May 23.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1959

Notice to Mariners.—No. 31 of 1918.

Marine Department,
Wellington, N.Z., 14th May, 1918.

THE following Notices to Mariners, which have been received from the Hydrographic Office, London, and the Hydrographic Office, Washington, are published for general information.

GEORGE ALLPORT,
Secretary.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO MERCHANT VESSELS.
Former notice hereby cancelled.

(1.) INFORMATION RESPECTING WAR INSTRUCTIONS FOR MERCHANT VESSELS.

Notice is hereby given that, under the Defence of the Realm Regulation (Consolidation) Regulations, 1914, the following Order has been made by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and is now in force:—

The Orders contained in Admiralty War Instructions for British Merchant Ships, or in any instructions or advice, confidential or otherwise, issued or given to masters of vessels by British or Allied Naval Officers, or by other duly authorized officers or officials, as to routes to be taken and other precautions to be observed to avoid capture or destruction by the enemy, are to be observed even when they are in conflict with the provisions of the Regulations for preventing Collisions at Sea, and every vessel observing such regulations, instructions, or advice shall be deemed to be taking measures to meet “special circumstances” within the meaning of Article 27 of the Regulations for preventing Collisions at Sea.

(2.) CAUTION AS TO OBEYING ORDERS RECEIVED FROM H.M. SHIPS, ETC.

The attention of all masters or other persons in command or charge of vessels is directed to the duty of obeying promptly and strictly all orders, whether by way of signal or otherwise, given by any officer in command of any of His Majesty’s ships or by any Naval or Military Officer engaged in the defence of the coast. Cases have been reported to the Admiralty in which British merchant vessels have wilfully disregarded the orders given by patrol boats, &c., and it is therefore considered necessary to remind all persons concerned of the penalties provided for such acts of disobedience.

Where vessels neglect to obey orders so given, the person in charge is liable to prosecution under the Defence of the Realm (Consolidation) Regulations, 1914, and upon conviction to be fined £100 or imprisoned for six months, or, where the disobedience was of an aggravated kind, to suffer both penalties. It should also be noted that failure to obey orders may necessitate the seizure and detention of the vessel when found in any port of the United Kingdom subsequently to the time at which the act of disobedience was committed.

(3.) USE OF MINE-PROTECTION GEAR BY VESSELS.

Notice is given that, under the Defence of the Realm Regulations, the following regulation has been made by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty with a view to protecting vessels navigating within certain areas from the risk of damage by mine, and is now in force:—

No British vessel equipped as directed by the Admiralty or Shipping Controller with the “Otter” protective gear shall, while navigating within the 60-fathom line off the United Kingdom or in any waters less than 60 fathoms deep where mines have been reported or may with reasonable probability be encountered, or in less than 80 fathoms in the Mediterranean Sea, neglect to have such protective gear properly adjusted and actually running outboard and adequately manned to secure the efficient working of the apparatus; and the master or other person in command or charge of any British vessel who neglects to see that such apparatus is so adjusted, running, manned, and worked shall be guilty of an offence against the Defence of the Realm Regulations.

(4.) 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.

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 accom-

panied 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.

(5.) REGULATIONS WITH REGARD TO VESSELS’ LIGHTS.

Notice is hereby given that, under the Defence of the Realm (Consolidation) Regulations, 1914, the following Orders have been made by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and are now in force:—

In areas in which submarines or raiders may be met vessels are to be carefully darkened from sunset to sunrise, and are to proceed without navigation lights. These lights must be so arranged that they can be instantly shown to avoid collision, and extinguished as soon as the danger of collision is past. Navigation lights when specially ordered to be shown must be dimmed to a visibility of less than two miles (Admiralty War Instructions for British Merchant Vessels).

1. Masthead Lights.—No masthead light of a brilliancy exceeding 2½ candle-power is to be exhibited. Lights are to be shaded with plain opal glass, and the reflectors are to be removed from the lanterns. Masthead lights are never to be used unless the master considers it absolutely necessary. The use of masthead lights is to be discontinued until provision has been made for their being dimmed in accordance with this order.

2. Side Lights.—No side light of a brilliancy exceeding 8 candle-power shall be exhibited.

In clear weather, and when specially ordered, 5 candle-power lamps are to be exhibited.

Plain coloured glass is to be fitted to the lanterns, but where already placed dioptric lenses may be continued in use until the plain glasses can be fitted.

Oil side lamps are only to be exhibited if electric lights are not available.

Reflectors are to be removed from the lanterns.

3. Stern Lights.—No stern light is to be exhibited except to avoid danger of collision, and such light is to be extinguished as soon as the danger is past.

Such light shall be electric of 2½ candle-power shaded with a plain opal glass, and is to be controlled from the bridge.

In ships fitted with dimmers bulbs of a higher candle-power may be used, but lights are not to be shown of a brilliancy exceeding that quoted in this Order, except in special circumstances, such as imminent danger of collision, thick weather, or while navigating in and entering or leaving harbours, &c.; such ships are to be supplied with bulbs of the prescribed candle-power, which are to be inserted and used in the lamps should the dimmers fail from any cause.

In vessels where electric light is not installed, an oil lamp or electric torch of equivalent brilliancy may be substituted.

Vessels in convoy which on occasion necessarily have to exhibit a stern light are to have such lights screened so as to show not more than three points from right astern on each quarter.

This Order applies—subject to any directions that may be given in any particular circumstances by the Commanding Officer of the Convoy or Senior Naval Officer present—to all British merchant vessels, and if

(a.) The owner of any British merchant vessel, or where such owner is a company, the managing director or other responsible person, fails to provide such vessel with the lights hereby prescribed and/or the means of shading the same; or if

(b.) The master or other person in command or charge of such vessel so provided fails to comply with any of the directions in this Order stated or referred to,—

then such owner, managing director, or other responsible person, and such master or other person in command or charge, shall respectively be guilty of an offence against the Defence of the Realm Regulations.

4. Anchor Lights.—No electrically lit lanterns are to be employed as anchor lights. The normal brilliancy of all other anchor lanterns is to be reduced by 50 per cent.

All anchor lanterns are to be fitted with overhead screens, so arranged as to cut off the light at an angle of between 20 and 25 degrees above the horizontal.

NOTE.—Specimen screens can be viewed at the Board of Trade Surveyor’s Offices at Leith, North Shields, Hull, London, Plymouth, Cardiff, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Dublin.

5. Other Lights.—No light, either aloft, on deck or below, except those authorized by the Admiralty Confidential Instructions, and such as may be necessary for authorized signalling purposes are to be permitted to be visible from outboard. This applies to vessels whether under way or at anchor.

The above Order applies to vessels of every description, other than H.M. ships and the vessels mentioned in the succeeding paragraph, in the waters of the United Kingdom.