Simple Navigation

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 208, 3 September 1938, Page 21

Simple Navigation

PORT WHANGAREI.

LIGHTS AND BEACONS.

BUSBY HEAD TO TOWN WHARF.

CHANNEL WELL MARKED.

(By SPEEDWELL.)

l-vw Auckland yachtsmen realise that ; ir a Of ' l " lnpnrpi Harbour is ' , f thls - renf expanse of water cto-i. sed by a line from Mount M„.i'i H . .It) to Marsden Point, the gre U « r Cv-iter T " ,Ul u " navl «" b 'e even ar tthiu going up to the town wharf a -id jviorlho^' l ,° f ,' he ""»» channel <"X"tber with l a i r^ l ;he h, i^ beacons used to mark it. is given he're an! should be useful when on a Northern cruise for Whangarei is very popular especially with enws of the centreboard type ot yacht and all nutor boat owners 7 io'V<»IV". corrected to September 1. I.MB. through the courtesy of Mr. W M. Iraser. engineer to the Whangarei Harbour Board. " Whangarei has always been a yachting eon I re. and alinur 2.% years ago Mr. Arthur Picktnerc and few other pioneers of the sport firmed a sailing club which has functioned more or less vigorously since and to-day lias quite a fleet of sail and powi r boats .on its register, power boats bring iu the majority us they are better suited to local conditions. When Speedwell first sailed up Whangarei Harbour on a cruise from . North Shore about r "<ars ago. tlie harbour was very poorly . ked. There were onlv two buoys near the Heads and an untlghteil be-eon rff Uiver Point, now Onerahi, bur no lights at -the Heads or nnywlii- e up the harbour except n dim oil light on the end of the Railway wharf, or Kiortroa as it is uow termed. This was then the limit of navigation except for local men, and was the destination of the s.s. Wellington which left Auckland at 10 p.m. sharp every Tuesday und Friday. Only a few stakes marked tlie river channel from the Railway wharf up to Whangarei township, and we left the yacht at the Railway wharf and pulled up iu the dinghy after spending half a day well and truly agrour.d on the Snake Bank, which is right iu the centre of the lower harbour and now known as Annoyance Bank. (It is well named.) The lower harbour is now clearly marked with lights and beacons, and the channel is well defined up to Limestone Island, nnd by beacons at regular intervals from Kaiwakn Point opposite Limestone Island to the Town wharf, where many facilities are proviited for local and visiting yachts, with a series of short ietties on the opposite side to the main wharf. Yachts nnd motor boats are allowed to make fast to these jetties, and all are provided with free water. The Whangarei Cruising Club has gone ahead in the last few years under the guidance of good flag officers and the secretaryship of Mr. Vere Harrison, late of Auckland, who is always on hand to welcome visitors. Races are held for sail and motor boats throughout the season, starting at Onerahi and usually finishing at one of the bays inside the Heads. The Whangarei regatta was a feature of the port from about 1912 to 1930. It was held on New Year's Day at Onerahi. where there Was a wide wharf, about DOOft long, running down the harbour and forming a boat harbour on the inner side. The regatta was run by a local committee, which arranged for trains from all points from Opun. - Hundreds of folks from the inland to,wns, would come to Onerahi for the day, the' regatta committee being allowed a shilling per head, which they also collected from nil who used the wharf or the foreshore immediately opposite* They gave good prizes for keel yachts, 26ft, 22ft and 20ft mullet boats, and small classes. A full programme of motor boat races was carried out, the chief trophy being the Washington Cop, donated by Mr. Washington, a former manager of the cement works on Limestone Island. These works are now situated at Portland, on the mainland. The entrance to Portland Channel lies between Limestone Island and Rat Island, and is also well marked. The Cruising' Club now holds a regatta on New Year's Day, but it is not like the old regattas. About 1920 to 1925 Auckland boats raced to Russell at Christmas time where a regatta was held, after which the centreboard boats started at mhjnlght from Russell wharf for a race to Whangarei. This usually took a day, and they were all on hand for the Whangarei regatta at New Year. The old rivals, Waltere 11. and Starlight. were always In. these races. Many a time I hare started them off Russell wharf at midnight after calling out their handicaps. Next morning I left by rood or steamer to Whangarei. then down to Onerahi in Mr. Pickmere's good ship Winsome, where we would lie off the wharf until the Yachts came' in from Russell. I will never forget one particularly good finish to a hard race from Rnssell. There were half a dozen boats In the race, but Waitere;and Starlight, both on scratch, had a ding-dong go all the way. It was rather light coming down the coast, and they took nearly 24 hours to reach .Whangarei Heads. Then a hard breeze from the west came down the river, which meant- -a'- slog' all- -the way to Onerahi. Waltere and Starlight changed positions coming down from Cape Brett, but were together at the Frenchman light, off Busby Head. The wind increased to such an extents that both boats had to put two reefs down, and then <fcad. all they wanted, especially off Whangarei Heads, which is noted for its squalls. -. Shortly after. 2 a.m. I could mako "orit two boats, which turned out to be Waltere and StarHght. Jt was Jow tide, and they had- to keep in the channel, necessitating frequent tacks,' and... even from the cockpit of the Winsome w* could hear the can of "tee-o" from ,both„. skippers, also the Tattle-'of the mainsheet Mocks as they swung sharply across the horse. Waltere, sailed by .W. ("Parmer") Willetts, crossed the fine— and I gave them a fun—at 2h 20m. Starlight, with Oil. patfcer' 'at the tUler, crossed at 2h'2om 20«, only 20s separating them in their race from Hnsseil. They met again at the regatta later-in the day, but the wind was light and Waltere won* more easily. • . Those days "are go'ne for ~ good*. I am afraid. W. Willetts «ow sails* modelyacht. called after his old ship. In the winter, and in' summer hC' is to lie - seen, nt the tiller faf the qoroon or Tamariki. The success of these, 1 boats shows that he has not lost the art of -sailing. 611. Parker has kept at it in Starlight since and is still gotfd. Ido not think any man in Auckland has a. larger collection of trophies won in sallintt than Gil. Parker. They run well ore p. 200 and each season he adds to them. -> .. An attempt waa made last yisar to revive the race to Whangarei, starting on Christmas Eve, but the entries were not good and Corona won very easily-. i * The Whangarei Club has sponsored CTewe for the Cornwall Cup for the.. past. eight years and although not yet In"the winning Nst, they usually pat np V>oA fl*ht. Bach season the fleet of motor boats is added to and. Judging by the requests received for the compass cards, they are keen yachtsmen In the northern city.