MARINE SURVEY URGED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18398, 16 May 1934, Page 5

MARINE SURVEY URGED

AUCKLAND LANDFALL A DANGEROUS AREA (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. The Harbor Board unanimously resolved to urge the Marine Department to carry out without further delay the promised marine survey of that 'part ot the coastline outside the Great Barrier, and in the vicinity of Cuvier Island, and leading to the elnfnncl between the Great Barrier and Gape Colville, which is the landfall of all overseas ships coming from Panama and the south. Mr E. 11. Davis said master mariners, without exception, complained bitterly that they had not sufficient data in making ,a landfall in this sparsely surveyed area. A court of inquiry into the Wiltshire wreck drew the attention of the Government to the need of a survey. That was 12 years ago, but nothing had been done. The Wiltshire’s master 'had taken soundings, but had nothing to go upon. If proper soundings had been available to him, in all probability the ship would not have struck Great Barrier. The harbormaster, Captain Sergeant, said that when the weather was thick, masters making a landfall had to sound, and there was a very large blank area without soundings. lie mentioned that there was no fog signal oi Cuvier, and that Cuvier was one of the sites where a radio beacon was desired. Even then, soundings would be necessary.