Sydney

1. Bras d’Or Lake Pilot Boarding Station Sydney and Bras d’Or Lakes Pilot boards46°20.5′N 060°07.0′W
2. Bras d’Or Lakes pilot station — Sydney Harbor / Bras d’Or Lakes Pilot46°18.5′N 060°07.5′W
3. Sydney Harbour pilot boarding — arrival position Pilot boards46°22.0′N 060°08.0′W

Size limits

Harbour: Draught 11.5m, LOA 361m, Beam 43.0m, 71,552DWT.

Water density

1023 - 1025.

Load line zone

North Atlantic Winter Seasonal Zone II, Winter Nov 1 to Mar 31, Summer Apr 1 to Oct 31.

Tides

Tidal range 0.9 - 1.5m.

Tidal range at Sydney Marine Terminal is 0.9 - 1.4m.

Deepest first. The draught is the largest any of the terminal's berths states; a dash means the source gives none.

Approach

The harbour channel has a controlling depth of 11.7m.

The directions for entering the harbour are as follows:

Sea to Sydney Bar Light: The initial position is in the vicinity of "SA" lightbuoy, (46°18.4'N 060°07.9'W).

Sydney Leading Lights: Front light (white 8-sided tower, red stripe, 18m in height), (46°10.8'N 060°15.1'W), near Dixon Point on the E shore of the North West Arm.

Rear light, (white square tower, red stripe, 12m in height), 766m SW of the front light.

The lights are visible on the leading line only.

The alignment (213.5°) of these lights leads through the outer part of Sydney Harbour passing (positions given from Low Point Light), then:

1nm NW of Petries Reef (1nm SW) and:

1nm SE of S2 Lightbuoy (standard hand) (2.75nm W), marked Cran Rock and shoal ground extending 0.9nm NE of Cranberry Point, then:

Approx 0.7nm NW of Livingstone Shoal, (1.9nm SW) a stranded wreck lies on the shoal, then:

SE of shoal ground and detached patches with depths of less than 10m, extending 0.85nm ESE from Cranberry Point 3.5nm W, the W entrance point, then:

Close NW of SC Lightbuoy (safewater; bell) 3nm SW, lying 0.8nm SE of Swivel Point, then:

SE of Mines Point (4.5nm SW).

The track then leads to a position, on the leading line, W of Sydney Bar light (white square building), (46°12.3'N 060°13.1'W), marking the W edge of South East Bar, a narrow above water spit that extends approx 0.9nm SW from Daly Point. A drying sand and shingle bank extends 0.2nm farther W.

Port limits

Approx 7nm inward from Sydney Alpha buoy.

North Sydney - On the N side, a line joining Sydney Bar Light, (46°12'N 060°13'W) and a point on the shore approx 0.3nm N of Northwest Bar, 0.95nm NW.

On the E side, a line joining Sydney Bar Light and Point Edward, 1.25nm SSW.

Anchorages

The enclosed harbour affords safe anchorage in both the NW and S arms of the harbour for a large number of vessels of any size with depths ranging from 12.0-18.0m.

Outer anchorage: Anchorage is available in the approaches to North Sydney. A prohibited anchorage area, owing to submarine cables NE of a line (46°14'N 060°12'W), extending SE from Sydney Mines.

North Sydney: Good open anchorage is available off North Sydney (46°12'N 060°14'W) and in North Sydney Roads, NE of the bars at the entrance. The outer limits of the anchorage area, cross the harbour at a point 1.75m NE of Sydney Bar Light.

South Arm: Good anchorage, sheltered by South East Bar, is available for vessels of moderate size throughout the greater part of South Arm, avoiding the shoal patches above Dobson's Point (Shingle Point) (46°08'N 060°12'W).

Caution: Care should be taken not to anchor near submarine cables laid across the harbour.

Tugs

Available on request. "Orion Expeditor" a 4,300hp tug is available for assistance.

Charts and publications

BA 4748, 4763, 4764. Admiralty Pilot NP65.

Communications

Halifax Coast Guard Radio (callsign "VCS") can be used for passing messages throughout 24 hours. Amver messages can be passed through "VCS".

Halifax Coast Guard CRS has sites at Sambro (44°28.33'N 063°37.27'W); Ecum Secum (44°57.87'N 062°08.92'W); Kingsburg (44°16.53'N 064°17.25'W). HF and MF frequencies are used, depending upon distance from station.

VHF: Ch 16.

Sydney radio "VCO" monitors 2182kHz. All vessels, of 20m and over, report to Eddy Point Vessel Traffic Management Centre for clearance through any coast station.

VHF: Ch 16. Sydney Coastguard maintain a 24 hour VHF watch.

Notice of readiness

NOR normally tendered when vessel secured alongside berth except most tankers tender on arrival pilot station or at port limits.

Documents

Documents are received by Canada Customs on arrival or in the absence of Customs it is the responsibility of the vessel's agent to take documents to Canada Customs and Immigration.

Health

Pratique should be applied for when arriving from a country which has infectious diseases or death onboard from unknown causes. Pratique is applied for through the vessel's agent.

Ship Sanitation Control Certificate and Exemption Certificates can be renewed.

Customs and immigration

Allowances: For each officer or crew member the allowance is 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 0.9kg of tobacco and 1.1 litres of liquor or 8.2 litres of beer or ale.

Penalty for non compliance with the above is forfeiture. If ship's bond count is not accurate, overage results in forfeiture and penalty, under results in payment of duty, taxes and penalty.

Immigration: Routine filing of documents is undertaken by the vessel's agent. There are no restrictions on crew and/or passengers except those who require a visa. If they do not possess a visa they must remain aboard the vessel.

Flags

State flag to be flown over the stern and Canadian flag at the mast.

Port State Control here: Paris MOU, Tokyo MOU.

Running now: the Paris and Tokyo MOU concentrated inspection campaign on cargo securing, 1 September to 30 November 2026. Its questions are published: the questionnaire.

Inspection of ships in Canada

Transport Canada,

Inspection and Operations Standards Division,

Tower C, Place de Ville, 330 Sparks Street, 11th Floor, Ottawa, ON K1A 0N5.

For Flag State Inspection Standards (Canadian Vessels):

Tel: +1 613 991 3135

Fax: +1 613 991 4818

Teletypewriter / TDD: +1 888 675 6863

Email: [email protected]

For Port State Control Standards (Foreign Vessels):

Tel: +1 613 991 3135

Fax: +1 613 993 8196

Teletypewriter / TDD: +1 888 675 6863

Email: [email protected]

ISPS

ISPS Designated Authority: Directorate Marine Security - Transport Canada.

Position: Director General.

Address: 112 Kent Street, Tower B, Place de Ville, Ottawa, ON, K1A ON5, Canada.

Tel: +1 613 851 6302

Fax: +1 613 949 3906

Website: http://www.tc.gc.ca

For further ISPS information see IMO website http://www.imo.org

Repairs

Minor repairs available. Divers are available for underwater welding and services.

North Sydney - The shipyard operates five repair cradles, the largest of which is 38m long. It can accommodate vessel with a draught of 3.6m fore and 4.4m aft and displacement of 500t. Hull and machinery repairs can be undertaken.

Dry docks

North Sydney Marine railway has drydock facilities with a capacity of 1,000t for vessels up to length 60m, beam 12m and draught 5.0m.

Bunkers, water and stores

Fresh water: Available.

Bunkers: Available.

Stores: Available.

Medical

Sydney.

Crew change

Crew change is possible, contact agent.

Transport

Nearest airport: Sydney, 11.2km.

Nearest railway: Sydney.

Working hours

Normally 0800-1700hrs.

Where it is

Sydney is situated at the head of the S Arm of Sydney Harbour, located on the NE coast of Cape Breton.

The Sub-Port of North Sydney is situated on the W side of Sydney Harbour, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.

The port

Sydney is a steel manufacturing centre and an export point for extensive coal fields, also specialises in bulk and project cargoes. The port of Sydney (Canada) is a deep-water port that offers depths of up to 16.5m in its turning basin.

Traffic

Approx 180 vessels visit the port and 1,826,000t of cargo handled annually.

Where does the pilot board at Sydney?

The pilot boards at Bras d’Or Lake Pilot Boarding Station Sydney and Bras d’Or Lakes, 46°20.5′N 060°07.0′W. Sydney has 3 pilot boarding places.

What time zone is Sydney in?

Local time at Sydney is UTC−4. Clocks go to UTC−3 on 14 Mar 2027. Back to UTC−4 on 7 Nov 2027.

What is the maximum draft at Sydney?

The deepest berth listed is at Atlantic Canada Bulk Terminal: 11.50 m maximum draught. The "Max draft per terminal" table gives each terminal's figure.

What is the water density at Sydney?

1023 - 1025.

Which load line zone is Sydney in?

North Atlantic Winter Seasonal Zone II, Winter Nov 1 to Mar 31, Summer Apr 1 to Oct 31.

Who carries out Port State Control at Sydney?

Port State Control at Sydney: Paris MOU, Tokyo MOU.

What is the UN/LOCODE of Sydney?

The UN/LOCODE of Sydney is CASYD.

What crews who called at Sydney say: pilot boarding, the agent's papers, inspections, shore leave. Each tip is shown with the writer's rank and ship type, and an AI summary sits on top once there are three or more.

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