Aug. 12.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2893

Notice to Mariners No. 58 of 1915.

Marine Department,
Wellington, N.Z., 28th July, 1915.

THE following Notices to Mariners, which have been received from the Hydrographic Office, Washington; the Hydrographic Office, London; the Board of Trade, London; the Marine Board, Adelaide; and the Marine Department, Brisbane, are published for general information.

GEORGE ALLPORT,
Secretary.

UNITED KINGDOM.

Navigation in the North Sea and British Home Waters.

A.—GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS.—1. Local naval or military authorities may, at any time when they consider it necessary, close a port during certain hours without previous warning.

2. Before leaving ports in the United Kingdom masters of vessels should be careful to obtain the latest Admiralty Notices to Mariners. Attention is called to the notice on the inside cover of all Admiralty Sailing Directions and their supplements, and to the following Admiralty Notices to Mariners, and any subsequent ones that may be issued :—

No. 1738 of 13th Nov., 1914: River Medway.

No. 1812 of 10th Dec., 1914: Bristol Channel.

No. 45 of 15th Jan., 1915: Yarmouth Roads.

No. 137 of 22nd Feb., 1915: Irish Channel; North Channel.

No. 228 of 26th March, 1915: Dover Strait; Light-vessels established.

No. 258 of 3rd April, 1915: Portland Harbour.

No. 274 of 7th April, 1915: Caution when approaching British Ports.

No. 391 of 5th May, 1915: Firth of Forth, Moray Firth, Scapa Flow.

No. 408 of 8th May, 1915: River Tyne Boom Defence; Entrance Signals and Traffic Regulations.

No. 431 of 15th May, 1915: River Humber Pilotage.

No. 459 of 27th May, 1915: North Sea; River Thames and English Channel.

No. 460 of 27th May, 1915: Firth of Clyde; Special Instructions with regard to Traffic.

3. Care must be taken at all times to ensure masters being in possession of the latest Notices to Mariners.

4. Any lights may be extinguished and other aids to navigation removed or altered at any time without previous warning. (See Admiralty Notice to Mariners No. 1627, of 9th Oct., 1914.)

B.—MINES.—5. So far as is known at present there are, in addition to the mine-fields mentioned in Admiralty Notice to Mariners No. 391, of 5th May, 1915, the following principal mined areas :—

(a.) Off the Tyne.

(b.) Off Flamborough Head.

(c.) Off Southwold (southern limit 51° 54′ N.).

(d.) British mine-field between lat. 51° 15′ N. and lat. 51° 40′ N., and between long. 1° 35′ E. and long. 3° E.

C.—PASSAGES.—GENERAL.—6. All vessels entering the North Sea from the English Channel must pass between the two light-vessels off Folkestone (see Admiralty Notice to Mariners No. 228 of 1915) and proceed to the Downs, keeping inshore of an imaginary line joining the southernmost of the two light-vessels to the South Goodwin Light-vessel. Further instructions as to routes can be obtained in the Downs.

7. Vessels proceeding up or down the east coast should keep within three miles of the coast when consistent with safe navigation.

D. PARTICULAR PASSAGES.—NOTE.—In each case the return voyage should be made on the same route.

8. East Coast Ports to Channel and French Ports.—Proceed to the Downs, following the directions in paragraph 7 and Admiralty Notice to Mariners No. 239 of 1915. At the Downs further instructions will be obtained.

9. East Coast Ports to Dutch Ports.—Proceed as directed in paragraph 7 and Admiralty Notice to Mariners No. 239 of 1915. Leave the English Coast between the parallels of 51° 40′ N. and 51° 54′ N.; proceed between these parallels as far as longitude 3° E.; shape course thence to destination. Vessels using this route (which passes between the British and German mine-fields) must clearly understand that they do so entirely at their own risk.

10. East Coast Ports to Scandinavian Ports.—Proceed as directed in paragraph 7 and Admiralty Notice to Mariners No. 239 of 1915, as far as Farn Island; then steer for Lindesnaes and thence to destination, keeping in territorial waters. The route from St. Abb’s Head to Stavanger may be used as an alternative to the above route.

11. British and allied vessels wishing to use the north-about route should apply to the Customs for directions.

Neutral vessels wishing to use the north-about route should be informed that application for permission to do so must be obtained through their diplomatic representatives, and that, failing such permission, they must proceed south-about.

In no circumstances are vessels allowed to pass through the Minches or through the Pentland Firth.

12. Sailing-vessels from Atlantic to Scandinavian Ports.—Pass to westward of Ireland and St. Kilda. Then make the Faroe Islands, and proceed thence to destination, passing to the northward of the Shetland Islands, and keeping fifty miles from them. 15th May, 1915.

Enemy Submarines.—In order to warn merchant vessels and others that enemy submarines are known to be in the vicinity, the following sig. may be used, viz.: B Flag International Code over a Ball (hoisted where best seen) indicates “Enemy Submarine in the Vicinity.” By night, continuous flashing of the letter “S” will have the same signification. June.

CALIFORNIA.

SAN FRANCISCO BAY.—ALCATRAZ ISLAND.—BELL BUOY ESTABLISHED.—On 15th May, 1915, a bell buoy, painted in horizontal stripes, was established in about 6 fathoms of water, 135 yards 270° from the centre of the rock off the north-western end of Alcatraz Island, on the bearings—

Goat Island Lighthouse .. .. 111° 15′

Fort Point Lighthouse .. .. 246° 45′

Angel Island Lighthouse .. .. 338° 15′

U.S. Coast Survey Charts Nos. 5002, 5502, 5402, 5530, and 5532.

U.S. Coast Pilot, Pacific Coast, 1909, page 69.

INVINCIBLE ROCK.—BUOY REPLACED BY GAS-BUOY.—WHITING ROCK BUOY CHANGED.—On 15th May, 1915, the horizontally striped buoy marking Invincible Rock was replaced by a gas-buoy.

The gas-buoy shows, 10 ft. above the water, a flashing white light of 120 candle-power every 10 seconds—thus, flash 4 seconds, eclipsed 6 seconds.

Approx. position: Lat. 37° 57′ 25″ N., long. 122° 26′ 25″ W.

On the same date Whiting Rock buoy, painted in horizontal stripes, was changed from a first-class can to a first-class nun, painted red and numbered 6.

U.S. Coast Survey Charts Nos. 5502, 5402, 5530, 5533, and 5532.

Light List, Pacific Coast, 1915, page 20, No. 57A.

U.S. Coast Pilot, Pacific Coast, 1909, pages 78 and 79.

WASHINGTON.

PUGET SOUND.—POINT NO POINT LIGHT.—CHARACTERISTIC CHANGED.—INTENSITY INCREASED.—On 10th May, 1915, the characteristic of Point No Point light was changed from fixed white to flashing white with 1 group of 3 flashes every 10 seconds.

The luminous power of the new light is 13,000 candles.

Approx. position: Lat. 47° 54′ 45″ N., long. 122° 31′ 31″ W.

H.O. Charts Nos. 527 and 903.

U.S. Coast Survey Charts Nos. U, 5052, 7002, 6400, and 6450.

Light List, Pacific Coast, 1915, page 74, No. 388.

U.S. Coast Pilot, Pacific Coast, 1909, pages 24, 143, and 149.

H.O. Publication No. 96, The Coast of British Columbia, 1907, page 75.

COLUMBIA RIVER ENTRANCE.—DREDGING RANGE-LIGHTS ESTABLISHED.—On 7th May, 1915, Columbia Bar dredging range-lights were established on Cape Disappointment, as follows :—

FRONT LIGHT, fixed red, about 183 ft. above the water, 60 yards 78° 30′ from Cape Disappointment Lighthouse.

REAR LIGHT, fixed red, about 218 ft. above the water, 657 yards 41° from the front light.

These lights will be maintained by the U.S. Engineers during dredging operations on the bar.

U.S. Coast Survey Charts Nos. 6100 and 6151.

Light List, Pacific Coast, 1915, page 38, Nos. 169c and 169d.

U.S. Coast Pilot, Pacific Coast, 1909, pages 117 and 123.

BRITISH COLUMBIA.

STRAIT OF GEORGIA.—FRASER RIVER APPROACH.—ROBERTS BANK GAS AND WHISTLE BUOY.—COLOUR OF LIGHT CHANGED.—On 1st June, 1915, the colour of the light on Roberts Bank gas and whistle buoy was changed from red to white, without other change.

Approx. position: Lat. 49° 5′ 31″ N., long. 123° 18′ 27″ W.

H.O. Charts Nos. 527, 903, and 1768.

U.S. Coast Survey Charts Nos. U, 7002, 6400, and 6300.

H.O. Light List, Vol. I, 1913, No. 1813.

Bureau List of Lights, Vol. I, 1915, No. 1962.

Light List, Pacific Coast, 1915, page 90, No. 478.

H.O. Publication No. 96, The Coast of British Columbia, 1907, page 219.

U.S. Coast Pilot, Pacific Coast, Alaska, Part I, 1908, page 27.