A YACHTSMAN'S LIABILITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 147, 22 June 1911, Page 11

A YACHTSMAN'S LIABILITY.

jIUST CAREY LIGHTS. Before Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., at the P ] jce Court yesterday, the first case ? it's kind was heard, when Xhos. H. , g a ,Un was c-harged that, on May 15th t Coromanrlcl, being the master of the Ltish ship or yacht, Gloriana, while | jyinrr at cnclior in C'oroitiandel harbour, Ai°'by wilful default, infringe the remjktions iox preventing collisions by failing to provide lights as required. sHr° J. W. Gittos appeared for the flefandnnt. an d put in a. plea of guilty. On the date in, question the yacht was lying i:i Coromandel harbour, as had heeif tlie custom for many years, without a riding light. It had been 'the custom oi yachts and pleasure boats to please thews.civ.es as regarded lights. li(»cently regulations had come into force, framed by the Admiralty Board, and he understood the prosecution was brought to Rive publicity to the facttliat'iho yachts should carry lights at all times, whutlxnr at anchor or under way On the occasion of the prosecution, the .Gloriana was run into by the Roto•nialiann. and \vs>s da-magod to the extent of £20 or .C2O, but the steajuer was jjot damaged in any way. No warning had previously been piven tha,t the yachts should enrry lights. In view of the fai-t that defendant had been put ,to si;eh expense, ho considered a conviction without a flnn would be sufficient. The Collector of Customs (Mr. J. P. Bidinpsi, in regard to the contention that the regulations were new, said that tliey had been in force a matter of 50 or 60 years. They were framed by the Admiralty Hoard and were recognised by maritime powers the world over. The information in the present case was laid under section 191 of the Shipping and Seamen Act, and provided that all vessels should carry a light, where it could be eaejly seen. There were heavy penalties imposed for breaches of the Act, but a penal'cy was not pressed for. as the case was the first of its kind. Many complaints had been made in reference to yachts not carrying lights, ■and it was as much for the yachtsmen's benefit as anything else that the projsecution was brought. • Mr. Cutten took into consideration the fact tkat this was the first projsecu'iion, and ajso the expense to which defendant had been put. In entering a conviction without a fine* he said .yachtsmen must comply with the requirements, and in future would be more heavily dealt with..