Boating & Port Info

Local knowledge for Newcastle Harbour, the Hunter River and the coast, including what it means to share a working port with big ships.

Sharing the harbour with big ships

Newcastle is one of the busiest bulk ports in the world. Bulk carriers, tugs and pilot vessels move through the harbour day and night, and from the bridge of a 300-metre ship, your boat is invisible for the last half kilometre of its approach.

The basics: stay well clear of the shipping channel when a ship is moving, never cross ahead of a ship underway, keep clear of tugs (their tow lines can be nearly invisible), and monitor the port’s working channel so you know what’s coming.

VHF channels in our area

• VHF Ch 16 — Distress channel. All vessels should raise us on Ch 16 — Log On and Log Off with Marine Rescue
• VHF Ch 73 — Marine Rescue Newcastle working channel
• VHF Ch 09 — Newcastle Harbour VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) working channel

Weather, tides & conditions

Check conditions before you head out. The Bureau of Meteorology publishes a coastal waters forecast for Newcastle covering wind, swell and weather, plus tide predictions for the harbour and river.

Wind, swell & weather: BOM Newcastle coastal waters forecast. Tide times: BOM tide predictions for Newcastle.

Our area of operations

Marine Rescue Newcastle covers Newcastle Harbour, the lower Hunter River and offshore waters along the Hunter coast, working alongside neighbouring units at Port Stephens and Lake Macquarie.

Boat ramps & facilities

North Stockton boating hub — on the Hunter River, with an upgraded carpark (around 60 vehicle-and-trailer spaces), a sheltered fish-cleaning facility, wash-down bays, a small floating-pontoon harbour for boat berths, picnic areas and an accessible amenities block.

Carrington boat ramp — upgraded with a 35-metre floating pontoon (completed 2021) with solar lighting, tie-off cleats and non-marking fendering along the pontoon edge.