MARINERS BEWARE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1263, 19 October 1911, Page 7

MARINERS BEWARE.

ULIMAROA'S "FIND." AWKWARD ROCK AT THE BLUFF. Since the year 13S0 thers has been an obstruction in the fairway of the Bluff Harbour in the shape of a dangerous patch of rook, which mariners, owing to the belief that it had been blasted away, havo run the risk of striking. Yesterday, however, the Marine Department received a communication from the BlufT Harbour Board notifying tho pre-r-ouce of tho rock near tho fairway. The least depth of water over it was 20ft. at low water springs. Tho patoh is reported to bo about 50ft. long by 2flft. wid*. With regard to its position, it lies about 100 ft. south of tho line of green and white beacon lights, with tho outer pile beacon, bsaring from it N. 20deg. E., distance 400 ft. Oil November IG, 16D7, n notice appeared in the Gozetto to the effect that the BlufT Harbour Board were about to toko slops to blast away the mid-channel rock, and that four red buoys had been placed in position to mark the area of the work. This was accompanied by th;. usual warning to shipmasters. It is suggested that, in those operations, only a portion of this dangerous rock was blown away, and that the obstruction might have been a cluster of roeks in the same locality, all within touch of dfeply-laden steamers. No trace of the rock was found in tho Penguin'* survey of 1904, and it was presumed that it had been entirely removed. But for tho fact of an official report put in by the captain of the Ulimnr\i last week this obstruction might have been the means of severely damaging some steamer or steamers. In his repert, the captain states that, while entering the Bluff Harbour on October 9, his vessel struck some obstruction in the fairway, at a spot where there should be 28ft. of water at .low tide, and the Ulimaroa at tho time was only.drawing 17ft. 6in. of water forward, and 21ft. 6in. aft. Upon examination of the ship's bottom it was found to be intact, but that part of ons of the propeller blades had been broken. The Secretary for Marine jresumes that the striking of tho_ vessel was responsible for the survey, which has led to the discovery of ths reek. It is not yet known whether the Ulimarca struck the patch of rock located. Tho following steamers havo been damaged through striking mid-channel rock: — Mmapmri, Juro IG, 1S13; An tea. May 12, 1535; Monorrai, August 13,1507; Blockhead, December 1, 1501; Wcstralia, February Si. 1002; and Marama, January 25, ISfiO. Today's Gazette will contain a notico regarding the obstruction-, Charts, etc.. affected:—Admiralty charts N"s. 3-I*4 and 3MO, "New Zealand Pilot." eighth edition, 1008, Chapter IX, page 273.