Christchurch (Lyttelton) - Docking
Lyttelton inner harbour is small and very busy with commercial traffic. Te Ana Marina has berths available for visiting yachts with water and electricity. There are showers and laundry available. There is no fuel available at the marina. You need to go through the tunnel to Christchurch with jerry cans, or speak to the marina office to arrange a tanker.
Anchorages:
There are some very good anchorages around Lyttelton Harbour. Most of the harbour is good anchoring in thick mud.
Corsair Bay
The closest anchorage to Lyttelton is in Corsair Bay which offers good holding in mud. It is a lovely spot to anchor out of the prevailing easterly breeze but is exposed to southerly winds. You can anchor outside the moored boats. There is a ramp at Naval Point Club Lyttelton – ask at the office if you can leave your dinghy there. Watch out for the underwater cable – see the signs and chart when anchoring.
Diamond Harbour
Located on the southern side of the harbour, this spot is protected in most winds except from the NW. Southerly fronts can be very strong but are well predicted. There is a regular passenger ferry from here to Lyttlelton.
Purau Bay
Located to the east of Diamond Harbour, this is another good sheltered spot in NW and S winds. Naval Point Club has moorings. Ask for permission before using. There are no public moorings available – all moorings in the bay are privately owned.
Dinghy docks:
Diamond Harbour wharf has a dinghy dock. Park well clear of the passenger ferry and where children jump in the water. There is no dinghy dock at the marina.
Last updated: September 2022
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Related to following destinations: Christchurch (Lyttelton), New Zealand, South Island (New Zealand)
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The first four paragraphs under “Docking” above should be deleted
Te Ana marina is now complete, and has plenty of berths. It is fully protected inside the main port breakwaters. Call Lyttelton Harbour on VHF 12 before entry for instructions. Visitors may stay on pontoons from 10m upwards, with no real limit on size and plenty of depth. Facilities are sparse but what there is is good. Showers and laundry are new 2018, water, power, and wifi are available, but there is no fuel dock and the haulout facilities are poor at present, but expected to improve. Access is easy day or night and well marked.
Hi, Viki here from the Little Ship Club of Canterbury. We love welcoming visitors to our special part of the world. Our city is in a constant state of change since it was destroyed in the earthquakes of 2010-2011. We have put together a list on our website with information for visiting sailors which we keep up to date. We would love to welcome you if you are heading in this direction. Please get in touch.
https://littleshipclubcanterbury.wordpress.com/visiting-canterbury/
Yachts approaching Christchurch from the North should be aware that winds can go from benign to very strong quite rapidly during North Westerlies. This is due to the vast bare expanse of the Canterbury Plains which offers no resistance at all. In my case we went from 2-3 knots to having the gunwales underwater in an instant, necessitating hauling in most of the sails under trying conditions. So, be sure to reduce sail as you enter Pegasus Bay under these conditions.
Absolutely true! If strong north-westerly winds are predicted, it is easiest to follow the 15m contour around Pegasus Bay to avoid the very sharp chop that these winds can produce. Wind speed can easily be double what is forecast.
Christchurch Yacht Club does NOT accommodate visitors, the listed phone no. is no longer in use (“we no longer have had a phone line” says the Commodore) the chandlery has gone out of business…
Lyttleton inner harbour is a tiny but very busy commercial port with no room for visiting yachts…
Naval Point SC/Lyttleton marina is mostly empty and derelict, but the helpfull caretaker will do his best within the means for a visitor…