Sydney Harbour demands accurate, up-to-date charts for safe navigation.
Everything you need to know about selecting, using, and maintaining charts for Sydney Harbour waters.
Why Sydney Harbour navigation requires proper charts
Sydney Harbour (Port Jackson) is one of Australia’s busiest waterways, with fast ferries, commercial shipping, recreational craft, complex currents, and hazards such as Sow and Pigs Reef. The harbour experiences semi-diurnal tides with predictions referenced to the Fort Denison tide gauge. High traffic diversity and narrow fairways elevate collision and grounding risk, so currency and scale of your charts matter.
Depths in the main fairways commonly exceed 25 m, and near the entrance can exceed 40 m; elsewhere, depth varies sharply, with very shallow margins and deep holes in places. Middle Harbour shows similar contrasts, deep troughs in parts but shallow edges and bridge constraints (notably the Spit Bridge). Botany Bay is naturally shallower overall, while its shipping channel is dredged for large vessels at Port Botany. (See Port Authority of NSW “Berths, channels and promulgated depths”.)
Navigation aids do change. In September 2024, the Bradleys Head Safe Water Mark was removed and a Special Mark established ~200 m to the east; always ensure your charts reflect the latest Notices.
Paper charts vs digital charts
Both formats offer distinct advantages, and best practice is to carry both.
Paper charts provide a power-independent, wide field of view for planning and pilotage, and they’re an essential backup if electronics fail. Laminated options resist weather on deck. They require manual corrections from Notices to Mariners and take up physical space, and they don’t plot your position automatically.
Digital charts add GPS-position display, route/waypoint management, alarms (e.g., shoal alerts), and easy weekly updates. Their downsides are dependence on power/electronics, limited screen view compared to a full paper sheet, and the risk of over-scaling (zooming beyond data resolution).
Harbour best practice: Use electronic charts as your primary, with up-to-date paper charts as essential backup. Maintain redundancy (separate device/power).
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Essential chart numbers for Sydney Harbour
AUS 200 (Port Jackson) is the primary large-scale harbour chart (1:20,000), covering from the Heads to the Parramatta River entrance, including North Harbour, Middle Harbour, and Darling Harbour. Check the product page for the current edition and any recent updates via Notices to Mariners.
There are no separate standard sheets for Middle Harbour or Darling Harbour, both are covered on AUS 200. AUS 202 (Port Jackson Central Sheet) has been withdrawn with no replacement; AUS 200 fully supersedes it.
For Botany Bay navigation, use AUS 198 (Botany Bay & Port Hacking, ~1:25,000) and AUS 199 (Botany Bay, ~1:12,000) for greater detail.
AUS 809 (Port Jackson to Port Stephens) is a coastal-passage chart (~1:150,000) suitable for approaches to/departures from Sydney.
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Understanding chart scales
At 1:20,000 scale, 1 cm on the chart equals 200 m on the water. Larger-scale charts (smaller denominator) show more detail over a smaller area, so AUS 200 (1:20,000) reveals hazards that a coastal sheet like AUS 809 (1:150,000) may generalise or omit.
Best practice (and often required by company or local rules) is to use the largest-scale chart appropriate to your position. Inside Sydney Harbour, use AUS 200; on coastal passages, use coastal-scale charts (e.g., AUS 809).
Scale impact: A 50 m rock is clearly depicted on AUS 200; on AUS 809 it may be a tiny symbol or not shown at that scale.
Keeping charts current with Notices to Mariners
The Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO) publishes Australian Notices to Mariners approximately fortnightly (around 25 issues per year). These notices provide official corrections to paper charts and publications, and weekly updates flow into AusENC.
How to stay current:
- Subscribe to AHO eNotices (free) for charts you hold
- Use the Australian Chart Index to check latest editions and cumulative corrections
- Download the latest fortnightly NTM PDFs and apply corrections to your paper charts
Typical Sydney Harbour updates include relocated marks, lights unlit, destroyed/replaced beacons, and off-station buoys, precisely the changes that prevent groundings and near-misses.
How to read tide charts for boating
Official NSW tidal predictions are referenced to the Fort Denison tide gauge; “zero” is approximately the level of Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT). Actual water level varies with weather (pressure, wind) and surge.
Estimating under-keel clearance: add the predicted tide height to the charted depth. If the chart shows 2.5 m and the tide is +1.2 m, you have ~3.7 m of water (before allowing for squat, heel, wave set, etc.).
Springs (full/new moon) bring larger ranges and stronger currents; neaps (quarter moons) bring smaller ranges and weaker flow.
- Check depth for ramps/shallow bars
- Time transits of shallow sections
- Set anchor scope for both high and low water
- Plan tight manoeuvres near slack water
Tide tables are predictions. Build a safety margin for wind setup, barometric effects, and storm surge.
Reading Australian nautical chart symbols
Australian charts use LAT as chart datum; soundings are in metres. Underlined numbers indicate drying heights (features that uncover at low tide).
Lateral buoyage (IALA Region A): when entering from seaward, red marks the port side of the channel and green marks the starboard side. Cardinal marks indicate the safe side to pass a danger; special marks (yellow) denote zones like seaplane or exclusion areas.
Light characteristics: F.G.3M = Fixed Green, nominal range 3 NM; Fl.Y.5s = Flashing Yellow with a 5-second period.
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Danger symbols:
- Rocks: “+” (submerged), an asterisk (drying), or “awash” symbol
- Wrecks: standard wreck/fish-bone symbols, sometimes with least depth
- Obstructions: “Obstn” annotation
Zone of Confidence (ZOC) diagrams show data quality: A1/A2 (high confidence), B (good), C (moderate caution), D/U (low confidence/unassessed). Exercise extra caution in lower-confidence zones.
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Electronic navigation systems
For recreational and commercial skippers alike, the fundamentals are the same: ensure your electronic charts are current, confirm the chart source, and keep redundancy.
- Primary system: a dedicated chartplotter or a robust tablet setup mounted securely, with reliable power.
- Backup: a second independent device and up-to-date paper charts (AUS-series).
- Cross-checks: don’t over-zoom vector data; confirm with scale-appropriate paper charts and visual fixes.
AusENC official electronic charts
AusENC are the official vector Electronic Navigational Charts for Australian waters, maintained by the Australian Hydrographic Office and updated weekly. AusENC is supplied in regional packs (e.g., coastal/port packs) and licensed via S-63 permits for use in compliant systems (ECDIS and compatible viewers).
Pricing and coverage are pack-based and vary by region and use-case. Always verify you have the cells covering your intended route and apply updates before departure.
Chart care and storage
Paper charts: store flat or in PVC tubes in a cool, dry locker; label clearly and organise in voyage order. Consider protective coatings/lamination or waterproof sleeves for on-deck use.
Waterproofing options:
- Map Seal polymer coating
- Professional lamination
- Waterproof paper
- Waterproof cases for on-deck protection
Digital backups: keep charts on multiple devices, back up AusENC permits, maintain copies on a waterproofed USB drive, and use cloud backup in port. Test your restore process periodically.
Where to buy Australian nautical charts
The Australian Hydrographic Office publishes Australia’s official charts and provides public updates (Notices to Mariners, chart indices). Charts are sold via authorised distribution agents such as the Chart & Map Shop.
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Summary: Safe navigation starts with proper charts
Sydney Harbour’s traffic and complexity demand accurate, current charts and smart redundancy.
Essential charts for Sydney Harbour boating:
- AUS 200 (Port Jackson), primary harbour chart
- AUS 809, coastal approaches (northbound/southbound legs)
- AUS 198/199, Botany Bay and detail
- Carry both paper and digital formats
Stay current: subscribe to AHO eNotices, apply fortnightly Notices to Mariners, run weekly AusENC updates, and replace paper charts when new editions publish. Use multiple navigation systems (primary + independent backup) and maintain situational awareness beyond the screen.
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