SEPT. 7.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2971

Further Admiralty Notices to Mariners will be issued as necessary. 16th May, 1916.

ADMIRALTY PUBLICATIONS.—BRITISH SUMMER TIME.—ALTERATION IN CLOCK TIME OF TIME-SIGNALS FOR BRITISH ISLANDS.—Owing to the advancement of the clock by one hour, necessitated by the introduction of British Summer Time, the clock time of all time-signals throughout the British Islands, with the undermentioned exception, will be one hour later than the time shown in the Admiralty List of Time-signals under the column “Standard M.T.,” the G.M.T. of the time-signals remaining the same as shown in Admiralty publications. The exception referred to above is the time-gun at Edinburgh Castle, which will be fired at noon G.M.T., corresponding to 1 h. 0 m. 0 s. British Summer Time.

Period of Alteration.—Until 30th September, 1916, inclusive.

Note.—The charts will not be corrected for this temp. alteration. 23rd May, 1916.

ADMIRALTY TIDE-TABLES, 1916.—INTRODUCTION OF BRITISH SUMMER TIME.—(1.) In Part I of the Admiralty Tide-tables, 1916, the times of the tides, both as predicted and as obtained by means of the tidal differences, are as follows :—

Great Britain .. }
France .. }
Belgium .. } G.M.T.
Ireland .. .. 25 mins. slow on G.M.T.
Netherlands .. .. 20 mins. fast on G.M.T.
Germany .. }
Denmark .. } One hour fast on G.M.T.
Norway .. }

Should the times of the tides at ports in the above countries be required in British Summer Time, the following corrections must be applied to the times obtained from the Admiralty Tide-tables :—

Great Britain .. }
Ireland .. }
France .. } Add one hour.
Belgium .. }
Netherlands .. .. Add 40 mins.
Germany .. }
Denmark .. } No correction.
Norway .. }

(2.) The times of H.W. found from the establishments in Part II of the Admiralty Tide-tables are in local or in G.M.T., according as to whether the local or Greenwich time of H.W.F. & C. has been used for the calculation. Should the times so found be required in British Summer Time the G.M.T. of H.W. should be found, and 35 mins. added for ports in Ireland or one hour added for ports in Great Britain and on the W. coasts of Europe. 18th May, 1916.

TIDAL RECORDS.—BRITISH SUMMER TIME.—The times of all tidal records kept for perm. reference should, as prev., be in standard time—i.e., M.T. of the meridian of Greenwich at all places in Great Britain, and M.T. of the meridian of Dublin or 25 mins. slow on G.M.T., at all places in Ireland. 25th May, 1916.

PROCEDURE FOR VISIT AND SEARCH OF VESSELS BY H.M. SHIPS.

In view of the danger of H.M. ships closing vessels, apparently Neutral, British, or Allied traders, but which are in reality German raiding cruisers, it is necessary to adopt a special boarding procedure as a measure of precaution. This procedure has been notified to all Neutral and Allied Powers.

When it is desired to put into force the special boarding procedure, it will be as follows :—

A red pendant of a specially large size will be hoisted by the man-of-war exercising the right of visit and search. The hoisting of this pendant will be accompanied by the firing of a rocket. This will signify that the merchant ship is to close the boat lowered by the man-of-war, whether the man-of-war remains in the vicinity of the boat or not.

NOTE.—The procedure with regard to the use of special signals at night, mentioned in the former notice quoted above, has been discontinued. The night signals previously ordered, if seen in future, are not to be obeyed.

ENGLAND.—SOUTH-EAST COAST.—DOVER STRAIT.—LIGHT-VESSELS ESTABLISHED.—TRAFFIC REGULATIONS.

Two light-vessels have been moored in the English Channel off Folkestone, as follows :—

(1.) Position.—At a distance of about 2 miles, south-eastward, from Folkestone Pier head. Lat. 51° 3′ 5″ N., long. 1° 13′ 45″ E. Characteristics.—(a.) Light: Character—A flashing green light every thirty seconds. (b.) Fog-signal: Description—A siren giving four blasts in quick succession, of two seconds’ duration each, every minute. (c.) Vessel: Description—Has one mast with two globes as daymark, hull painted green.

(2.) Position.—At a distance of 5 cables, 145° (S. 21° E. mag.) from (1). Characteristics.—(a.) Light: Character—A flashing white light every ten seconds. (b.) Fog-signal: Description—A horn worked by hand giving two blasts in quick succession every two minutes. (c.) Vessel: Description—Has one mast with one globe as daymark, hull painted red.

Shipping is hereby warned that all traffic in that part of the Straits of Dover which lies between the Varne Shoal and Folkestone must, unless instructions to the contrary are received, pass between the above-mentioned light-vessels, and that Article 25 of the Collision Regulations must be complied with—that is to say, eastbound traffic must keep to the southern side of the passage, and westbound traffic must keep to the northern side.

Ships disregarding this warning will do so at their own peril.

Caution.—Mariners are warned to exercise great caution when approaching the ship’s passage between the light-vessels, as the tidal streams may, at times, set obliquely across the passage. Both light-vessels should be given as wide a berth as the width of the passage and compliance with Article 25 of the Collision Regulations permit.

Variation.—14° W.

Note.—This notice is a repetition of Notice No. 459 of 1916, with additional information.

Charts temporarily affected.—No. 1895, Dungeness to the Thames; No. 1406, Dover and Calais to Orfordness and Scheveningen; No. 1431, Approaches to Dover Strait—Fécamp to North Foreland; No. 2451, Owers to Dungeness; No. 2675c, English Channel, eastern sheet; No. 2182A, North Sea, southern sheet; No. 1598, English Channel.

CAUTION WITH REGARD TO MINED AREAS.

Caution.—Mariners are warned that a system of mine-fields has been established by H.M. Government upon a considerable scale. All vessels are strongly advised to obtain a London Trinity House pilot when navigating between Great Yarmouth and the English Channel. It is dangerous for ships to cross the area between the parallels of 51° 15′ and 51° 40′ north latitude and the meridians of 1° 35′ and 3° 18′ east longitude.

Remarks.—It will be observed that the eastern limit of the mined area has been altered to 3° 18′ east longitude, instead of 3° 20′ east as previously notified.

Note.—Although these limits are assigned to the danger areas, it must not be supposed that navigation is necessarily safe in any part of the southern waters of the North Sea.

CAUTION WHEN APPROACHING BRITISH PORTS.

PART I.—CLOSING OF PORTS.

(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 lookout should be kept for 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 exhibited 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