ADMIRALTY SURVEY SHIP’S WORK

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 153, 25 March 1938, Page 10

ADMIRALTY SURVEY SHIP’S WORK

Start On Important Area CHARTING OF WATERS NEAR CUVIER ISLAND Dominion Special Service. Auckland, March 2-1. The most important ureu so far surveyed by her is at present engaging the attention of the Admiralty survey ship Endeavour, which is at present in port for a few days for coallug. >Bhe has now completed the third section of her work, the surveying of Mercury Bay, and has started a survey of Cuvier Island and surrounding waters. For years mariners have urged the necessity for completing soundings in the vicinity o£ Cuvier Island, charts of which are based upon a survey made by 11.M.5. Acheron over 80 years ago. In 1904 11.M.5. Penguin made a more comprehensive survey of the Cape Colville area and other iioints in the main approach to Auckland, but discrepancies exist in latitude and longitude because the Acheron’s charts were based on earlier longitude determinations. Attention has been drawn ou many occasions to possible dangers confronting mariners not familiar with the New Zealand coast when approaching Auckland and when the Federal steamer Wiltshire was lost on Great Barrier Island in 1922, complaints were made ou behalf of the captain that inadequate soundings near Cuvier Island could easily have been responsible for the disastC'i’his position will now be remedied by the Endeavour. It is already known, as the result of the completion ot the New Zealand land survey and because many modern liners are equipped with better safety equipment, such as echosounding gear, than was the case 15 years ago, that the position of Great Barrier Island is wrongly charted, but completion of adequate soundings in the area between Cuvier Island and Great Barrier Island will be greeted with considerable satisfaction by all mariners who have to rely either upon their own experience or imperfect charts. - , The commander of the Endeavour, Captain Wyatt, hopes to complete the Cuvier Island-Great Barrier section of his work by J une, when the ship will be laid up at Devonport for relit. Already some positions have been tentatively plotted, but any error in existing charts that may have been found in the position of Cuvier Island has yet to be checked up by calculations with reference to Great Barrier Island, since that part of the work which has been finished has been done with reference only to Cape Colville. It is not thought likely, however, that shipping is in any danger because of the present imperfections in charts of the main approach to Auckland. If a discovery is made that should be communicated immediately to shipping, Captain Wyatt will take the normal- course of promulgating a notice to mariners, if necessary by radio. , , Several alterations will have to be made to present charts of the Mercury Bay area, as a result of the Endeavour’s work. It has been proved, for instance, although this has been known to fishermen for some time, and was found by the land survey, that the Mercuries should be about three-quarters of a mile farther inshore than they are shown. It has also been found that there is less water over the shoal off Cape Colville than is marked. By far the most important alterations, however, will be those which will probably be made to charts of the main approach to the harbour past Cuvier Island,'which is the landfall for all ships coming from America and the Panama Canal. A definite statement about these alterations cannot bo made until the Endeavour has completed her soundings of the area belf.veeu the island and Great Barrier Island.