Boating On Sydney Harbour

Sydney Harbour is an extremely busy waterway.

It's used by commercial and recreational vessels, from high speed ferries to tall ships, fishing trawlers to small power boats, from seaplanes to sailboats and from big ships to kayaks. Sydney Harbour has busy navigational channels and special rules that apply. Here's what you need to know when out and about on the harbour to enjoy your day out and stay safe.

The risk of collision is much higher on the harbour due to the range of vessels using the waterway. Keep a proper lookout for other vessels, swimmers, marine life, hazards and seaplanes. Always be prepared to take action to avoid a collision with another vessel, even if you believe you have 'right-of-way'. You may need to slow down to travel at a safe speed and keep a safe distance. When traveling at less than 30 meters from any other vessel, slow down to the speed of 6 knots.

If you're planning to go on the harbour, make sure you have the right safety equipment for enclosed waters. Sydney Harbour has busy navigational channels and special rules. Know your responsibilities and take extra care.

SHB Transit Zone

The Harbour Bridge transit zone includes the area around Sydney Harbour Bridge, and between Millers Point and Blues Point in the west to Bennelong Point and Kirribilli Point in the east. It does not include Walsh Bay, Sydney Cove, or Lavender Bay north of Blues Point, or the southern end of Milsons Point ferry wharf.



The Transit Zone was created to allow safe navigation through this very busy part of the harbour. It prohibits any vessels from drifting or stopping under Sydney Harbour Bridge. You can only travel through the zone to get to an area alongside or outside the zone.

Vessels must not travel faster than 15 knots, nor anchor or drift in the zone, except in an emergency.

Sydney Ferries

There are special rules on Sydney Harbour for ferries that display an orange diamond shape, called the 'priority over sail signal'. This replaces the usual 'power gives way to sail' rule, meaning that sailing vessels must keep well clear of these ferries. The 'priority over sail signal' does not apply at night or if the ferry is overtaking a sailing vessel.



Sailing vessels cannot claim 'Right-of-way' over a ferry displaying the orange diamond shape.

Sailing vessels must keep a minimum distance from these ferries of:

• 200m from the bow
• 30m from the sides or stern

High-speed ferries such as Rivercats and Supercats display an all round yellow flashing light when travelling at speed. These ferries can travel quickly and create some wash or a stern wave while in operation. Be aware that they may be travelling much faster than they appear to be.

Shipping Channels

Large ships operate on Sydney Harbour. These vessels can only safely navigate within the specified channels and are limited in their ability to manoeuvre. All smaller vessels must kept well clear of big ships in Sydney Harbour's shipping channels.

Here are a few simple rules for safe navigation near the busy shipping channels on the harbour:

• Vessels under 20 meters in length (including sailing vessels) cannot impede larger vessels that can only navigate safely within a prescribed channel
• When driving in a channel, stay to the starboard (right) side of the channel
• Always cross a channel perpendicular to (at 90 degrees) to the channel
• Never proceed between the pilot vessel and a large ship
• Ships stern swings out wide when turning and they lose steerage if they travel too slowly
• Large vessels can take hundreds of meters to stop
• Never cross to closely behind a large vessel, their prop wash can drastically effect smaller boats ability to steer
• Stay away from tugs under load, their wash can throw a smaller vessel sideways through the water

Sea Planes

Sea planes operate from Rose Bay in Sydney Harbour. It is important that both seaplane pilots and boaters engage with one another effectively on the water. The propeller on a seaplane cannot be stopped quickly and is extremely dangerous so never approach a seaplane front-on and maintain a distance of at least metres from the front of a seaplane

When a seaplane is taxiing slowly on the water it is considered a power driven vessel and will give way accordingly. When taking off and landing the seaplane is required to give way to all vessels however once committed, will require space to follow through with its manoeuvre. Never change directions at the last minute if a sea plane is taking off or landing.

Vehicular Ferries

In some areas, like Mortlake to Putney on the Parramatta River, vehicular ferries pull themselves across the channel using cables strung across the river. These ferries are significantly restricted in their ability to manoeuvre and can only proceed in a straight line across the river.


When in operation, these ferries have a yellow flashing light. The ferry also indicates a GREEN over RED light in the direction of travel, and a RED light at the rear. The ferry at Putney will also have red flashing lights on shore or pillars to indicate the ferry is operating.

If a vehicle ferry is in motion, all vessels must

• Slow down to 4 knots
• Never pass ahead of the ferry as the cables will be at the surface
• Pass at a safe distance behind the ferry, preferably when it has reached the shore, to ensure the cables have sunk to the river bed

The ferry operates:

• Mon-Fri: 6.55am-9.35am and 2.55pm-6.25pm
• Weekends on demand between 10.45am and 5.35pm

Rivers

Vessels keep to the starboard side in channels and rivers for safe navigation. This helps to make your actions clearer to other vessels coming in the opposite direction and avoid the risk of collision. In narrow channels or rivers, you must keep as far to starboard (right) side as is practical and never block a channel. Take extra care at bends and always travel at a safe speed to avoid sudden dangers.

Exclusion zones

There are various locations on Sydney Harbour that have are prohibited to vessels unless authorised. Some of these are:

• Near Garden Island marked by exclusion zone bouys
• HMAS Waterhen in Balls Head Bay
• Shell Terminal in Gore Cove
• Parramatta river from Parramatta to Silverwater bridge in the east
• Circular Quay (south of the Opera House)
• Chowder Bay near naval base
• HMAS Penguin near Balmoral

There is also restrictions to:

• Personal Water Craft (PWC) are banned from operating on Sydney, Middle and North harbours and the Parramatta and Lane Cove rivers
• Sailboarding and paraflying are prohibited in main shipping channels and the commercial port area

Special event exclusion zones operate for events such as New Years Eve fireworks displays, Australia Day celebrations, Start of Sydney to Hobart and other festivities. These events have exclusion areas and low speed limits apply. Follow directions on the water by Maritime on these days.

Be Penguin Aware

Little Penguins frequent the area between Manly and North Head, especially during the summer breeding season. There are around 60-70 breeding pairs but these penguins are still at risk of injury or death from fox and dog attacks, boat strikes, fishing lines, hooks and rubbish and deliberate destruction of their nests. Anchoring is not permitted within 50 metres from the high water mark, which is identified by yellow aqua mark buoys and not in the vicinity of known seagrass beds. A 4 knot speed limit in these 'Environmental Protected Areas' extends from Smedleys Point to Cannae Point, and includes Little Manly, Collins Beach, Stores Beach and Quarantine Bay. This speed limit also continues north to 100 metres offshore from Smedleys Point toward Manly.