CHARTED AT LAST

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 8, 9 July 1935, Page 16

CHARTED AT LAST

ARABELLA EOCK

AN ELUSIVE PINNACLE

DANGER TO SHIPPING

Much has been said, written, and promised recently about thoroughly and accurately charting the New Zealand coast, but the wheels of Admiralties, Marine Departments, and similar bodies move slowly. To the layman it may seem amazing, or even a scandal, that a port so busy and important as Wellington should have near and around its entrance rocks dangerous to shipping and marked on the charts with letters "P.D." ("Position dangerous") after their names. Were it not for the knowledge that.mariners have over and above that to be gleaned from Admiralty charts, many a fine vessel might be lost. A case in point is Arabella Rock, which for more than half a century has figured on Admiralty charts as "P.D." It lies in Fitzroy Bay between Baring and Pencarrow Heads. Generally the area where this rock was supposed to be is given a wide berth by shipping. . But in these days, when speed is so important a factor, there is a tendency amongst mariners, as amongst motorists, to cut corners. Rock-hoppers is the nautical term for these corner cutters, and a boat hugging the shore'in thick weather (quite a legitimate thing to do) might easily come.to a sudden and fearful end by trying to steam or sail over the Arabella Rock. In 1881 an iron barque named the Arabella did actually graze this then uncharted rock, fortunately without serious results, and her name was given to this hidden danger. The Arabella's skipper attempted subsequently to estimate the position of the rock, but was able to do so only approximately, and ever since then it has remained "P.D." LOCATED BY SWEEPING. Several attempts, including survey from an aeroplane, have been made to fix its position definitely, but until last Friday these attempts have been in vain, although the rock was actually found last year. On Friday, however, the pilot launch Uta and the small steam-launch Huia, by a series of sweeps, found the rock, and accurate bearings were taken. It was found to be a sharp pinnacle rising from a depth of seven fathoms on one side and from a rocky patch at 5h fathoms on the other side. The Arabella's estimate of its position was remarkably close, but it is a little nearer to the shore than previously supposed. It is intended to send down a diver to ascertain the exact nature of this dangerous pinnacle, which is presumed to be very sharp-pointed, as the chains used in sweeping easily slic1. off it. In the meantime the exact position of Arabella Rock, as at latt ascertained by the Harbour Board, has been communicated to the Marine Department. The Department in turn will pass on the information to the British Admiralty, and in course of time charts of Wellington Harbour will have one fewer "P.D." marked on them. But unfortunately there are lots of other "P.D.s" dotted round the coast of New Zealand, greatly adding to the anxiety of mariners. The whole of the East Coast from Wellington northward, for instance, is known to be inaccurately charted, and mariners therefore give doubtful areas as wide a berth as' possible. And what seems more extraordinary still is the ascertained fact .that even Baring Head, from which there now shines the new light, is not accurately placed on the Admiralty charts.