HARBOUR ACCESS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 69, 23 March 1937, Page 8

HARBOUR ACCESS.

BOAT ANCHORAGE. FORESHORE IMPROVEMENTS. WELCOMED BY YACHT SMEIC. Pon«onby> and other yachtsmen and launch owners who have their craft moored qff St. Mary's Beach —and there have been craft there since the Waitemata was first sailed —view with much satisfaction the access which is to be given them to the waterfront by the extension of St. Mary's Road. The road used to end in an abrupt cliff and the, only access to the beach was down a flight of wooden * eteps. 1 Down these men have trudged for 30 I years and more with equipment and : stores for their boats. The Ponsonby. | Cruising Club has had its headquarters I there for 36. years, erecting a modest j clubhouse and gradually making it more

commodious. To-day the clubhouse has been moved forward nearly 100 ft in consequence of "the Harbour Board permitting the .terminus of the unformed part of the road to be extended about 40ft into the harbour. Massive stone retaining walls have been run out this distance on both sides of and at the end of the extension and between them spoil from the big bight in the cliff is being dumped. The surface of the road I fk>m tihe previous dead end to the new level will be dropped lift and there will still be a fairly steep pinch of 1 in 5 to the flat portion of the road :formed by the reclamation^ Deeper Water Rear Foreshore. There will, be adequate space for motor cars to turn ajnd members will be able to dump their loads straight from ears to the clubhouse. Though the skids in front of the clubhouse will still be high and dry for the best part of the tides, it i a thought that the dredging of the boat harbour in the development scheme will cause the mud to move Out and leave deeper water there. . The old wooden atepe are to go and be replaced by masonry steps. The tei&JCouncil job and is °S«L of M V «W» wforkssxecently anthorschem^W* - : Promotion Under St. Mary's .B# boat harbour development scheme" which the Harbour Board j& now undertaking, the road at the Shelly Beach foreshore will be the;gapln the western wail of the boat harbour. Between the new wall arid the Old one spoil is to be dumped from the boat harbour, and the area will provide a hauling out space i and elnb accommodation for the pleasure ! boats. It is contended, however, that ! the -area about the of St. h Mary's beach Will continue to be used by many ( craft, particularly the smaller ones. The' new is expected to be completed in three months.