1246
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 54

Notice to Mariners No. 29 of 1915.

CAUTION WHEN APPROACHING BRITISH PORTS.

Marine Department,
Wellington, 13th April, 1915.

THE following Notice to Mariners, which was published in
the London Gazette of the 12th February last, is issued
for the information of masters of vessels leaving for Great
Britain.

W. H. HERRIES,
Minister of Marine.

PART I.
CLOSING OF PORTS.

Former Notice.—No. 1 of 1915; hereby cancelled.
(1.) My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having
taken into consideration the fact that it may be necessary to
forbid all entrance to certain ports of the Empire, this is to
give notice that on approaching the shores of the United
Kingdom or any of the ports or localities of the British Empire
referred to in Part III of this notice, a sharp look-out should
be kept for the signals described in the following paragraph,
and for the vessels mentioned in paragraph (5), Part II, of this
notice, and the distinguishing and other signals made by them.
In the event of such signals being displayed, the port or
locality should be approached with great caution, as it may
be apprehended that obstructions may exist.
(2.) If entrance to a port is prohibited, three red vertical
lights by night, or three red vertical balls by day, will be ex-
hibited in some conspicuous position in or near to its approach,
which signals will also be shown by the vessels indicated in
paragraph (5), Part II, of this notice.
If these signals are displayed, vessels must either proceed
to the position marked “Examination Anchorage” on the
Admiralty charts and anchor there, or keep the sea.
(3.) At all the ports or localities at home or abroad referred
to in Part III of this notice, search-lights are occasionally
exhibited for exercise.
Instructions have been given to avoid directing moveable
search-lights during practice on to vessels under way, but
mariners are warned that great care should be taken to keep
a sharp look-out for the signals indicated in paragraph (2)
above when search-lights are observed to be working.

PART II.
EXAMINATION SERVICE.

(4.) In certain circumstances it is also necessary to take
special measures to examine vessels desiring to enter the ports
or localities at home or abroad referred to in Part III of this
notice.
(5.) In such case, vessels carrying the distinguishing flags
or lights mentioned in paragraph (7) will be charged with the
duty of examining ships which desire to enter the ports and
of allotting positions in which they shall anchor. If Govern-
ment vessels, or vessels belonging to the local port authority,
are found patrolling in the offing, merchant vessels are advised
to communicate with such vessels with a view to obtaining
information as to the course on which they should approach
the Examination Anchorage. Such communication will not
be necessary in cases where the pilot on board has already
received this information from the local authorities.
(6.) As the institution of the Examination Service at any
port will never be publicly advertised, especial care should be
taken in approaching the ports, by day or night, to keep a
sharp look-out for any vessel carrying the flags or lights
mentioned in paragraph (7), and to be ready to “bring to”
at once when hailed by her or warned by the firing of a gun
or sound rocket.
In entering by night any of the ports mentioned in Part III,
serious delay and risk will be avoided if four efficient all-
round lamps, two red and two white, are kept available for use.
(7.) By day the distinguishing flags of the Examination
Steamer will be a special flag (white and red horizontal
surrounded by a blue border) and a blue ensign.
Also, three red vertical balls if the port is closed.

SPECIAL FLAG THREE RED BALLS

[Diagram of flag: white and red horizontal stripes with blue border]

[Diagram of three red balls on vertical pole]

By night the steamer will carry—
(a.) Three red vertical lights if the port is closed.
(b.) Three white vertical lights if the port is open.

The above lights will be carried in addition to the ordinary
navigation lights, and will show an unbroken light around
the horizon.
(8.) Masters are warned that, before attempting to enter
any of these ports when the Examination Service is in force,
they must in their own interests strictly obey all instructions
given to them by the Examination Steamer. In the absence
of any instructions from the Examination Steamer they must
proceed to the position marked “Examination Anchorage”
on the Admiralty charts and anchor there, or keep the sea.
Whilst at anchor in the Examination Anchorage, masters
are warned that they must not lower any boats (except to
avoid accident), communicate with the shore, work cables,
move the ship, or allow anyone to leave the ship, without
permission from the Examination Steamer.
(9.) In case of fog, masters are enjoined to use the utmost
care, and the Examination Anchorage itself should be ap-
proached with caution.
(10.) Merchant vessels when approaching ports are especi-
ally cautioned against making use of private signals of any
description, either by day or night; the use of them will
render a vessel liable to be fired on.
(11.) The pilots attached to the ports will be acquainted
with the regulations to be followed.

PART III.
PORTS OR LOCALITIES REFERRED TO.

United Kingdom.

Alderney. Lough Swilly.
Barrow. Milford Haven.
Barry. Newhaven.
Belfast. Plymouth.
Berehaven. Portland.
Blyth. Portsmouth.
Clyde. Queenstown.
Cromarty. River Humber.
Dover. ,, Mersey.
Falmouth. ,, Tay.
Firth of Forth. ,, Tees.
Guernsey. ,, Thames.
Hartlepool. ,, Tyne.
Harwich. Scapa Flow.
Jersey. Sheerness.

Canada.

Esquimalt. Quebec.
Halifax.

Mediterranean.

Gibraltar. Malta.

Indian Ocean.

Aden. Karachi.
Bombay. Madras.
Calcutta. Mauritius.
Colombo. Rangoon.

China Sea.

Hong Kong. Singapore.

Africa.

Durban. Simons Bay.
Sierra Leone. Table Bay.

Australia.

Adelaide. Newcastle.
Brisbane. Sydney.
Fremantle. Thursday Island.
Melbourne.

Tasmania.

Hobart.

New Zealand.

Auckland. Port Lyttelton.
Otago. Wellington.

West Indies.

Bermuda. Port Royal, Jamaica.

PART IV.
SWEEPING OPERATIONS.

H.M. vessels are constantly engaged in sweeping operations
off ports in the United Kingdom.
Whilst so engaged, they work in pairs connected by a wire
hawser, and are consequently hampered to a very considerable
extent in their manoeuvring powers.
With a view to indicating the nature of the work on which
these vessels are engaged, they will show the following
signals:—
A black ball at the foremast head and a similar ball at the
yardarm, or where it can best be seen, on that side on which
it is dangerous for vessels to pass.