HIGH TIDE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 227, 25 September 1934, Page 3

HIGH TIDE.

LAUNCHES ADRIFT.

WASHED CFF BLOCKS,

HARD EASTERLY WIND.

Backed up by a hard easterly wind, the tide rose several feet above ordinary at 8 o'clock this morning and washed a number of launches off their blocks and cradles. Of the ton boats hauled up on the beach at Wakatakataka Bay, on the eastern side of Hotaon Bay inside the Waterfront Eoad, live were floated off their chocks and left on their sides. All the others were afloat, but they were secured by lines taken ashore preventing them being blown out into the bay. Mr. W. R. Cashmore's 33-footer Lady Jean was not so secured, and after floating off the blocks she was blown on to the railway embankment near the foot of Victoria Avenue. Her bilge was chafed on the stonework, but she wae later secured by her owner and towed back to the beach. The other boats in this bay were not damaged. Ten Adrift in Judge's Bay. The tide was very high at Judge's Bay, going over the stonewall above the beach. In this bay over 30 yachts and motor boats are hauled up for the winter. To save space they arc placed in two rows. The boats in the inner row did not move, but nearly nil in the outer row were set adrift. The 20-foot launch Shalimar, owned by Messrs. Hensh&.w Bros., fared the worst of all. She was in the outer row, and came in collision with two craft in the inner row, getting part of her side stove in, and she sank in the bay. She was secured by her owners, and will be hauled up on this evening's tide. Danger to Launches. Ten of the dozen or more launches in the outer row in this bay were lifted off their blocks and at eight o'clock they were drifting about, some knocking into other craft and setting them adrift. The Koyal Saxon and Mauin, two of the last to bo hauled up, fell foul of the Maunecii, and together they swept several others off their chocks. Fortunately the keel yachts and larger launches in the inner positions were not affected, and they checked the drifting boats, which wero later secured by Messrs. Cox and Filincr, who did good work by securing the boats before they were damaged and got them back as near to their original positions as possible while still afloat.

At St. Mary's Bay the tide rose level with the decking of the jetty. A small launch, which was put up last week near Messrs. Collings and Bell's boathouse, was washed up against their skidway, but was not damaged. All the other boats in this area were secure. Spectacle at Devonport. From all parts of the harbour there were reports of the effect of the high tide. On the Devonport beaches the wind whipped up a fair eca and the effect was spectacular. Low spring tides were ruling to-day, but the Auckland Harbour Board'e gauge showed a rise to 12ft 6in, this being nearly two feet higher than expected. The average range of a spring tide in the harbour is 10ft Cin. At the top of high water the eastern tide deflector was awash, while the boat harbour wall at St. Mary's Bay was barely" above water.