BOAT HARBOUR

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22347, 10 March 1938, Page 9

BOAT HARBOUR

TO TUB PDITOR OF HIE PRESS. Sir—While on the question of boat harbours it is surely natural to ask, what is the matter with Redeliffs? Your correspondent, "Looking Forward," mentions bar risks. Is it not possible to do something about this bar'' It is obvious to anyone who studies that locality that the only way to reduce this bar to a decent condition for a yachtsman at all tides is to run out a mole from the vicinity of the Cave and Mussel rocks, to such length as may be determined upon. If this were done, it would in all probability have at least two effects: it would clear out once more the sand that has accumulated at Clifton Bay and send it out to sea with the aid of the currents. At the same time it would prevent the further accumulation of sand parallel with the beach, which is occurring about a quarter of a mile or less from the beach at low water, towards the bathing pavilion. This latter process has only to go on a few months longer by the look of things, to produce a new island at low water, parallel to Sumner beach. This occurrence migh't be regarded as quite interesting by some, but the subsequent effects might prove anything but desirable from the Sumner residents' viewpoint. The line of surf will beat on this island and the chanel between this surf and the beach might not be very safe for bathers. A mole as suggested would *top any further accretion along the beach, and at the same time improve the bar, if it did not remove it altogether, if the mole were made long enough. The cost? Yes, of course, it is desirable to do this job as cheaply as possible. First, rig a staging for say 50 yards. The water is very shallow, so that would not cost much. The material for dumping can be blown out of the adjacent hills any place, not dangerous to the public, and there are 150 10-ton blocks doing nothing on the Waimakariri spit, which could be made very useful in this new setting. The only question that arises is, who will support it? —Yours, etc., FOR ACTION. March 8, 1938.