SILTING UP.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10754, 27 November 1928, Page 3

SILTING UP.

HARBOR AND,BERTHAGES

SHIPPING DIFFICULTIES,

The extraordinary difficulties under which the trade of the port is being carried, on at the present time, owing to the silting up of the berthages and the channel gene 'ally were commented upon at the Harbor Board meeting yesterday. The bad state of the town berth age'was first raised by a letter signed by a number of owners of fishing vessels. The letter complained of-.-the berthage allotted to the fishing smacks, stating that it was so silted up that there was no water at half tide and - consequently _ they were unable to discharge their fish without a lot of unnecessary delay. Tho Board was asked to afford them temporary relief during the hot weather by employing the grab dredge to remove some of the silt alongside the wharf. The harbormaster (Capt. A. Careon), in his report, stated:“The weather experienced during the month has been unsettled. Oil Sunday night, November 10th, a moderate gale from the south and east set in and continued. with more or., less severity until Saturday, November 17th; when it moderated. Heavy squalls of wind and rain were frequent during the gale—l.B9 inches of rain fell during the period. This was enough rain to cause the Waimata river- to be charged with silt without any great. increase in the velocity of the current. Soundings showed shoaling in the harbor to the extent of about six inehe3. The tides were poor after the gale'—9 to 12 inches below normal—-and the conditions for working the j>ort were quite unsatisfactory. In the channel the depth of water when zero is on the gauge is 3ft. _6in., and somewhat less in the basin and along the town wharf* Thirty-nine ships worked the port, the gross tonnage being 37,409, and nett tonnage 21,542.” Invited by the Board to recommend what relief could be given, the harbormaster (Capt. A. Carson) explained that 400 feet of berthage above the railway bridge bad been allotted to fishing vessels, but a bank was developing there, and for 100 ft. there was only 21ft. of water nt low tide. The berthage had filled up; in fact, the whole harbor was practically silting up and was in a .shockingly bad way. It would take the grab dredge ten days to deepen the fishing vessels’ berthage to 4 ft., but at present the dredge was engaged in deepening the facilities at the wharf further down and was working up towards the fishing berthage. There was only 4ftV of water at the' wharf abreast of the Board’s offices and there was only 3 ft. on the Kaiti side. It was exceedingly difficult to undertake the deepening on the Kaiti side _ owing to the wharfage being occupied by incoming and outgoing vessels. Mr A. J* Nicol exprevssed the opinion that if some relief could be given to the owners of the fishing vessels it was the duty of tilt. Board to do so.

Mr A. Wade urged .that the . work should be expedited, adding that it was very serious when .shipping was inconvenienced.

Capt. Carson replied that the whole harbor was inconvenienced, and that difficulty was being experi enced everywhere. Last week they had been up against it good and hard, even the tides being about 9 inches below normal. If he disclosed the state of the entrance members would open their eyes. He had foreseen that this trouble would arise and had fought hard to secure the ordering of a yard grab dredge, which the Board authorised, but only a half yard yessel had been bought. Mr Wade maintained something should be done, and asked whether the John Townley could not be used to deepen the berthage. Capt. Carson replied that the grab dredge was the only vessel suitable for the wo-rk.

Mp Wade argued that if the Board had not the plant to undertake the dredging of the berthages, money should be spent oil procuring it. The Board had spent a large sum on all the useless'stuff on Kaiti. The Board authorised the harbormaster to give wliat relief was possible to owners of fishing vessels. _ The vital necessity of improving the depth in the channel as speedily as possible prompted the engineer to submit the following proposals to work the John Townley longer hours on this work: “Tlie harbormaster lias conferred with me over the present unsatisfactory state of the entrance chan nel. A small amount of silting took place during the recent wet weather, and this week the conditions have been aggravated by the abnormally poor tides we have had. Both the harbormaster and I agreed that something must be done to remedy the position as much as possible without incurring any large expenditure on work that might be only temporary. “The course I suggest is as fol-. lows: “The John Townley has just had her annual survey and is now ready to go straight ahead with the filling of the Kaiti basin wharves, a work that cannot be delayed unduly. This work can still go on and the entrance channel can be improved by working the dredge longer hours and taking advantage of the tides. “The dredge will work 12 hours continuously. As long as. the depth of water in the channel is sufficient for her flotation she will dredge in the channel, hut instead of transporting the spoil to sea she will come up into the basin and empty her hoppers over the wharf.. This will save time, and, in addition, the dredge will not he dependent on weather conditions outside tho breakwater.

“When the tide drops so that the dredge cannot work the channel, she will not lose aiiy time, as was the case formerly, but will come up into the basin and pump continuously to the back of the wharf. “By this arrangement the wharf filling* will not he delayed, and the ' channel will he improved simultaneously. I will also make what ..use T can of the grab dredge, working in conjunction with the John Townley. I have.placed this proposal before the chairman, and lie lias approved of working the necessary overtime. Work will be started at once and' continued as long as the conditions warrant the expenditure.’ Mr J. Tombleson considered' that the grab ’ dredge Was. doing -better worjc than the. John Townley in dumping 'spoil at the .back of. the Kaiti . wharf,, .and .he " urged .'that this yessel, should! be more extensively employed 'on this work. He pointed out that 'the 'grab dredge, deposited .-all(spoil} whereas, the . other dredge .was (dumping a considerable amount ,of water*..- - • ■ ' J .< The Engineer'explained" that' the grab dredge ( was * required -ita’ work along the'berthages. It loaded the spoilt lifted';, onto the punts, . which were.. taken' across to ■ the ! Kaiti wharves and deposited for - the John Townley to pump,- over the back of the wall. 1 , - • : , "

> Mr A. Wade ' expressed tlie opinion the' Board 'should l ' not”balk at a - little extra expense if it, meant expediting clearing, the berthages. : ’The -Engineer was l ' auffcprised a to. work the Johp Townely 12 l hour shifts in future. 1 .