The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1909. THE BAR CHANNEL

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12829, 23 July 1909, Page 4

The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1909. THE BAR CH ANN EL

While the harbour works are designed, when competed, to give a depth on the bar of from 20 to 22 fetet, it is obvious that, until they have gone! much further towards competion than they now are, it would be unreasonable to expect any very great immediate improvement in the depth of the port's gateway. At the same time it is a fair thing to expect the best use to be made of what water we have. But this is a matter which is puzzling shipmasters and shipowners, ' and, on account of the uncertainty which prevails, putting them to great anxiety, and sometimes to great expense. The skipper who expects to find' 11 or 12 feet on the bar, and loads his boat accordingly, naturally feels anxiety to be told on arrival that there is no water to spare under his keel. If satisfied beforehanfl on this score he would know what to do when loading, but it is unfortunately a fact that master mariners trading to this port do not feel unanimously satisfied as to the reliability of the soundings taken in the bar channel. And the soundings, as reported from time to time, are not such as to enable the skippers to know exactly where they are. On Monday last, for instance, it was reported that the pilot had sounded the bar, and found only 10ft 4in in the channel. This was one day after high spring tides. But on Wednesday, three tlays. after the springs, the Harbour Board's engineer took soundings in the channel, which gave the least depth at 11 feet. As. the difference between high springs and high neaps — which are a week apart — is about three feet, the three days' variation should add at the very least another Toot to this depth. Further, the engineer's soundings were taken with a considerable swell on, the rollers being three feet high, and as his measurements were taken at the lower level, it is evident that the smooth water mean would give another foot and a half. That is to say, with smooth water and at high springs, the least depth might reasonably be expected to be found, as' 13£ feet, unless, indeed, the bed of the river mouth had undergone a remarkable change during the three days, and 'this seems hardly likely. But the engineer's soundings brought to light another fact which causes reflection, and that is that going outwards to the north of the line shown by the beacons, he found a least depth of 11 feet 6 inches. The engineer's sounding operations were watched by a " member of the "Herald" staff, who checked all the figures and. is satisfied of their porrectness. /

What is the cause of these discrepancies between the engineer's and the pilot's soundings? Writing on this matter ten days ago, we said, "Captain Irvine's position is, of course, a very onerous and responsible one, and he is recognised as ' a very careful pilot; but it may be. that he

as it may, the bar should be more frequently sounded, and all doubts as to the depth of water set at rest." We think, with all due respect to the pilot, that that statement- describes the position, and that his over-caution is probably "due to the fact that soundings are nob taken frequently enough. The pilot is scarcely tt be blamed f o rthis, as he has up till the last year or two only followed the, e m which had been the custom for jnaJiyy Jrears : and it was not till the' Boajjd wote up that the need for more frequent "Soundings was realised. As it is, twice a month is now the average for the depth to be tested, but even that is not enough, and, weather permitting, it is 'not too much tc 'expect that the channel should be plumbed at least -every week. Not only that, but the fact that on Wednesday more water, was found out of the beaconed channel than in it shows the need for unceasing vigilance, so that every shift of the channel may be observed, and beaconed accordingly, in' order that shipmasters may have every chance to bring their vessel^ in without the fear of them* hitting the bottom. Estimating the depth by deducting the neap^ariation from the ' springs soundings, or gathering, reports from skippers, is too uncertain. If the channel were sounded once a week, and the depth posted at the Board's office, where masters' of, ships could see it, the latter w^uld probably be relieved of. a good deal of anxiety and owners saved a good deal of expense.