Port Stephens to Forster and Tuncurry

Northbound coastal passage | Approximately 48 to 50 nautical miles | Usually one long day CONDITIONAL DESTINATION: Cape Hawke Harbour has a changeable coastal bar that NSW says should only be attempted with expert local knowledge. No departure date selected: Live forecasts, warnings, tides, Notices to Mariners, bar conditions, expert local advice and a suitable seaward-of-bridge berth or mooring have not been confirmed.

Hey sailors. Port Stephens to Forster and Tuncurry looks like the next obvious step north, but this is where passage planning becomes less forgiving. The coast is spectacular, with Broughton Island, Seal Rocks and Sugarloaf Point along the way. It is also exposed, contains reefs and bomboras, crosses two Bureau coastal forecast zones and finishes at one of the more serious decision points on this section of the New South Wales coast.

The destination is not simply Forster Marina. Cape Hawke Harbour opens through a changeable coastal bar. The official NSW boating map says the entrance should only be attempted by people possessing expert local knowledge. Most cruising yachts also cannot pass beneath the Forster-Tuncurry Bridge, which has a published clearance of 6.0 metres at each end at high water. This means a typical sailing yacht needs a suitable berth or mooring on the seaward side of the bridge, confirmed before departure.

Use this guide as a detailed planning head start, not as the final word. Weather, swell, current, bar depth, navigation marks, bomboras, marine-park zones, moorings and local arrangements can change. Check current official charts or ENCs, Australian Notices to Mariners, Bureau of Meteorology forecasts and warnings, NSW boating information, the live bar webcam, Marine Rescue NSW advice and actual conditions.

The coordinates below are planning references, not a safe track and not autopilot instructions. The skipper must complete independent chart work and decide whether the vessel, crew, weather window, bar, berth and alternatives provide enough margin.

This is community information. It is not an instruction to depart, permission to cross the bar or a substitute for expert local knowledge. If the Forster bar or berth is uncertain, the destination is not confirmed.

---

Critical: Do not plan to arrive and then search for somewhere to leave a cruising yacht. Confirm the bar, draft, mooring or berth, current strength, bridge limitation and local contact before leaving Port Stephens.

---

The passage has five distinct phases.

Leaving Port Stephens. The day begins with the marina departure, transit through Shoal Bay and a crossing of the Port Stephens entrance. The official NSW information warns that the entrance can be dangerous during runout tides, so the departure requires the same care as the previous arrival.

The Broughton Island sector. The route passes the island and reef system north-east of Port Stephens. Cabbage Tree Island, Boondelbah Island, Broughton Island, Little Broughton Island, reefs and bomboras make this a real navigation section rather than an open-water straight line.

Broughton Island to Seal Rocks. This is the longest offshore part. There is no marina and no all-weather harbour. The skipper must monitor speed, weather, current and the viability of the Forster arrival.

Seal Rocks and Sugarloaf Point. The route crosses the boundary between the Bureau's Hunter and Macquarie coastal forecast zones. The coast contains rocks, shoals and bomboras, and the NSW boating map warns that bomboras can break at any time near shoals and reefs.

Cape Hawke Harbour arrival. The final approach is not a normal harbour entrance. The bar changes. Breaking water and depths can change, an ebb can be dangerous, the current inside can be strong and the road bridge lies close beyond the entrance. The highest-workload part arrives after a full coastal day.

How the day normally unfolds

Departure time is controlled by the destination. Work backwards from a suitable daylight bar-crossing window. A fast departure that produces the wrong arrival tide is not an improvement.

Broughton looks close but demands room. The islands can tempt a crew to shorten the track. The charted route must respect reefs, sanctuary zones, dive activity and breaking water.

Seal Rocks is the psychological halfway point. It is also where the weather forecast zone changes. Compare the actual conditions with both forecasts and recalculate Forster arrival using actual speed over ground.

The final hours can feel slow. Smiths Lake and Cape Hawke pass to port while the bar remains ahead. Crew fatigue, a building sea breeze and a slipping entrance time can combine.

The bar decision must stay independent. A long day and the desire to finish are not evidence that the entrance is safe. Stand off in safe water, obtain current local advice, assess the bar and enter only if every condition is inside the skipper's limits.

---

Forster and Tuncurry are attractive cruising destinations, but they are not a conventional keelboat marina arrival.

1. The entrance bar changes

The official NSW Map 6B says:

• The Cape Hawke Harbour entrance bar is subject to change.
• It should only be attempted by people possessing expert local knowledge.
• Navigating or anchoring seaward of the road bridge can be dangerous during ebb or runout tides.
• Depth contours are indicative and can change over time.
• Bomboras can break at any time near shoals and reefs.

The Forster coastal-bar webcam provides situational awareness only. NSW says conditions can change rapidly and the camera must not be the sole source.

2. The bridge blocks most cruising yachts

NSW Map 6B publishes a clearance of 6.0 metres at each end of the Forster-Tuncurry Bridge at high water. Most cruising yachts have an air draft well above this figure.

The skipper must record:

• Vessel air draft, including antennas, wind instruments and lights
• Bridge clearance datum and the current tide
• Whether the planned berth is seaward or landward of the bridge
• Whether any claimed berth can be reached without passing beneath the bridge

Never assume a marina advertised as being in Forster is accessible to a mast-up coastal yacht.

3. Marina availability is limited

Forster Marina is a small-boat facility. The current YouSail profile records a published maximum vessel length of approximately 7 metres and 2.4 metres beam. It is not a normal destination for a 10 to 15 metre cruising yacht.

Boatshed Number One advertises short and long-term marina berths, swing moorings, power, water and pump-out facilities, but spaces are limited and the facility lies in the inner Forster waterfront area. A cruising yacht must confirm vessel dimensions, draft, bridge access and exact berth location directly.

Historical cruising information refers to Tuncurry-side trawler berths or moorings managed through the Wallis Lake Fishermen's Co-op. That information must not be treated as current. Contact the Wallis Lake Fishermen's Co-op directly and ask whether a lawful, suitable visiting-yacht berth or mooring is currently available on the seaward side of the bridge.

Destination confirmation gate

Do not depart unless all fields are complete:

---

Port Stephens departure marinas

No routine halfway marina

Forster and Tuncurry facilities

There is no automatic fallback

If the Forster bar is unsafe, the vessel may be many miles from Port Stephens. Continuing north can lead toward Crowdy Head, Camden Haven, Port Macquarie or farther, each requiring a separate plan and, in several cases, another bar crossing. Returning south may involve adverse wind, current or darkness.

The skipper must carry a fully calculated alternative passage before departure. The word `divert` is not enough.

---

Option 1: Direct one-day passage to Cape Hawke Harbour

Option 2: Broughton Island two-day variation

This is a separate anchoring plan, not a guaranteed refuge.

The NSW National Parks page warns that weather and sea conditions at Broughton Island can change rapidly and delay departure. Mobile coverage can be intermittent. Carry extra food and water, and log the movement with Marine Rescue NSW.

Option 3: Skip Forster

A cruising yacht without expert local bar knowledge or a confirmed seaward-of-bridge berth may choose a separately planned longer passage to another destination. Crowdy Head, Camden Haven, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour have very different entrance, depth, berth and weather requirements. This guide does not make any of them an automatic fallback.

Option 4: Overnight coastal passage

A slower yacht may require darkness at departure or during the coastal leg. The Forster bar should still be assessed in clear daylight unless the skipper has a defensible expert night-entry plan. Night sailing requires a watch system, reefing plan, navigation-light identification, fatigue management and a rested arrival team.

---

Coordinate standard: WGS84. Positions are displayed in degrees and decimal minutes and decimal degrees. Bearings are approximate initial degrees true. Distances are approximate geodesic planning distances between the listed coordinates.

Navigation status: These positions describe an illustrative offshore corridor. They are not surveyed safe-water waypoints, not a recommended minimum offing and not autopilot instructions. The skipper must plot the actual route on current official charting, inspect all islands, reefs, bomboras, depths, marine-park zones and bar information, then move, replace or remove each position. Displayed precision does not prove positional accuracy.

Main route point register

P14 is not a berth coordinate. It simply highlights the limited harbour area between the bar and the low road bridge. Use the exact position supplied by the current berth or mooring operator.

Leg calculations

These figures do not include tacking, current, island clearance selected from the chart, waiting outside the bar, avoiding traffic or reaching the actual berth.

Passage-time calculator

Add marina departure, entrance timing, adverse current, sail handling, route clearance and berthing. A yacht planning at 4 knots may require darkness at departure to reach the bar in daylight.

Backward departure calculation

`Departure time = selected bar time minus conservative passage duration minus delay allowance`

Example only:

• Selected daylight bar-crossing time: 16:00
• Planning distance: 50 nm
• Conservative speed: 5 knots
• Base time: 10 hours
• Delay allowance: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Latest departure: 04:30

This creates a night departure from Port Stephens. The skipper must separately assess the departure entrance, crew competence and navigation lights. An optimistic speed must not be used to hide the night requirement.

---

This passage crosses two official forecast zones:

• Hunter Coastal Waters: Seal Rocks to Broken Bay
• Macquarie Coastal Waters: Smoky Cape to Seal Rocks

Also check the NSW Northern Coastal Districts forecast, marine warnings, observations and detailed wind and wave information.

The Bureau states that wind gusts can be about 40 percent stronger than forecast averages and maximum waves can be up to twice the significant wave height.

Directional planning matrix

Weather-window requirements

The window must cover:

• Port Stephens departure
• Broughton Island sector
• Broughton to Seal Rocks open-coast leg
• Both Bureau forecast zones
• Daylight Forster approach
• The selected bar and tide window
• At least several hours of delay or alternative-port margin

Weather record

Personal limits

---

Port Stephens departure

The entrance can be dangerous during runout tide. Assess the departure using current charting, tide, wind, swell, traffic, official webcam and local advice.

Offshore current

The East Australian Current generally flows southward, but local current and eddies vary around islands and headlands. A northbound yacht may lose speed over ground. A one-knot adverse current can add about 2.5 hours to a 50 nm plan if the boat makes 5 knots through the water.

Cape Hawke Harbour bar

The official map states that the bar changes and needs expert local knowledge. Marine Rescue NSW advises boaters to stand off, assess and only proceed when safe, noting that run-in tides generally produce fewer compression waves than outgoing tides. This general advice does not replace current Forster-specific knowledge.

Everyone aboard must wear an appropriate lifejacket while crossing a coastal bar under current NSW requirements.

Bar readiness record

---

Stage-specific hazard notes

#### Nelson Bay to Broughton Island

• Confirm Port Stephens departure conditions before leaving shelter.
• Plot every island, reef, sanctuary zone and no-anchoring area.
• Do not use narrow passages unless independently planned with current knowledge.
• Expect dive and fishing activity.

#### Broughton Island to Seal Rocks

• This is the longest uninterrupted leg.
• Monitor both weather zones and actual current.
• Keep engine, fuel and steering checks active.
• Recalculate whether Forster remains reachable in the selected bar window.

#### Seal Rocks to Cape Hawke

• Expect reefs, shoals and bomboras near the coast.
• Do not cut Sugarloaf Point or rely on visual calm over a shoal.
• Confirm expert local Forster advice before the final approach.
• Prepare a decision to skip the bar before fatigue narrows judgement.

#### Cape Hawke Harbour

• Lifejackets on before bar approach.
• Skipper on the helm and crew holding secure positions.
• Use only the current locally advised route.
• Maintain control without over-accelerating into shallow or breaking water.
• Keep clear of bridge structures and navigation aids.
• Approach the confirmed berth into the current where practicable.

---

Decision log

Record at each gate:

`Time, position, wind, sea, swell, current, SOG, fuel, crew state, Forster bar report, berth status, ETA, decision and next review.`

---

Before departure:

• Confirm the marina account, fuel and departure procedure.
• Check the Port Stephens entrance webcam and current local information.
• Confirm tide and swell at the entrance.
• Confirm the safe route around the entrance and offshore island group.
• Load current marine-park zoning.
• Test engine, steering, radio and navigation systems.
• Log on with Marine Rescue NSW.
• Confirm the Forster bar adviser and a time for updated contact.
• Reconfirm the seaward-of-bridge berth or mooring.
• Record the alternate passage and fuel range.

Departure record

---

Before Sugarloaf Point

• Obtain the latest Macquarie Coast forecast and warnings.
• Obtain a current Forster bar report from an expert local source.
• Check the webcam, noting its limitations.
• Confirm the intended crossing tide and current.
• Confirm the berth or mooring remains available.
• Confirm the berth is seaward of the bridge for a normal yacht.
• Calculate fuel for waiting and the alternate passage.

Before the outer holding area

• Start and test the engine under load.
• Check steering and emergency steering.
• Prepare anchor for emergency use where appropriate.
• Put lifejackets on every person.
• Secure loose equipment and close openings.
• Reduce or arrange sails for controlled entry.
• Put skipper on helm and rested navigator on position monitoring.
• Brief crew to hold secure positions during acceleration and deceleration.
• Rig fenders, lines and fender board if required.
• Confirm current bar route and navigation marks.

Bar-crossing sequence

1. Stand off in safe charted water and observe several complete wave sets. 2. Compare actual conditions with the latest local advice and declared limits. 3. Positively identify the current entrance route, marks and breaking areas. 4. Check outgoing traffic and communicate as locally advised. 5. Make the formal enter, wait or skip decision before committing. 6. Cross on the locally advised track with adequate steering control. 7. Keep crew secure and ready for rapid speed changes. 8.

Transition immediately to the confirmed seaward-of-bridge berth or mooring plan. 9. Allow for strong current and limited room before the bridge. 10. Log off with Marine Rescue NSW only after the vessel is secure.

Arrival record

---

Most of the coast from Port Stephens through Broughton Island and Seal Rocks lies within the Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park. The official marine-park zone page provides the current zoning map and user guide.

Zones can affect fishing, anchoring, collecting and access. Map 7A specifically identifies no-anchoring areas and sanctuary zones around Broughton Island. Boating may be permitted in a sanctuary zone while fishing or anchoring is restricted, so the activity matters as much as the vessel's position.

Before passage:

• Load the current official zoning map.
• Mark every zone crossed by the route.
• Mark no-anchoring areas separately.
• Confirm any Broughton overnight anchorage is legal.
• Brief the crew before fishing, diving or anchoring.
• Do not rely on an old printed map or unsynchronised app.

---

This is not a destination to select based only on vessel length. Draft, engine control, air draft, bar behaviour and berth availability are decisive.

---

The skipper and navigator assigned to the bar should rest during the middle section. A person who has helmed for ten hours should not be the default bar helm simply because they are already there.

If departure occurs in darkness:

• Identify Port Stephens lights from current publications.
• Establish lifejacket and tether rules.
• Preserve night vision.
• Use a watch rotation from the beginning.
• Keep the bar arrival in clear daylight.

---

`Fuel required = planned engine hours × measured consumption + protected reserve`

Example only for a 50 nm route:

• Full-route motoring at 5 knots: 10 hours
• Port Stephens and Cape Hawke manoeuvring: 0.75 hour
• Bar waiting and alternate allowance: 3 hours
• Total planning engine time: 13.75 hours

Add the skipper's protected reserve. A longer alternative route may require substantially more fuel than the direct Forster plan.

Fuel log

---

Log on with Marine Rescue NSW using the app or VHF channel 16. Provide the real route, persons aboard, Forster destination and ETA. Update the plan if stopping at Broughton, skipping Forster or changing the arrival time.

Radio plan

Position report

`Vessel name, call sign, position, time, course, speed, destination, ETA, persons aboard, weather, fuel status and concern.`

Emergency contacts

---

Use the current NSW essential safety equipment requirements for the exact vessel and operating area.

Planning prompt:

• Correct lifejackets for every person
• Appropriate lifejackets worn by everyone for the bar crossing
• Registered 406 MHz EPIRB for operation more than 2 nm from shore
• Marine radio for operation more than 2 nm from shore
• Required in-date open-water flares
• Current chart or map and compass
• At least 2 litres of drinking water per person, with a larger long-passage margin
• Anchor and cable
• Bilge-pumping or bailing arrangement
• Fire extinguisher where required
• Waterproof torch and sound signal
• Navigation lights for darkness or poor visibility
• First-aid kit
• Tools and critical engine, rig and steering spares
• Harnesses, tethers and jacklines under the vessel's offshore procedure

Check the current NSW lifejacket rules before departure.

---

This passage can become an overnight coastal problem if the bar closes. Carry:

• Drinking water well above the legal minimum
• Food for the planned day plus at least one substantial delay
• Warm and waterproof clothing
• Sun protection
• Seasickness prevention
• Personal medication plus delay allowance
• Accessible cockpit food and drinks
• Dry clothing for the arrival team
• Additional food and water if using Broughton Island

Do not rely on reaching shops, restaurants or fuel inside Wallis Lake.

---

Seven days before

• [ ] Confirm a suitable seaward-of-bridge berth or mooring.
• [ ] Confirm vessel draft and air draft.
• [ ] Obtain expert local Cape Hawke Harbour advice.
• [ ] Plot the entire route on current official charting.
• [ ] Load current AHO chart corrections and Notices to Mariners.
• [ ] Load Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park zones.
• [ ] Identify every Broughton and Seal Rocks danger.
• [ ] Prepare a complete alternative passage if Forster is unavailable.
• [ ] Inspect engine, fuel, steering, rig, sails, batteries and bilges.
• [ ] Check lifejackets, EPIRB, flares and safety equipment.
• [ ] Define personal weather, current, depth, fuel and daylight limits.

Forty-eight hours before

• [ ] Review Hunter and Macquarie coastal forecasts.
• [ ] Review NSW marine warnings.
• [ ] Compare sea and swell height, period and direction in both zones.
• [ ] Check Port Stephens departure tide and Forster bar tide.
• [ ] Calculate departure backwards from the selected bar time.
• [ ] Check the Forster webcam and recent bar reports.
• [ ] Reconfirm expert local adviser availability.
• [ ] Reconfirm berth or mooring.
• [ ] Calculate fuel for direct and alternative routes.
• [ ] Brief the shore contact.

Evening before

• [ ] Refresh forecasts, warnings, tides and Notices to Mariners.
• [ ] Recheck marine-park restrictions and Broughton no-anchoring areas.
• [ ] Test navigation lights, VHF, GPS, AIS, compass and sounder.
• [ ] Run engine and inspect cooling water, oil, coolant, belts and leaks.
• [ ] Prepare spare filters and engine fluids.
• [ ] Rig or inspect jacklines and tethers.
• [ ] Secure all deck and cabin equipment.
• [ ] Prepare food, water, clothing and medications.
• [ ] Record all contacts offline.
• [ ] Protect crew sleep.

Before leaving the berth

• [ ] Obtain latest forecasts and warnings for both zones.
• [ ] Check Port Stephens actual entrance conditions.
• [ ] Confirm Forster bar and berth remain provisionally available.
• [ ] Log on with Marine Rescue NSW.
• [ ] Record persons aboard, fuel and water.
• [ ] Test engine, steering, radio and navigation systems.
• [ ] Brief island dangers, bomboras, no-go areas and alternative route.
• [ ] Assign helm, navigation, radio, engineer and arrival roles.
• [ ] Confirm lifejacket and night procedures.
• [ ] State formal return, stop and skip criteria.

At Port Stephens entrance

• [ ] Record actual wind, sea, swell, visibility and tide.
• [ ] Confirm safe departure route.
• [ ] Confirm yacht and crew are performing normally.
• [ ] Recalculate Forster bar ETA.
• [ ] State and log continue or return decision.

At Broughton north gate

• [ ] Confirm island group is safely cleared.
• [ ] Recheck systems, fuel and crew.
• [ ] Update bar and daylight ETA.
• [ ] Obtain forecast update.
• [ ] Decide whether Broughton stopping plan is required and currently safe.
• [ ] Confirm alternative-port fuel range.

At Seal Rocks

• [ ] Change primary monitoring to Macquarie Coastal Waters while retaining Hunter context.
• [ ] Recalculate SOG and arrival time.
• [ ] Check bombora and swell conditions.
• [ ] Obtain updated Forster bar information.
• [ ] Confirm berth or mooring remains available.
• [ ] Decide whether to continue toward the Forster decision sector.

Before Sugarloaf Point

• [ ] Confirm current bar route and expert local advice.
• [ ] Check webcam and actual weather trend.
• [ ] Confirm daylight, tide, depth and fuel margins.
• [ ] Confirm the alternative passage remains achievable.
• [ ] Put rested bar crew on watch.
• [ ] State continue-to-holding-area or skip decision.

Before the bar

• [ ] Lifejackets worn by everyone.
• [ ] Engine tested under load.
• [ ] Steering checked.
• [ ] Sails arranged for controlled entry.
• [ ] Cabin and deck secured.
• [ ] Crew briefed and holding positions assigned.
• [ ] Current route and navigation marks positively identified.
• [ ] Several complete wave sets observed.
• [ ] Berth, current and bridge plan reconfirmed.
• [ ] Formal enter, wait or skip decision logged.

After securing

• [ ] Log off with Marine Rescue NSW.
• [ ] Notify shore contact.
• [ ] Record arrival time and fuel.
• [ ] Inspect rig, engine, steering, bilges and deck gear.
• [ ] Record bar conditions, actual track and minimum depth.
• [ ] Record berth suitability and current.
• [ ] Save lessons for the YouSail community.

---

User inputs

Calculated outputs

Example planner output

Vessel: 12 m monohull, 2.0 m draft, 17 m air draft Route: Nelson Bay to Cape Hawke Harbour Distance: 48.5 nm Conservative speed: 5 knots Base time: 9 h 42 min Delay allowance: 1 h 30 min Total plan: 11 h 12 min Target daylight bar time: 16:00 Latest departure: 04:48 Bridge status: Vessel cannot use the 6.0 m high-water bridge clearance Berth status: Unavailable until a seaward-of-bridge mooring is confirmed Bar status: Unavailable until current expert local advice, route and depth are entered Planner result: Do not depart while either bar or berth status is unavailable.

---

Every community report must display its date, vessel draft, air draft and information source. Reports do not replace official charting or current expert local knowledge.

---

Navigation

• Australian Hydrographic Office Chart Explorer
• Australian Chart Index
• Australian Notices to Mariners
• AUS 209 for Port Stephens, subject to current catalogue confirmation
• AUS 810 for relevant coastal coverage, as referenced by NSW Map 6B
• Current official ENC coverage, including the appropriate Cape Hawke Harbour product identified through Chart Explorer
• NSW boating maps index
• NSW Map 7A, Port Stephens and Broughton
• NSW Coastal Map 6, Mermaid Reef to Seal Rocks
• NSW Map 6B, Forster-Tuncurry detail
• NSW Map 6B, Wallis Lake

NSW boating maps provide important cautions but are not a substitute for current official navigation charts and expert local bar knowledge.

Weather, tide and bar

• Bureau Hunter Coastal Waters
• Bureau Macquarie Coastal Waters
• NSW Northern Coastal Districts
• Bureau NSW tide tables
• Forster coastal-bar webcam
• Marine Rescue NSW coastal-bar safety advice

Marine park and Broughton Island

• Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park zones
• Broughton Island campground and access information

Safety and communications

• Marine Rescue NSW log-on and log-off
• NSW essential safety equipment
• NSW lifejacket rules

Facilities and YouSail links

• YouSail d'Albora Nelson Bay Marina
• Official d'Albora Nelson Bay Marina
• YouSail Forster Marina
• YouSail Boatshed Number One
• Boatshed Number One berth information
• Wallis Lake Fishermen's Co-op
• MidCoast Council Forster Boat Harbour

Source-check record

---

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

Coordinates, distances, bearings, times, chart references, bar notes, bridge information, berth 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, bar depth and route, marine-park rules, safety equipment, vessel seaworthiness, crew competence and every decision to depart, continue, stop, skip 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 depart for Forster unless the bar, expert local advice, daylight, vessel draft, bridge limitation, seaward-of-bridge berth and complete alternative passage are all confirmed.