ] Confirm all critical systems and crew are satisfactory.
• [ ] Calculate Newcastle ETA from actual speed.
• [ ] State and log continue or return decision.

Every hour offshore

• [ ] Plot or verify position independently.
• [ ] Record course, speed through water and speed over ground.
• [ ] Update ETA and available daylight.
• [ ] Check weather trend, sea and swell.
• [ ] Check fuel, engine, bilge, batteries and steering.
• [ ] Check crew warmth, hydration, food, fatigue and seasickness.
• [ ] Maintain visual and radio lookout.
• [ ] Identify the next decision gate and safe option.

At Norah Head

• [ ] Recalculate time to Newcastle using current speed over ground.
• [ ] Confirm forecast remains within limits through arrival.
• [ ] Confirm fuel reserve and reliable engine operation.
• [ ] Confirm a rested helm and navigator will be available at Newcastle.
• [ ] Review Newcastle movements and communications.
• [ ] State and log continue, return or separately planned diversion decision.

Before Newcastle approach

• [ ] Review current port and vessel-movement information.
• [ ] Establish the verified VHF watch and call procedure.
• [ ] Identify commercial vessels visually, by radio and by AIS where fitted.
• [ ] Start and test the engine.
• [ ] Confirm steering and anchor readiness.
• [ ] Reduce or arrange sail for controlled entry.
• [ ] Rig fenders and lines for the assigned berth.
• [ ] Brief the crew on entrance, traffic, berth side and line order.
• [ ] Notify the marina as instructed.

After securing

• [ ] Log off with Marine Rescue NSW.
• [ ] Confirm the shore contact knows the vessel is secure.
• [ ] Record arrival time and fuel remaining.
• [ ] Inspect rig, engine, steering, bilges and deck gear.
• [ ] Record defects before the next passage.
• [ ] Save actual track, speeds, weather and lessons for the YouSail community.

---

This guide can become a route-planning tool by collecting the following structured information.

User inputs

Calculated outputs

Example planner summary

Vessel: 11.5 m monohull, 1.9 m draft Route: Bayview to Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club Planning distance: 54 nm Conservative speed: 5.0 kn Base passage time: 10 h 48 min Manoeuvring and delay allowance: 1 h 30 min Total plan: 12 h 18 min Latest acceptable Newcastle entrance: 17:00 Calculated latest berth departure: 04:42 Planner warning: Night departure required. Confirm night competence and navigation-light plan. Swansea status: Unavailable until separate bar, bridge, depth and tide plan is completed. Live-data status: Forecasts, warnings, tides, port movements and marina availability must be refreshed for the selected date.

---

YouSail can improve this guide with recent, structured passage reports.

Community reports should never overwrite the official route or current safety information. Display the passage date prominently and allow readers to filter by vessel type, direction and season.

---

Official navigation material

• Australian Hydrographic Office Chart Explorer
• Australian Chart Index
• Current Australian paper chart list
• Australian Notices to Mariners
• AUS 204, Broken Bay, confirmed as an endpoint chart in the current AHO chart list
• AUS 207, Approaches to Newcastle, confirmed as an endpoint chart in the current AHO chart list

AUS 204 and AUS 207 do not by themselves prove that every part of the coastal route is fully covered at the scale required by a particular vessel. Use Chart Explorer and the current ENC or chart catalogue to select complete coastal and harbour coverage.

Weather, tides and currents

• Bureau of Meteorology Hunter Coastal Waters
• Bureau of Meteorology Sydney Coastal Waters
• Bureau of Meteorology Central Coastal Districts
• NSW tide tables
• Bureau marine knowledge: ocean currents

NSW waterways and safety

• NSW boating maps
• NSW coastal map: Newcastle to Broken Bay, for general boating context only and not intended for navigation
• NSW coastal-bar locations
• Swansea Bar webcam and safety information
• NSW essential safety equipment
• NSW lifejacket rules
• NSW lighthouses and published positions
• NSW mooring and anchoring information

Newcastle Harbour

• Port Authority NSW Newcastle pilotage and harbour information
• Newcastle Vessel Traffic Services
• Newcastle daily vessel movements
• Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club marina information
• Marine Rescue NSW

Source-check record

---

This passage guide is general community planning information. It is not navigation advice, a hydrographic product, a weather forecast, a guarantee of safe water, a legal-equipment determination or a substitute for competent seamanship.

Coordinates, distances, bearings, times, marina details, radio notes and hazards may be incomplete, approximate 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, port directions, vessel traffic, bar conditions, equipment, seaworthiness, crew competence and every decision to depart, continue, divert or enter harbour.

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.

If the plan, weather, boat, crew or arrival does not provide adequate margin, wait for another day.