Information for Commercial Ships
General information
| Pre-arrival information | Agents/owners are required to complete and submit the ship pre-arrival form and submit it to the Harbour before at least 24 hours prior to entering into the Marlborough Harbour Limits. |
|---|---|
| Northern Entrance | The main pilot boarding station at the Northern Entrance to Queen Charlotte Sound/Tōtaranui. It is located at 41 04.62'S 174 18.92'E. Log ships must use this pilot station. |
| Tory Channel | Tory Channel is not suitable for bulk carriers or log ships. Vessels over 350 GRT may be permitted to enter or depart the Marlborough Harbour via Tory Channel subject to agreement from the Harbourmaster and pilots. Applications to transit Tory Channel must be made via the ship's agent at least 14 days in advance. |
| Communication | Picton Harbour Radio operates on VHF 18 and provides information on harbour traffic and weather. Inbound vessels must contact Picton Harbour Radio on VHF 18 at least two hours before arrival at the pilot station. The pilot launch Endeavour departs Picton approximately 1.5 hours prior to the pilot's scheduled boarding time and maintains a listening watch on VHF 18. |
| Boarding instructions | The pilot will contact the inbound vessel from the pilot launch Endeavour on VHF 18 with boarding instructions. Normally, the pilot will board on the line of the leading light with a boarding speed of 8 knots and the pilot ladder rigged on the lee side at 1.5 m above the water and no man ropes. |
| Passage plan | The pilot's passage plan will be provided during the Master Pilot exchange. A copy of the passage plan and waypoints are available on the Port Marlborough website. www.pictonpilot.co.nz |
| Draft | The minimum charted depth is 13.2 m for the passage to the berth. A 2 m UKC is required at all times. |
| Safety | Pilot life jackets are equipped with AIS and a strobe light. These will automatically activate if a pilot falls into the water. |
| Anchoring | Charted anchorages in the Marlborough Harbour can only be accessed with a pilot on board. Anchoring in any other location within harbour limits requires permission from the Harbourmaster. |
| Additional information | Charted anchorages in the Marlborough Harbour can only be accessed with a pilot on board. Anchoring in any other location within harbour limits requires permission from the Harbourmaster. |
| Harbour Master contacts | Email: harbours@marlborough.govt.nz Phone: +64 3 520 7400 |
| Port and pilots contacts | Email: pilots@pmnz.co.nz |
Go to the Ship pre-arrival form
Navigation safety levies
The following navigation safety levies will be applied to all vessels over 500 gross tonnes that navigate or anchor within the Marlborough Harbour Limits with the exemption of any vessel calling at Port Marlborough facilities:
- Cruise vessels $25 per metre per visit
- Cargo vessels per visit * $0.45 per gross tonnage
- Other vessel per visit * $0.50 per gross tonnage
- Extended anchoring (in addition to the appropriate per visit charge) $0.10 per gross tonnage per week or part thereof.
