Middle Harbour & The Spit

Middle Harbour is the long northern arm of Sydney Harbour, and The Spit is its front door, a narrow neck with an opening road bridge, marinas on both sides and the Marine Rescue base right there. If your mast is tall, the whole trip up Middle Harbour runs to the bridge timetable, so plan around it.

At a glance

The Spit Bridge

Opening times (TfNSW). Weekdays: 10:15 am, 11:15 am, 1:15 pm, 2:15 pm, 8:15 pm, and 9:15 pm in daylight saving only. Weekends and public holidays: 8:30 am, 10 am, 11:30 am, 2:30 pm, 4:30 pm, 6:30 pm, 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm.

Clearance. TfNSW says boats with masts under about 6 m above the water (depending on the tide) can pass when the bridge isn't open.

Rules. Follow the navigation rules on the approach and wait for the green light. Arrive early and you wait for the next scheduled lift; TfNSW is told of serious breaches.

Anchoring and moorings

• Waiting for the bridge. Use the two courtesy moorings on the western side near the d'Albora marina (087 and 097) or the two on the eastern side (088 and 089). They're for boats waiting for the bridge: 2 hours and 20 tonnes maximum.
• Elsewhere. Map 9D marks pink courtesy moorings around Middle Harbour. These are free for vessels under 20 tonnes for up to 24 hours unless signs say otherwise.

Rules in brief

• No wash. Map 9D says all the water at The Spit from Clontarf Point to Beauty Point is a no-wash zone.
• Rowers. The map warns that rowers use these waterways.
• Davidson Park. Map 9D says Davidson Park is subject to night closures (sunset to sunrise).

Sydney Harbour rules in brief

• No PWCs, no kiteboards. TfNSW says you can't drive a personal watercraft anywhere on Sydney Harbour, including its bays, the Parramatta and Lane Cove rivers and Middle Harbour. Kiteboards are banned too, and sailboards are restricted in many areas.
• Ferries. By day, ferries showing an orange diamond have priority over sail. Sailing boats keep at least 200 m off their bow and 30 m off their sides and stern. High-speed ferries show an all-round flashing yellow light when travelling fast.
• Ships. Keep well clear of ships in the channels, keep to the starboard side and give way. Sydney VTS broadcasts safety messages and ship movements every 2 hours on VHF 13 (and 16), starting at about 1 am. The Port Authority asks recreational boaters to listen on 13 in the harbour and 12 in Botany Bay.
• Naval waters. TfNSW map 9D says no anchoring in naval waters, and to keep clear of Garden Island by staying outside the Man of War yellow buoys. NGA warns of hazardous work with explosives in naval waters; keep away from warships and ammunition barges flying flag B.
• Moorings. Pink courtesy moorings are free for vessels under 20 tonnes for up to 24 hours unless a sign says otherwise. Blue emergency moorings are for TfNSW and police only (map 9D).
• Swimmers. Powerboats keep at least 60 m from designated swimming areas (map 9D).
• Survey work, 27 Oct to 27 Nov 2026. Port Authority local marine notice 030-2026 says a survey boat (a Zodiac) is surveying Port Jackson, mostly in naval waters, weather permitting. Keep clear of it.

Facilities

• Marine Rescue. Marine Rescue Middle Harbour runs two rescue boats from its over-water base near the Spit Bridge. The base is crewed on weekends, Wednesdays and public holidays; Marine Rescue NSW answers 24/7 on VHF 16 or (02) 9471 8300.
• Marinas. OpenStreetMap shows marinas on both sides of the bridge; see the map above.

Ashore

What's within about a 15-minute walk (1.2 km) of each marina, ramp or landing on this page, measured along streets and footpaths in OpenStreetMap. Addresses are from OpenStreetMap where it has one; where it doesn't, we show the name and distance only. Listings as fetched from OpenStreetMap on 27 October 2026; check opening hours before you walk.

From d'Albora Marina The Spit / Ferguson's Marina / Middle Harbour Yacht Club Marina (marina)

Nothing mapped within the 15-minute walk of: Clontarf Marina.

Places, types, addresses and walking distances: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), fetched 27 October 2026.

About this page

These are free planning notes written by a working delivery skipper from public sources. They are not for navigation. Use the official chart, current Transport for NSW marine notices, Port Authority notices, official tide tables and local advice. Spotted something out of date? Please use Report a correction below.

Official links

Check these before you go. They beat anything on this page.

• Transport for NSW: Spit Bridge openings
• Transport for NSW: rules for boating on Sydney Harbour
• Port Authority of NSW: Sydney Harbour & Port Botany local marine notices
• Port Authority of NSW: Sydney Harbour information for recreational boaters
• Transport for NSW: exclusion and restriction zones
• Port Authority local marine notice 030-2026: bathymetric survey (PDF)
• Transport for NSW boating maps (index)
• Transport for NSW marine notices (current)
• Transport for NSW: crossing coastal bars
• Marine Rescue NSW: log on and plan your trip
• Bureau of Meteorology: tide predictions
• Bureau of Meteorology: NSW coastal waters forecasts
• Bureau of Meteorology: NSW warnings (incl. marine wind warnings)

Sources & credits

Need a delivery skipper for this coast? Get a quote from Capt. Garry Hartshorne, AMSA Master <45.