SAILING DIRECTIONS FOR ENTERING THE PORT OF INVERCARGILL.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 8, 25 November 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

SAILING DIRECTIONS FOR ENTERING THE PORT OF INVERCARGILL.

Tromjthe Provincial Government Gazette, Aug. 7' Vessels bound for New River should steei for the north end of Point Island, around which to within a cable's length, there is not less thafive fathom* water. A' small patch is said ta exist about a quarter of a mile off in a westerly direction, but" .the' pilot-* have not been able t& find less than five fathoms water on it, hard und bottom. Outside the Bar, in six fathoms, iamoored a spiral-shaped black buoy, bearing from the north' end of the 'lsland north | half a mile.. Steer for this buoy, and as you approach it the" leading beacons, painted white, will come on with each other bearing from you E. $ S. Keep the beacons- in one, leaving the black buoy on your port hand, which will lead you over thebar in fifteen feet at low water, spring tides. The breadth of the bar is about a good cable's length', and inside of if, in"four*fathoms, is a-spiral-shaped white buoy, marking the south side of the channel. r 'The course froni, tliis buoy,^to "about twocables'- length above the^Pilot Station,- is^E J N, and from thence, to about four cables' length farther up, Eby N. The channel then gradually bends to- the northward until past .the Bombay Rock. ' * T ' The Pilot Station is situated between the leading beacons,,and, ezeepLiu heavy gales, • pilot will, board the vessel abreastiof the station but, should the wind and sea be too strong for him to put off, the shipmaster by attending to the following directions/ may be able himself to conduct his vessel tVirpnee of safety : — The channel is marked by white buoys on the starboard or south side, and by black^buqys on 'the}port or'ndrtlf srde.'T Keep, in id way* bet'weeu the black and 'white -buoyai-i ' - -*■— -*■--■— About three cables* length below the Bombay Rock lies a small rock called the " Guiding" Star Rqefc^vwithonjy^f-aur.feet'w&ter over.it. A white buoy has been placed on the west side of this rock, in twelve feet water. The S?nd Sgit, on the opposjte side of tfji^lChaqnel^has been j-adVanchig unto it during rth-iKlasti six months, and at present the breadth of the passage between the Spit and the rock is so narrow tliat it would not be prudent for a, stranger. "to run through.--? "*"- " *"■ • -*♦ - It would be safer to anchor abreast of- the second black buoy, above the Pilot Station,' where a vessel with good ground! tickle could ride in comparative safety. The leading mark to pass midway between the, rock and the Spit is : — Keep.the high hummockon the extreme end 1 of Sandy Point a siil'Mf breadth open to the eastward ofthe fron whitelj - beacon, on ,Bombay r Rock, bearing -NpE -J- N.S . When abreast-of 'the*- white -Woy, ' keep "off a^. little, so as not to shave the point of the Spit Ji too close.; a N by E half E r course wilj Jthen"? lead you through between'tbe^Boinbay-Rock-and^ the black buoy on^ the opposite side of the channel, ' ' On the west side of tlie Bombay Bock is \ placed an if'on"beacgn, suvmqpnfced by ja barrel 4 painted" white. The top of the beacon is fifteen feet above low water mark,- andthe rock pro. ■'• jectsiroßrthe.-beacon tw-chtyifeetV'Wi-N W into i the" c^annfjl; immediately beyond there is„ eighteen fe£t water. The course from abreast ofj this beacon ..to thefsecond white buoy as you -| proceed upwards is N E by N, an«l from thence .- to,the-third:..white b«oy-*>N E;;but -allowance. 1 must be made for the setof the tidfe,' which runs | through ihe blind channel and strikes across -, the ship channel, between the ' Bombay Rack ' and the first white buoy above it. The flood setting east, the ebb.west. The best anchorage for a stranger to take is~ abreast of thethird white buoy from the Bombay " Rock, letting go the anchors nearest to the Sff. side, " ss It is pretty st eep, $boj "» TKe depth of \ water' «ear the shore is three, and, in mid-" channel, five fathoms — good holding ground. "- It is high-water-full-and -change at the Pilot <"* Station at 12h. 30m M and the rise of tide from six to eleven feet, according to tbe winds _^md.---state of the tides westerly winds setting' the tides up. I ' ' A flagstaff has been erected on Steep Head, on which will be hoisted, on and after the 15th August, 1863, tidal signals, nearly the same as ; shown at LonsdaleToiut, Port Phillip, viz. ; — " BETWEEN SUNRISE AND SUNSET-D-xiringj'the first quarter flood,"'* '.blue flag. ■ Kalf-inast fiigh. y ,**-■_ During the second quarter flood, a blue flag \ at the mast-head ? Duringthe third quarter-flood, No7Marryatt's, '■_ half-mast high. During the last quarter Sooth No 7 Marryatt's " at the mast-head. "" l » - ' - - EBB TIDE, During first quarter, a ' blue flag half-mast high, with a ball underneath. -.' During- second quarter, >a-blue flag at (t . mast-head, with a ball underneath. During third quarter, No 7, Marryattjs, half-y mast high, with a bairun'dernealhT ~" Last quarter, No 7, Marryatt's, at the mast-^' head, with a ball underneath. - '■: When the sea is high on the bar, a black ball^ will be hoisted. at the nortlKyardarnvin-addition - to .the tidal signa.ls,; but, when it is unfit for a "_ vessel to enter the harbor,^tlie^tidal signals will* - not bcYshown^Jbut _two -^ilack^- balls will be'^ hoisted at the north yardarm. Communication A maybe had with- vessels at sea,.by.- means-.- of;% Mafryatt's signals, at the south yardarm. ~- '. Marryatt'ssignals, at the north" varddrm, will -" be intended for Ythe pilots- art the station. I 5 Masters offvessels shou[d jiqt_ run lor thej harbor during -jtlie - ebb tide, unless wiill 'a good^Y commanding breeze, smooth water, and f with a~ vessel easily steered. . The bearings and courses given are by compass, and the -soundings -?at low waters-spring fides. i -• I I { J.B. GREIGi t , Harbor Master. 1 -1 *A^ ?