“JOKE OF THE YEAR.”

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 20 November 1924, Page 6

“JOKE OF THE YEAR.”

A MISLED MARINER

; AUCKLAND, Nov. 17: j Tlie port of Auckland authorities are to-day chuckling, over wliat they consider to be tlie absolute joke of the year. The Chinese-owned steamer Ling Nam, bound from Lima, Peru, to' Hong-Koug, via Tahiti 3 Auckland, and Sydney, was not expected- to enter theharbour, it having been intimated by the agents, Alessi's Huddart, Parker, and Co., that owing to the small quantity of cargo to be lifted the vessel would lie outside the limit line. At 7 o’clock precisely the Ling Nam dropped anchor just outside a 'line which her commander was led to believe was the harbour entrance, but it wasn’t; he was a good two miles inside the entrance, with every" prospect* of being politely furnished with a costly account for harbour dues it was hoped' to, avoid. That is why the port authorities are smiling as broadly as politeness will permit.Captain Cyril Weston who has replaced Captain W. H. V. Waterson as corniWa'ncter of the Ling. Naiir, states that he entered the harbour as a. result of following wrong directions. He produced official sailing directions contained in the New Zealand Pilot a giiid'e to mariners issued under authority. This “guide” j s miles outIt defines the entrance to Auckland harbour as follows“ The harbour rl e between line s drawn from North Head and Bastion Rock on the east, and from Stoke s Point toWatchman Island (Sentinel Rock) on the west. , Acting on this informadropped his J $ httle east of a line between ISorth Head and Bastion Rock. It vas only a little, to the east, hut it ? I( f g ' Vay to the wes t, - altonf hnrif' 00 fa i r west to. dodge payment stobrf r whl *N it Is underth+® Ha 'S our . Board; will insist on collecting Captain Weston considthat the New Zealand Pilot iiially ' e bl '° Ugllt I, P to date— nat-