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Pilotage information

Find information to help plan your arrival and departure from Wellington Port including waypoints, charts and instructions for navigating into and out of the harbour.

Access downloadable ECDIS Files and Waypoints for the Deep Draft Channels

Deep Draft Routes

Passage Waypoints for the Wellington Channel

Wellington Pilotage Waypoints

Standard Inward Courses

Green 50m XTD / 100m corridor

Waypoint

Latitude

Longitude

Course

Alpha

41° 24.00’S

174° 49.41’E

C’ 017

SWP01

41° 21.25’S

174° 50.50’E

C’ 016

SWP02

41° 19.56’S

174° 51.16’E

C’ 007

SWP03

41° 17.05’S

174° 51.55’E

C’ 310

SWP04

41° 16.18’S

174° 50.18’E

Var

 

Standard Outward Courses

Red 50m XTD / 100m corridor

Waypoint

Latitude

Longitude

Course

SWP 05

41° 16.65’S

174° 49.70’E

C’ 125

SWP 06

41° 17.24’S

174° 50.80’E

C’ 176

SWP 07

41° 19.55’S

174° 51.01’E

C’ 198

SWP 08

41° 21.20’S

174° 50.30’E

C’ 205

SWP 09

41° 22.51’S

174° 49.49’E

  

Seaview Wharf Waypoints

Standard Inward Courses

Green 50m XTD / 100m corridor

Waypoint

Latitude

Longitude

Course

Alpha

41° 24.00’S

174° 49.41’E

C’ 017

SWP01

41° 21.25’S

174° 50.50’E

C’ 016

SWP02

41° 19.56’S

174° 51.16’E

C’ 007

G05

41° 16.95’S

174° 51.565’E

C’ 060

G06

41° 16.05’S

174° 53.62’E

C’ 020

SVW

41° 15.50’S

174° 53.89’E

  

 

Standard Outward Courses

Red 50m XTD / 100m corridor

Waypoint

Latitude

Longitude

Course

SVW

41° 15.50’S

174° 53.89’E

Var

SVW2

41° 15.50’S

174° 53.28’E

C’ 230

Somes Out

41° 16.17’S

174° 52.23’E

C’ 230

Kau Out

41° 17.085’S

174° 50.786’E

C’ 176

SWP 07

41° 19.55’S

174° 51.01’E

C’ 198

SWP 08

41° 21.20’S

174° 50.30’E

C’ 205

SWP 09

41° 22.51’S

174° 49.49’E

  

 

Passage Waypoints Chart

Wellington Channel Tracks

Download the waypoints chart

file_copy Wellington Channel Tracks.jpg File size: 9 MB file_download

Pilot Stations

 

Pilot stations
    
“A”  41 24.00’ S 174 49.43’ E  steer 016.5 Pilot Station “Alpha”
“B”  41 24.00’ S 174 50.10’ E    Pilot Station “Bravo”
“C”  41 24.00’ S 174 48.30’ E   Pilot Station “Charlie”

Port passage planning

The information below can help you plan your arrival and departure from Wellington Harbour. 

Charts

The charts used for Wellington are:

  • NZ 463 Approaches to Wellington
  • NZ 4633 Wellington Harbour
  • NZ 4634 Wellington Harbour entrance and plans of wharves

Four pilot boarding areas have been established at the following approximate positions:

'A' Alpha    41°24.00’ S 174 49.43’ E              Steer 016.5

'B' Bravo    41°24.00’ S 174 50.10’ E

'C' Charlie  41°24.00’ S 174 48.30’ E

Pilots will normally board from ‘Tarakena’, a 14.6 metre Striker launch capable of 14 knots or ‘Te Haa’ an 18 metre Camarc launch capable of 26 knots. A boarding speed of approximately 9 knots is preferred but this will depend on the sea and swell conditions.

The Pilot will arrange and describe a boarding position if this should differ from the charted positions (NZ 4633). The boarding position should allow time for the Pilot to present his pilotage plan to the bridge team. Ship’s bridge teams should have the pilot card ready for presentation.

This situation will be discussed with the Master by radio and a piloting plan agreed. The boarding position and the point of commencing the lead will be advised by the Pilot.

In the above conditions, the vessel should join the leads at least 3 miles from the entrance and the Master should carefully monitor the vessel’s progress during the passage, keeping strictly to the line of the leads.