EFFECT OF A LIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 172, 22 July 1922, Page 12

EFFECT OF A LIGHT.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —When the Bean Rock lighthouse was first erected I was running my own five ton yacht "Foam," built for rre by Mr. Alec Alison. I had to pa a the B.an Rock ever}- trip I made to Auckland. I remember one trip running with the wind on the port quarter, after rounding Brown's Island, and steering "^straight 1 for the light." I was a yomg man at the time, with one eye so powerful that while at sea in "windjammers" I was generally the first to report a sail in sight, and that before the hull would be risible. In this instance I steered

] straight for the light on Roan Rock until I was so close to it that I had ! to put my helm hard to port to'avoid: , hitting the rock, and yet I ws looking! ,at the light all the time. It wa, because . from my little boat I had to'look upwards that I realised how close I was ,to the light. Had the tide been two . hours longer on the ebb I should havo struck the straggling hed of rocks to I the cast of the lighthouse. I learned , at that time that my ere, c'uld not be - trusted to define the distance I was away from a light by me-ely 1 .oking at the* light, and never after "'that frwht did I again steer straight for a lighthouse. Unlpss other men have different eyes to mine I consider it a dangerous practice and a warning sho"ld be given to men in charge-of vessels of any s : ze not to adopt it. It would be especially dangerous on a: ship where the bridge would be about the same level as the liight. It was looking upwards that saved nry boat and life, but looking upwards would not, have been any help to judging the distance in the case nf the Rona. The only safe remedy is never to steer for a light, unless it is only until some cross-bearing is to be reached, when the course must be j changed.—l am, etc., A. SANFORD.