(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,
especial care should be taken in approaching the ports, by day
and 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

Red Blue

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 Common-
wealth 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 Examin-
ation 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 the 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 overruling 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 13 of each year
and NEMEDRI.

NOTE.—This notice is a revision of Notice 1/53.

Authority.—The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.
(H. 6046/53.)

Wellington, N.Z., 15 December 1953.
W. C. SMITH, Secretary for Marine.
(M. 10/145)

Notice to Mariners No. 4 of 1954

OFFICIAL MESSAGES TO BRITISH MERCHANT SHIPS AND
FISHING VESSELS

THIS organization provides for the transmission of important
messages from naval authorities to small ships, trawlers,
etc., fitted with radiotelephony, on occasions when such messages
may be of vital importance to their safety and welfare. Tests of
the organization, lasting for one week, may be held at irregular
intervals without prior notice, and all small craft fitted with R/T
apparatus are earnestly requested to listen for the messages broad-
cast during these tests and to forward particulars of those received.

NOTE.—This notice will be issued annually as New Zealand
Notice to Mariners.

2. When the organization described in this Notice to Mariners
   is ordered to be brought into force—

(a) Ships are to continue to read the traffic from the coast
station serving the waters in which they are sailing.
Official messages will be broadcast as shown in the
table below.

(b) T.R.s are to be discontinued.

(c) Messages are not to be acknowledged unless ships are
specially directed to do so in the text of the message.

(d) Ships are to conform to any restrictions regarding the use
of radio which may be issued by the naval authorities.

New Zealand Coastal Waters

These messages are to be broadcast at definite times from the
radio stations given in the following table. Normal R/T procedure
to which small ships are accustomed is employed as far as possible.
A preliminary call will be made on 2,182 kc/s and the messages
will then be broadcast on the coast station’s working frequency
of 2,162 kc/s; this frequency will be referred to in the preliminary
call. The text of each message indicates the Naval Authority
who has originated it and contains, if necessary, details of the
locality to which it refers.

Example.—The shore station calls on 2,182 kc/s “Hullo, all British
merchant ships, this is Wellington Radio. I have a message
from the New Zealand Naval Board. Please listen on
2,162 kc/s.”

The shore station then changes frequency and proceeds:
“Hullo, all British merchant ships, this is Wellington Radio.
Here is a message from the New Zealand Naval Board. Begins.
The organization for broadcasting official messages for ships
fitted with radiotelephony given in N. to M. No. 4 is now in
force for test for one week ending . . . (repetition of
text) . . . (date time group) . . . ends.”

All ships hearing these messages, when transmitted for test
purposes only, are particularly requested to forward brief reports
through their owners to the Navy Department and the Marine
Department, Wellington, stating the times and their approximate
position when these test messages were heard.

R/T Broadcast Routines

• In all cases official messages will be transmitted prior to the weather report
  and navigational warnings scheduled for the above times.

Authority : New Zealand Naval Board.

Wellington, N.Z., 15 December 1953.
W. C. SMITH, Secretary for Marine.
(M. 10/145)

Notice to Mariners No. 5 of 1954

NEW ZEALAND—RADIOTELEPHONY DISTRESS FREQUENCY
2182 Kc/s—SILENCE PERIODS

THE attention of mariners is drawn to regulation 123 of the
Radio Regulations 1953, which reads as follows:

‘All stations licensed to use radiotelephone installa-
tions in the authorized maritime mobile service frequency
bands between 1,605 kc/s and 2,850 kc/s shall, during their
hours of service, observe a listening watch on the distress
frequency of 2,182 kc/s twice each hour for three minutes
commencing on the hour and half hour, New Zealand time.
During these periods all transmissions between the
frequencies of 2,167 kc/s and 2,197 kc/s, except for
distress, urgency, or safety transmissions, shall cease.’

It is important that all ships refrain from transmitting
between 2,167 kc/s and 2,197 kc/s during the periods indicated.

Authority: Director-General, Post and Telegraph Depart-
ment, Wellington.

W. C. SMITH, Secretary for Marine.
(M. 10/7)