2056

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

No. 76

Notice to Mariners.—No. 33 of 1919.

Marine Department,
Wellington, N.Z., 1st July, 1919.

THE following Notices to Mariners, which have been received from the Hydrographic Office, London ; the Minister of State for Communications, Tokyo ; the Department of Trade and Customs, Melbourne ; and the Navigation Department, Sydney, are published for general information.

GEORGE ALLPORT,
Secretary.

AIRCRAFT.

INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO DISTRESS SIGNALS BY DAY AND NIGHT.

MARINERS and others are notified that when any aircraft is in distress and requires assistance, the following shall be the signals displayed by her, either together or separately :

I.The International signal “S.O.S.” by means of visual or wireless telegraphy.

II. The International Code signal of distress indicated by N.C.

III. The distant signal consisting of a square flag having above or below it a ball or anything resembling a ball.

IV. A continuous sounding with any sound apparatus.

V. A signal consisting of a succession of white Very's lights, fired at short intervals.

Note.—The above signals are subject to such modification as shall be published from time to time.

NORTH ATLANTIC ROUTE.—INSTRUCTIONS TO VESSELS WITH REGARD TO AIRCRAFT.

Notice No. 709 of 1919 hereby cancelled.

The following instructions, which are promulgated with a view to assisting aircraft attempting trans-Atlantic flights when out of sight of land, should be observed by all vessels employed on the North Atlantic route, until further notice :—

(1.) Should a vessel receive a request from aircraft for her position, the reply should be sent at a Morse speed of not greater than 12 words per minute.

(2.) Should a vessel sight an aircraft and no wireless signals be received from it, the vessel should transmit her position by wireless three or four times, without waiting to be requested to do so, as the aircraft wireless transmitter may have broken down. The position is to be transmitted in words and not in figures, thus : Latitude fifty thirty, longitude thirty twenty.

(3.) British commercial aircraft on trans-Atlantic flights will, for the present, use call signs of three letters (DKA to DMZ). The usual international procedure should be employed for inter-communication.

(4.) Should an “S.O.S.” call from aircraft be received, or aircraft be seen in difficulties, every endeavour possible should be made to rescue the occupants.

(5.) Great assistance will be given to aircraft in sighting ships at night if ships on hearing aircraft overhead will fire any form of pyrotechnic light to attract attention. This will, if possible, be replied to by the aircraft firing one coloured Very’s light or on her wireless.

(6.) An aircraft in distress will fire a series of white Very's lights at short intervals. Any ship in the vicinity should then indicate her presence and endeavour to rescue the occupants.

Note.—Aircraft attempting trans-Atlantic flight will be equipped with wireless-telegraph apparatus capable of transmitting and receiving on a 600 metre wave (spark).

No charges will be made by the Marconi Company for intercommunication between ships and aircraft for the attempts on the trans-Atlantic flight; they, however, reserve the right to make a charge for this inter-communication should the trans-Atlantic flight become a commercial undertaking.

ENGLAND.

EAST COAST.—RIVER THAMES ESTUARY.—COLNE RIVER ENTRANCE, BENCH HEAD LIGHT-BUOY.—ALTERATION IN COLOUR OF LIGHT.

Position.—At a distance of about 6. cables westward of Colne Point. Lat. 51° 46' N., long. 1° 13' E.

Alteration.—The colour of the group flashing light on the Bench Head light-buoy has been altered from red to white. This group flashing white light shows two flashes every thirteen seconds.

RIVER THAMES APPROACH.—TONGUE LIGHT-VESSEL.—AMENDED POSITION OF WRECK SOUTHWARD OF.—WRECK-MARKING VESSEL ESTABLISHED.

(a.) Wreck:

Position.—At a distance of about 3 cables southward from former charted position. Lat. 51° 29' 24" N., long. 1° 23' 15" E., on Chart No. 1607.

Description.—Sunken wreck of the s.s. “Dorte Jensen.”

(b.) Wreck-marking vessel:

Position.—At a distance of about 1½ cables north-eastward from the wreck.

Description.—A wreck-marking vessel showing the regulation black balls by day and white lights by night.

Remarks.—The light-buoy with a group flashing green light, formerly marking the wreck, has been withdrawn and is to be expunged from the charts.

SOUTH-EAST COAST.—DOVER CHANNEL.—DOVER.—AMENDED POSITIONS OF, AND INCREASED DEPTHS OVER, WRECKS SOUTHWARD OF.

(i.) Position.—At a distance of about 5 cables westward from former charted position. Lat. 51° 2' 36" N., long. 1° 18' 57" E. Details.—There is now a least depth of 12 fathoms over this sunken wreck.

(ii.) Position.—At a distance of about 8 cables westward from former charted position. Lat. 51° 2' 43" N., long. 1° 18' 50" E. Details.—There is now a least depth of 8 fathoms over this sunken wreck.

(iii.) Position.—At a distance of about 4 cables westward from former charted position. Lat. 51° 2' 55" N., long. 1° 19' 12" E. Details.—There is now a least depth of 8 fathoms over this sunken wreck.

Remarks.—The foregoing wrecks are to be moved on the charts to the positions given above, and the depths specified are to be inserted in lieu of wreck symbols.

Note.—The above positions refer to Chart No. 1895.

SOUTH COAST.—SPITHEAD APPROACHES.—CAUTION WITH REGARD TO SUBMARINES, DESTROYERS, AND AIRCRAFT EXERCISING.

Position.—Browndown Point, lat. 50° 47½' N., long. 1° 11¼' W.

Vessels of all descriptions navigating the waters between the Warner light-vessel and the West Ryde middle light-buoy are warned that submarines, destroyers, and aircraft are continually exercising in the vicinity in the following areas :-

2. Submarines, within an area bounded by lines joining Browndown Point, South-east Ryde middle light-buoy, West Ryde middle light-buoy, and Tichfield Haven.

3. Destroyers running torpedoes northward of a line joining South-east Ryde middle light-buoy and the eastern measured mile buoy.

4. Royal Air Force aircraft exercising with torpedoes to the southward of a line drawn from West Ryde middle light-buoy through South-east Ryde middle light-buoy to the south dolphin with occulting red and green light in the obstruction between Horse Sand Fort and Lumps Fort.

Note.—The area described in paragraph 2 above is to be inserted on the charts.

SPITHEAD APPROACH.—NAB AND WARNER LIGHT-VESSELS REPLACED IN PRE-WAR POSITIONS.

Mariners are notified that the Nab and Warner light-vessels have been replaced in their pre-war positions as engraved on the charts.

(a.) Nab light-vessel:

Position.—50° 40¼' N., long. 0° 57¼' W.

Description.—A light-vessel exhibiting a group flashing white light, as described in the Admiralty List of Lights.

(b.) Warner light-vessel:

Position.—Lat. 50° 43¾' N., ong. 1° 4' W.

Description.—A light-vessel exhibiting a revolving white light, as described in the Admiralty List of Lights.

Remarks.—This light-vessel, which was temporarily renamed “Dean,” has resumed its former name of “Warner.”

(1.) SPITHEAD, STURBRIDGE SHOAL.—PROHIBITED AREA MARKED BY LIGHT-BUOYS AND BUOYS.

Position.—Norman’s Fort Light, lat. 50° 44½' N., long. 1° 5¾' W.

Details.—The rectangular prohibited area situated off the Sturbridge Shoal mentioned in the former notice is marked as follows : The northern line of this area is marked at the extremities by light-buoys exhibiting an occulting white light