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Middle of the Entrance between Point Lonsdale and Point Nepean;

It will be kept flying all the first quarter of the flood tide.

The second quarter, a blue flag at the mast-head.

The third quarter, a red flag half-mast high.

The last quarter, a red flag at the mast-head.

Ebb Tide Signals.

During ebb tide the signals are as follows, viz.:

The first quarter, a blue flag half-mast high, with a ball underneath.

The second quarter, a blue flag at the mast-head, with a ball underneath.

The third quarter, a red flag half-mast high, with a ball underneath.

The last quarter, a red flag at the mast-head, with a ball underneath.

Irregularity of Tides.

By attention to these signals, the true state of the tide, which cannot always be ascertained by the usual process of finding the time of high-water, will be known, the strength and duration of the tide being so much influenced by the wind and weather.

Causes of Wreck at the Heads.

A careful inquiry into the casualties which have occurred at the entrance of this port has shown that in nearly every case they have taken place in consequence of the vessels either attempting to enter the Heads at night without a pilot or against a strong ebb tide, which it must be remembered runs partly athwart the entrance with great force, frequently at the rate of seven knots an hour, causing a high, confused, tumbling sea, which in southerly or westerly gales often breaks from point to point. A shipmaster must not suppose that because he has a fine fair wind outside the Heads he can always force his ship against the ebb. To this error is attributable the loss of several ships. The wind, although fresh outside, frequently falls light just as a vessel gets in the tide-ripple between the Heads, when she becomes unmanageable; and even with a strong breeze vessels often sheer athwart the tide, which hereabouts forms a series of strong irregular eddies.

Entrance to Port Phillip.

The entrance to Port Phillip is between Points Lonsdale and Nepean, bounded by reefs off each point, and two outlying sunken dangers, the Lonsdale and Lightning Rocks. The former on the west, the latter on the east side of the fairway, leaving a clear navigable channel of half a mile between them, with five fathoms close to the Lonsdale Rock and from seven to nine fathoms in mid-channel, and close over towards the Lightning Rock; but ships of heavy draught should endeavour to keep in mid-channel, as the strong tide-ripple causes them to plunge several feet below the level of the water.

Lonsdale Reef.

Lonsdale Reef extends S.E. from the Point three cables’ lengths, is about one cable length broad. The greater part dries at low water.

Lonsdale Rock.

Lonsdale Rock lies S. 56dg. E., six cables’ length from the tidal flagstaff; it is a small pinnacle rock, having only eighteen feet water over it, with four and five fathoms close to. There is a navigable channel, one hundred and fifty fathoms wide, between the end of the reef and the rock for vessels in daylight drawing under fourteen feet.

Nepean Reef.

Nepean Reef extends from the point to the rocky islet; thence W. four and a half cables’ lengths to the Corsair Rock. The reef dries at low water to the islet, the remainder is covered with from one to three fathoms water. A small detached ten-foot rock lies about one hundred and fifty feet N.N.E. from the Corsair; several pinnacle rocks have recently been found to exist between the latter and end of Nepean Reef, which completely blocks up the narrow channel hitherto supposed to exist there.

Corsair Rock.

The Corsair Rock may be considered as the outer end of Nepean Reef; it is twenty feet in diameter, having eleven feet water over it; the thwart mark is the cone-shaped red beacon on the rocky islet on with Point Nepean white beacon bearing E. and W.

Lightning Rocks.

These recently discovered dangers consist of two rocky patches nearly one hundred fathoms apart, and bear about N.W. by W. and S.E. by E. from each other; a line passing through the Lonsdale lighthouse and tidal flagstaff leads over the centre of both patches.

The eastern patch is about fifteen fathoms in extent, having not more than twenty-nine feet over its shoalest part with seven and eight fathoms close to, and lies eight-tenths of a mile S.W. by W. from the red beacon on Nepean dry rock, and about one mile and four-tenths S.E. by E. from Point Lonsdale flagstaff.

The western patch, upon which the Lightning struck, is the most dangerous, being situated nearer the fairway, and having only eighteen feet over the head of the shoalest part. Shortly after this danger was discovered, about five feet was knocked off the head of one of the rocks by blasting.

The western patch lies about nine-tenths of a mile W.S.W. from the red beacon on Nepean dry rock, and about one mile and one-tenth S.E. by E. from the Lonsdale flagstaff.

To avoid these dangers, all vessels, whether bound in or out, except those of a very moderate draught, should endeavour to keep to the westward of them both.

Victory Shoal.

Victory Shoal lies nearly midway between the low lighthouse and Point Lonsdale, about half a mile off shore, in a line with Shortland’s Bluff and tidal flagstaffs. It is a rocky patch about a cable’s length in extent, with ten feet over it, and three and four fathoms a little outside. But the whole of Lonsdale Bight is shallow, foul ground, and should be avoided by all vessels.

Royal George Sand.

Royal George Sand lies on the eastern side of the entrance to the West Channel; its western end is about a mile S.W. by W. from the Swan Spit lighthouse, and a mile and a half east from the upper lighthouse. The eastern end is separated from Symond’s Spit by a seventeen feet channel, two cables wide. The knoll is marked by two white buoys bearing from each other W. by S. and E. by N., least water eleven feet about midway between the buoys, which lie in sixteen feet.

Pope’s-Eye Bank.

This shoal or sand is about a mile long, and two cables in width, having two feet on the northern and three fathoms on the southern end, which lies a mile and a half S.W. by S. from Swan Spit lighthouse, and nearly the same distance S.E. by E. from the upper lighthouse. The S.W. end of the Pope’s-eye is marked by a red buoy, the Royal George buoy about S.S.W.

Nicholson’s Knoll.

Nicholson’s Knoll is a small sand ridge off the Quarantine ground, with three fathoms over it, and five, six, and seven fathoms close to. This ridge is of recent formation, and lies in a north and south direction, is about a cable’s length in extent; it is marked by a chequered black and white buoy moored on the middle of it. The flagstaff on eastern end of the Quarantine ground bearing S. by W. ¾ W., and upper lighthouse bearing N.W. by W. ½ W., places you on the ridge.

Inside the Heads.

Inside the Heads for the first two and a half miles the bay is free from other dangers; above that distance it widens to the north and east, and for ten miles is covered with sandbanks, through which there are several channels, three only being buoyed, namely, the South, West, and Cole’s Channels; the others are narrow and intricate.