42
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
[No. 1

Notice to Mariners No. 1 of 1953 (Repeating Admiralty Notice to Mariners No. 1 of 1953)

CAUTION WHEN APPROACHING BRITISH AND COMMONWEALTH PORTS

PART I

Closing of Ports

(1) My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, in conjunction with the Commonwealth Naval Authorities, having taken into consideration the fact that it may be necessary to forbid all entrance to certain ports under their control, this is to give Notice that on approaching the shores of the British Isles, or any ports or localities in the Commonwealth, 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 lights vertically disposed by night, or three red balls vertically disposed 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 approach the port with the greatest caution and implicitly obey all orders or signals given them by the Examination Vessel, Traffic Control Vessel, or signal station.

(3) At some ports or localities at home or abroad, search-lights are occasionally exhibited for exercise.

Instructions have been given to avoid directing movable 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 signals indicated in paragraph (2) above, when search-lights are observed to be working.

Vessels are particularly warned not to enter a declared “Dangerous Area” or approach boom defences without permission, nor to anchor or remain stopped in a dangerous area or prohibited anchorage unless specially instructed so to do.

PART II

Examination Service

(4) In certain circumstances it is also necessary to take special measures to examine individual vessels desiring to enter ports and localities at home and abroad and to control entry generally. This is the function of the Examination Service. Where Traffic Control Vessels take the place of Examination Vessels their authority is the same.

(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 port and of allotting positions in which they shall anchor. If Government 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 port. 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 will probably be unknown to vessels desiring to enter the port, special 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 approaching by night any port in the British Isles and the Commonwealth, serious delay and risk will be avoided if four efficient all round lanterns, two red and two white, are kept available for use.

(7) By day the distinguishing flag of the Examination Vessel or Traffic Control Vessel will be a special flag (white and red horizontal surrounded by a blue border).

Also, three red balls vertically disposed if entrance is prohibited.

Special Flag Three Red Balls

[Diagram: Special Flag — a white field with a red horizontal stripe, bordered in blue.]

[Diagram: Three red balls vertically disposed on a pole.]

Usually the Examination Vessels or Traffic Control Vessels will fly the Blue Ensign, but in certain circumstances they may fly the White Ensign and in the Ports of some Commonwealth Countries they may fly the National Flag or an Ensign authorized by that Commonwealth Country.

By night the steamer will carry :—

(a) Three red lights vertically disposed if entrance is prohibited.

(b) Three white lights vertically disposed if entrance is permitted.

The above lights will be carried in addition to the ordinary navigation lights, and will show an unbroken light around the horizon.

(8) Merchant vessels approaching a British or Commonwealth Port at which the Examination Service is in force, must hoist their signal letters on arriving within visual signal distance of the port, and are not to wait for the signal “What is the name of your vessel ?” to be made from the Examination Vessel.

(9) Masters are warned that, before attempting to enter any port when the Examination Service is in force, they must in their own interests strictly obey all instructions given to them by the Examination Vessel or Traffic Control Vessel.

Whilst at anchor in the Examination Anchorage, Masters are warned that it is forbidden, except for the purpose of avoiding accident, to do any of the following things, without permission from the Examining Officer :—

To lower any boat.

To communicate with the shore or with other ships.

To move the ship.

To work cables.

To allow any person or thing to leave the ship.

The permission of the Home Office Immigration Officer must be obtained before any passenger or member of the crew who has embarked outside the United Kingdom is allowed to land.

(10) In case of fog, Masters are enjoined to use the utmost care, and the port should be approached with caution.

(11) When the Examination Service is in force merchant vessels when approaching ports are especially 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.

(12) The pilots attached to the ports will be acquainted with the regulations to be followed.

PART III

Other Regulations in Force

Nothing in this Notice is to be taken as over-ruling such general or local regulations as may be issued by the Public Traffic Regulations at each port, through routeing authorities, by Notices to Mariners or other means to meet new dangers or situations which may arise, or to cover local conditions.

Attention is called to Notice to Mariners No. 13 of each year and NEMEDRI.

NOTE.—This Notice is a repetition of Notice No. 1 of 1952.

(Notice No. 1 of 1/1/1953.)

Authority.—The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.
(H. 6067/52.)

Wellington, N.Z., 22 December 1952.

W. C. SMITH, Secretary for Marine.

(M. 10/145)

Notice to Mariners No. 1A of 1953

EXTRACT FROM ADMIRALTY NOTICE TO MARINERS NO. 13

Information About Navigational Warnings

D. WATERS OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN EAST OF 103° E. (BUT INCLUDING THE GULF OF SIAM).

Navigational Warnings are promulgated by HYDROPACS numbered consecutively. They are broadcast from Honolulu (see Vol. II).

They are reprinted in Section V of Admiralty Notices to Mariners Weekly Editions, United States Weekly Hydrographic Bulletin, and Commonwealth of Australia Notices to Mariners Weekly Edition, Section III, with lists of messages in force and cancellations. A monthly list of messages in force is promulgated monthly by HYDROPAC. Back messages are available at Capetown, Durban (Port Captain’s Office), Sydney, Melbourne, Wellington, Auckland, Lyttleton, Dunedin, Hong Kong, Singapore and all U.S. Branch Hydrographic Offices.

3. Certain areas are also covered by British Fleet Navigational Warnings, some of which are broadcast for the benefit of other shipping. These are all issued in consecutive series with a monthly list of messages in force. They are as follows :—

(a) W.B. MESSAGES—MEDITERRANEAN.

These are issued for H.M. Ships only, general navigational warnings being promulgated by NAVEAM.

(b) W.C. MESSAGES—INDIAN OCEAN.

These are issued on Naval Broadcasts S.A. and V.A. and Commercial Broadcast Areas 2 and 3. Back messages are available at Port Said, Aden, Columbo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Durban, Capetown, Fremantle, Port Darwin, Sydney, Melbourne, Wellington, Auckland, Lyttleton and Dunedin.

(c) W.F. MESSAGES—AUSTRALIA.

These are issued on Naval Broadcast B.L. and Commercial Broadcast Area 7. Back messages are available at Sydney, Melbourne, Wellington, Auckland, Lyttleton, Dunedin, Capetown and Durban.

(d) W.M. MESSAGES—NEW ZEALAND.

These are broadcast on Naval Broadcast W.V. and Commercial Broadcast Area 5 at 0930 and 2130 G.M.T. Back messages are available at Sydney, Melbourne, Wellington, Auckland, Lyttleton and Dunedin.

(e) W.P. MESSAGES—MALAYA, CHINA SEA AND N.W. PACIFIC.

These are broadcast on Naval Broadcasts F.E. and F.F. and on Commercial Broadcast Area 8. Back messages are available at Singapore, Kure, Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne, Wellington, Auckland, Lyttleton and Dunedin.

4. Mariners are advised to obtain copies of the Navigational Warnings appropriate to their voyage from convenient ports of call. After sailing they should ensure that their series are kept up to date.