IN PORT.

Grey River Argus, 11 April 1911, Page 3

IN PORT.

Poherua. Kaitoa. Waimea. Ennerdale. Annie Hill. Kaimona.

Six vessels are in the roadstead awaiting" moderation of the bar. ' The Ennerdale will sail for Lyttekon as soon as the ibar ds workable. ' Tihe Westport Coal Company expect I the 'barque Johanne from Adelaide at an early date ,to load coal for Caroline Islands. Mr D. Watson has stopped on hoard the Mapourika as third engineer. Mr Thorpe, late third officer of the Mapourika has gone south for orders. The shelter afforded by the New Plymouth breakwater is appreciated by masters of the smaller vessels trading .on the coast. Last week there were three 'vessels sheltering, the Rimu, Claymore and the ketch Jane. The Huddart, Parker steamer Ulimaroa will, on the occasion of her. next trip to the dominion leave Melbourne a day later than usual. She will .arrive at Bluff on April 18. The plates for the new 'Government steamer for Lake Wakatipu are now on their way out f rom> Home, and are expected at Dunedin in a fortnight. In the meantime the Contractors (Messrs John McGregor and Co.) are engaged in constructing machinery. Sir George Reid, Hig<h Commissioner for Australia, speaking at Glasgow, urged shipowners to continue buildirug, as Australian trade was going to astonish the world. iA cable from Colombo states that the German-Australian steamer Bergedorf, 4499 tons, is ashore at Cape Comorin. It is reported that her b^ck is broken. The Qtagfo Harbour Board has decided to rescind the resolution of December li 3, 1910, making a charge of .£SO on each ship, with a sliding scale of 2s 6d on inwafH cargo, and 5s on outward cargo, and doing away with the maximum charge of £180. The Kaitoa and Waimea arrived last night. The, former will leave early this morning for Nelson direct and th- Waimea for Nelson, via Westpf rt. While en route Auckland to Sydney last week, H.M.S. Cambrian landed a parity . at ' Three Kings in order to definitely fix their position, which was recently found to be-wrong-ly charted. According to >a Press Association telegiraim the Bluff Haribour P.oard has decided to make a complete change in •■is pilot staff. ' This will involve the resignation of the harbourmaster f Captain McDonald) 1 and all the o her •/.lots.' The alterations are !o be -iven effect to at an early date. In the case of Captain McDonald, the board has resolved to acknowledge his twenty-three years of service iby presenting him with a cheque for a year's salary as from the date of his retirement. The efforts of the Southland Importers' Association in the direction of securing the direct shipment of cargo to Bluff has met with a large meas ure of success, and during the year ending 30 September, 1910, six boats arrived from London, bringing 10,111 tons, and four boats from West of England ports brought 2462 tons, making a total of 12,572 tons — an infrom London of 1662 tons. The work of extending the lighting of the whanves at Bluff has been carried out, Ibut attempts to establish a satisfactory beacon in place of the chequered buoy ,were unsuccessful, and after making extensive enduiries the Board has finally decided to- have a lightship built and- placed at that spot. The completed system of lighting, is appreciated by all shipmasters using the port, and it is now quite an easy matter for the largest d.iss of ships tradimg to New Zealand to enter and depart from the port in favourable weather ait any hour of the night. During the current year the dredge at Bluff Harbour will commence the work of removing the Middle Bank,

and wh-a.it spoil cannot (be utilised for filliaiig' in behind 'the reclamation wall will 'have to be taken to sea. The removal of this bank will ibe of material assistance to shiijmasters entering- and clearing the port. The ißluff Harbour Board has received two tenders for the supply of 1 a lightship, one from Miller Bros. (Dunedin), at £699 ss, and one from A. Donaldson (Bluff) at £241 13s lid. Mo: A. Williams, of Westport, has just completed a new launch, 30 feet by 7fit. beam, driven by an 8 h.p. engine, and capable of carrying" 30 passengers.