AVOIDING COLLISIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19469, 27 October 1926, Page 12

AVOIDING COLLISIONS.

BY-LAW FOR LARGE SHIPS. RESTRICTIPN OF THE AREA. Large vessels manoeuvring in Auckland harbour are unable to comply with the regulations for preventing collisions and the harbourmaster, Captain H. H. Sergeant, recently suggested the adoption of a by-law recognising four short blasts of a siren as an indication to other vessels that the ship so signalling was unable to give the usual courtesies of the road. A by-law was accordingly framed and submitted tc the Marine Department, and at the meeting of the Harbour Board yesterday a letter was received stating the fiautical adviser was of opinion it was ,nadvisable to apply the proposed by-law to the entrance channels or to Rangitoto Channel. 1 The harbourmaster said he had been informed that as this was the first time such a rule had been suggested in New Zealand the department was not agreeable to giving it a wide enough application to make it applicable to the entrances to the Hauraki Gulf. It was, however, agreeable that the by-law shonld be framed to apply to the harbour west of a line from North Head to Orakei. He was still of opinion the by-law should apply to Bangitoto Channel, bat in view of the attitude of the department he suggested the draft by-law should be amonded to apply to the harbour only. The board agreed to this course and instructions wcro given for the necessary amendment to be made for the sanction of the department.