NAVIGATIONAL AIDS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25276, 30 August 1947, Page 2

NAVIGATIONAL AIDS

LIGHTHOUSE SERVICE REPORT OF MARINE DEPARTMENT When Captain W. Whiteford, the nautical adviser to the department, represented the Marine Department at the Radio Aids to Navigation Conference which was held in London early last year, he had found that lighthouse practice and lighthouse work in general in the United Kingdom were mucK the same as those in New Zealand, while the present ana proposed improvements in the Dominion system compared favourably with those in Britain, says the annual report of the Marine? Department. The lights in the United Kingdom were generally on higher power than the local lights, it was stated, because of the lower coefficient of atmospheric tension. It was felt that New Zealand lagged behind m some cases, however, particularly where very old lenses of the fixed type had been changed to the flashing type, with the result that the efficiency was much below that which would have been obtained with a modern lens of the flashing type. x . Fixed lights, such as those at Centre Island, and long-inter Val lights, such as were installed at Farewell Spit, Cape Saunders, and Cape Campbell, and which flashed every minute, were out of date, and consideration was being given to the replacement of the fixed lenses at Godley Head, Baring Head, Nugget JPoint, and Centre Island with modern revolving lenses of the fourth order, which would, using the same light power, increase the power of Baring Head from 82,000 candlepower to 2,500,000. As a result of conferences with shipping experts, plans were in mind for the establishment of a further 23 lights around the coast at a suggested rate of about three a year, and during the present financial year it was proposed to commence with the installation of lights on Slope Point, Gibson Point (between Lyttelton and Kaikoura), and Motuara Island (Queen Charlotte Sound). Until a better medium-range aid to navigation.than the existing beacon was perfected, said the report, there would be no change to any other device on the New Zealand coast. Following on the decision of the conference and in common with other maritime countries, a decision would probably be reached to proceed with the bresent programme and with the establishment of the existing type of beacon with the latest improvements at selected lighthouses, points in view for these being East Cape. Godley Head, Portland Island,' Taiaroa Head. Dog Island, and the replacement of the present beacon at Tiri Tiri.