HARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21362, 16 June 1931, Page 10

HARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS

QUARANTINE ISLAND ROCK OBSTRUCTION BLOWN AWAY. Mr J. Loudon, chairman of the Otago Harbour Board, states that after carefully considering and analysing the reports of his officers he is quite satisfied that the work of clearing the obstructing piece of rock on the channel side of Quarantine Island has proved eminently successful —in fact, the result lias exceeded their anticipations. Mr Loudon said he had consulted with the harbour master (Captain Maclean), the engineer (Mr M‘G. Wilkie), the mechanical engineer’(Mr R. Robertson), and Captain Coll M’Donnld, who had an experience of navigating the harbour for the past 50 years, and they had been unanimousin the opinion that the work bad been most successfully carried out. Mr Loudon has received the following report from Captain MacLeau: — “ As instructed, I beg to report regarding the effect of the recent blasting operations at Quarantine Island and the subsequent dredging of this particular locality. On Thursday, June 11, Mr Wilkie, Mr Robertson, and I swept over the area dredged by the dredge 222 with a sweep 24 feet long and set at a depth of 30 feet, and found no obstruction at that depth. At present the channel between the islands exceeds 300 feet in width, and 30 feet in depth, at low water. With leading beacons on either side at tne approach to the islands, and the dredged edge of the channel marked with piles, I consider it qs safe as any oDher part of the channel in the Lower Harbour, i.e., passing the mole end, Harrington Point, and Rocky Point. Vessels of the maximum draught for the Victoria channel should find no difficulty in negotiating the channel between the Halfway island. Sounding plans of the whole width of the passage between the islands are being prepared and will be submitted at the earliest opportunity.”

The above is eminently satisfactory, added Mr Loudon, and should be gratifying to shipowners and. shipmasters visiting the port.