Port Stephens is the reward at the end of the most-sailed qualifying passage in New South Wales. Its entrance between Tomaree and Yacaaba heads is wide, deep and lit; inside, Nelson Bay, Shoal Bay and Salamander Bay offer moorings and anchorages, and the harbour stretches west for 15 miles into the Myall River. Twenty miles south, Newcastle is a working port with a river entrance, a vessel traffic service and, offshore, a fleet of anchored bulk carriers that every skipper on this coast learns to navigate around at night. Between the two lies Stockton Bight's long beach and, outside, the Broughton Island group with its exposed anchorages. Lake Macquarie, entered through the Swansea bar and bridge, is a large inland lake used by local clubs for sheltered training.
The waters
Port Stephens
A drowned valley twice the size of Sydney Harbour with a deep entrance, sandbanks in the western reaches and dolphins everywhere. Nelson Bay is the town and marina; Shoal Bay and Fame Cove are anchorages.
Newcastle Harbour
The Hunter River mouth with breakwaters, a bar that is dredged and usually benign, and coal loaders. Yachts use the marina and the Throsby Creek basins; call Newcastle VTS before entering.
Lake Macquarie
Australia’s largest coastal saltwater lake, entered through the shallow Swansea channel and an opening bridge. Sheltered sailing, keelboat racing and beginner training.
Broughton Island
Ten miles north-east of the Port Stephens entrance; anchorages in Esmeralda Cove and Providence Bay in settled weather, and a good target for a day passage with pilotage.
Training here
Port Stephens is used by centres for sheltered boat handling and anchoring, with the open coast a mile away for swell and passages. Newcastle’s port procedures and the anchored ships offshore are a real-world lesson in commercial traffic.
What an exam here looks like
Passages for the logbook
| Passage | Miles | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Port Stephens to Sydney | 80 | The southbound leg rides the East Australian Current; stand out to find it. |
| Port Stephens to Coffs Harbour | 130 | Overnight, past Seal Rocks, Forster and Port Macquarie. |
| Newcastle to Pittwater | 45 | A long day sail down the coast. |
Conditions
| Tides | Semi-diurnal, range about 1.5 to 2 m. Streams run at 2 to 3 knots through the Port Stephens entrance and in the Newcastle river mouth; the Swansea channel has strong streams and a bar. |
|---|---|
| Weather | Summer north-easterlies and southerly changes; winter westerlies. Port Stephens is sheltered from most directions; the coast between here and Sydney is exposed to the south-east swell. |
| Facilities and rescue | Marinas at Nelson Bay, Soldiers Point and Lemon Tree Passage; Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club marina at Wickham; volunteer marine rescue bases at Port Stephens, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. |
Boat licence
Questions about Port Stephens and Newcastle
Is the Port Stephens entrance dangerous?
Rarely. It is wide and deep and does not bar. In a big easterly swell with an ebb the entrance is lumpy but not breaking. Broughton Island’s anchorages are the ones that need care.
Can yachts enter Newcastle?
Yes. Newcastle is a commercial port that welcomes yachts, with a marina and safe all-weather entry. Call Vessel Traffic Service on the working channel before crossing the entrance.