BOAT HARBOUR AT LYTTELTON

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22343, 5 March 1938, Page 24

BOAT HARBOUR AT LYTTELTON

TO TUB BDITOB OS THE PRESS. Sir,—l note that the Lyttelton Harbour Board have again deliberated on the site for a boat harbour and Purau has now come into favour. Before anything Is finalised, might I suggest another site, viz.. Port Levy? I am sure all yachting men, knowing this beautiful bay, will agree that it is most central considering the claims of yachtsmen from Redcliffs, Lyttelton, and Akaroa, and a fine starting place for a cruise. At present the Mecca of week-end cruisers, a harbour would save sailing men shifting out of their moorings and the houseboat type of craft would become the vogue. Much labour would thus be saved in getting under way. This bay is sheltered; no breakwater, the bugbear of all engineers, would be required and, most attractive from the Harbour Board's point of view, it is outside of the harbour limits. This latter point would most strongly appeal, as it would free the board of all responsibility in the matter, and would save the worry of financing the scheme, and overcoming the numerous and insuperable difficulties which are bound to arise. Port Levy is only about eight miles further by sea than Purau, or six by a most interesting scenic road, and some splendid flat land would be available for an aerodrome site. Yachtsmen wishing to enjoy an evening's sail, when every minute counts, would appreciate this speedy form of transport. Hov/ever, in the meantime, the Harbour Board would no doubt be only too pleased to run frequent trips to Port Levy with the tug Lyttelton, especially after the new Diesel tug arrives. Such a course would no doubt convince yachtsmen that the board is doing its best in their interests. Considering the numerous advantages of this site, one can quite easily understand a handy site b such as Cass Bay. with its many engineering difficulties, being passed over.—Yours, etc., PORT LEVY. Lyttelton, March D. 1938. , TO THE BDJTOB OF THE PBBSB. I Sir, —In a recent issue of your paper yachtsmen were informed that the Lyttelton Harbour Board had decided that shifting the yacht moorings to Purau is the only solution to overcome the difficulty of a crowded harbour at Lyttelton. Is this in the nature of an odict that yachtsmen are to be pushed into some remote bay far from the owner's eye. • It is only fair that yachtsmen should have some say in the matter after an independent survey covering the sites on the north side of the harbour. I understand that the Harbour Board recently had a conference with yachting interests and yachtsmen strongly protested against any attempt to transfer the moorings to the opposite side oi the harbour. Commenting on the engineer's find-' ings, I should like to ask the Harbour Board whether it has had any experience of overseas problems of a like nature and has it exploited all the possibilities of forming a boat harbour on the Lyttelton 6ide? It seems as if the board have blindly followed the engineer's report instead of attempting toVarner some information regarding sucei TDroiGcts. Magazine Bay has vetoed be-

bottom. Well, there is a wharf only 100 yards away (built some years ago for the dredge to discharge spoil on the reclaimed land), and it is still standing intact. No, the board has already decided, and that s that, lne recent conference was in the nature of a sop to yachtsmen. Cass Bay, too, has its objections from the board's viewpoint, and yachtsmen were also told that it is open to the sou'-westers. As a yachtsman of many years experience, I would rather ride out a sou'-west gale on the Lyttelton side than experience the same wind screaming out of the narrow funnel of Summing it all ud, it will mean that yachtsmen will be unduly hampered. It will drive most of them round to Redcliffs, with its consequent bar risks, and make every yachtsman a potential adherent to the cause of Port ChristC \ Ul should like to ask the board whether it has the vision to combine a boat harbour and seaplane base. Seaplane bases in the Dominion were "news" in your columns a few days ago.-Yours, FQRWARD . March 4, 1938.