AUCKLAND PILOT SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12401, 14 October 1903, Page 6

AUCKLAND PILOT SERVICE.

COMPLAINTS TO THE HARBOUR BOARD.

THE SONOMA AND HEATHBANK CASES.

The question of complaints against the pres,nt pilot service of the Auckland Harbour Board c«ne before the Board at its meeting yesterday afternoon. and Macfarlane, gene- * Mew. Henderson and Macfatlane, general* agents for the Oceanic Steamship Gornthe following letter which been sent to them on October 5 by Cap tain Herriman, of the s.s. Sonoma;"Please note that the s.s. Sonoma- armed off Auckknd beacon at eighteen minute* pL eSt p"m. on the 4th inst, and. signalled pass v tweiLtv-one minutes to rone '° m a . P thenTncloreSd lay until a-quarter SSte p.m. before a pilot.cm*> aboard. We have been making fast *»«"»?., this trip, and counted on landing our mad early m the evening, and would have done so if the pilot had been on station. . It 13 *ery c_= couraging, when we are doing, our best to Se the public a last mail service, to arrive off a shipping port like Auckland and wait for the pilot, and ii make? a mjwr doubtful as to the * d " sab ' i ?^-°L rU X°f down on the port on ? thick night, where there is no light to guide you clear of trie beacon I would thank you if yon would take this matter up and** if anything can be done whereby good despatch can be obtained, and one can feel sure of getting a pilot on a stormy night, when he is ni<w„ Messrs Henderson and Maefarlane added that Captain Herriman bad informed them verbally that the beacon referred to was that on Rangitoto Reef, and he suggested that an ordinary ship's riding light, if exhibited off the beacon, would be of much benefit to shipping. A serious accident imgnt occur to some vessel approaching the port in stormy oi thick weather through the delay in obtaining a pilot, which was unavoidable so long as the pilot station was, as at present, so far distant from the entrance to the harbour. Reporting on the above matter under date of October 5, Captain Duder, harbourmaster stated that the pilot was instructed to go out to meet the steamer about half-past .nine p.m., which, up till this occasion, was well ahead of the steamer's time, the.best and record time hitherto being about half-past one a.m. on Monday. This, so far as he knew, was likely to be the earliest time at which the steamers would arrive, and as a rule they had arrived much later than that time. The Kuaka's usual time of leaving put hei outside at about a-quarter past ten u-m., ready to put the pilot on board. On this occasion, when Tiritiri reported the steamer, notice was at ones sent to the pilot s and engineer's houses, but there was a delay in mustering the rest of the crew. The steamer arrived at the reef soon after passing Tiritir and whistled. The pilot, who had been on the wharf from about half-past six p.m., was unable, owing to the rain, to see far down the harbour, and hearing the whistle so plainly he believed the steamer was in the harbour and was whistling for the health officer. He therefore did not hurry in getting the crew together just then. When he "found tho Sonoma was not in the harbour he.got away as quickly as possible, boarding her at the reef about a-quarter past ten, arriving in the harbour about eleven p.m. The arrival of the steamer so unexpectedly, nearly two days ahead of time, was a complete surprise, as past experience indicated that halfpast nine p.m. was early enough, and to spare, for tho pilot to go out. In any case, at night, it took three-quarters of an hour to get the crew down and away when any vessel arrived unexpectedly, and while the crew lived so far from the boat and so widely apart there would be occasional delays in getting out. In most ports houses were provided for pilots and their crews convenient tc their boats. At one time the mail steamers were consistently late; now, at times, ay. broke records, and sometimes made only a moderate passage, and as there was uo news of them after leaving San Francisco it was difficult to time them with accuracy. Tho pilot would, however, be out in good time for the future. ', In another report, under date of the 9th inst., Captain Duder reported on the arrival of the steamer Heathbank as follows :—" The steamer was reported by her agents to be due here last Monday, and the pilot has from that time, up to last evening, Iteen outside looking-out for her. Yesterday I received a telegram from Cape Maria van Diemen informing me- that the steamer had passed down the west coast on Tuesday morning. The pilot was then recalled, but' scon after a large steamer was reported 20 miles north of Tiri, and soon after the signalman reported her as steering' up the Thames. The pilot was then directed to go out between Rakino and Motutapu and intercept her in that direction. This he did, and found the steamer about three miles east of Rakino Island The pilot's services were declined by the master, he having just previously picked up a fisherman, who piloted the vessel into port. The latter committed a breach of the regulations by boarding the steamer before she was granted pratique by the health officer. There appears to be no by-law to prevent unlicensed men from piloting vessels in or out of the harbour." The Chairman (Mr..J. T. Julian) said the circumstances were very unsatisfactory, and should be carefully considered in committee. Mr. A. Alison said it was the third occasion on which a delay had occurred. As to the Heathbank, it was very fortunate that she was not wrecked.

Mr. J. A. Walker said that the pilot and his men should be Jiving near the mouth of the harbour. The matter was a serious one and should be thoroughly considered. - He moved, "That the matter be dealt with at a meeting of the whole Board in committee on Tuesday next." Mr. "Parker seconded the motion, which was carried.