SAILING DIRECTIONS FOR THE MANUKAUT HARBOUR.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 48, 26 February 1864, Page 7

SAILING DIRECTIONS FOR THE MANUKAUT HARBOUR.

! \ JITST COMPLETED BT CoMMAHDBB.: P. W. SIDNEY, R.N. ,Tn consequence of the changers that- have taken-; place lh the approaches' to the Manukau Harbor (as so deplorably manifested by the loss of H.M.S. Orpheus) , tha Admiralty determined to have a new survey made, Rnd directed Captain Sidnoy, . 8.N., to suspend for a time the survey* of the coast of New South -Wales'j ; upon which 'ha waa damaged, and proceed to New Zealand to ro^siirvey and draw up fresh- nailitig directions for the navU gnMon of the channels leadiaef to the Kftaukau; ! ft he Mowing tfetnnrka 'and dteoptions result; from ' the ve.eiatninfttloij of thftt Iboftllty t«« fbe entrflwoa to the main oiitucmel ftppenrs to have shifted both to the Borfchwarr! as t& *flat?Brdi the bey now boiag. half a mild aww.-ta the Wast. ! w&*d thatt-efc t]*jo tlsc> bftyaptala Drury'u surwy la 1653. ,"■"■'; -Arr- > . , : * * 5-ho oba««§l is ftlsa w!dd«, the B'fepfc bjiakithfli ,i&pkiAiei whaij wss.dalldd the KosthdhSßrtsl from tha.''.»»&ln, "Jj'ftvine. aot? disa^pearedi.lf ..tfeiero eti§t?d, A ship, by attention ia the l^ail, itsa? aow m*k sitherlfi er CUSV j v i : >; > The leading wark used iife present Is the JSflne Pin real*, la lino 'with tho tn-ogsat of the hm«£ lislat of tko South Head, ,HS shstffl iii tho iks'teh f ■ bat ttafthsfeiiath'dssmedepthi fathoms* »jj Hfctla, Janthe ho¥tli«' ftta, hhd the hanks k'tfttora' tendency to, extend themselves yefc usore in ;that direefcioaitt would be ; better to h'ring tbo Nine !Pi& Ttoek la line eithetfwith the objects marked B oi 0 on tho.sklitoHj&nd'pifins fdr crossing the bar. After crossing. the bar a glance at the plaio willbe sufficienfcte.kesp the channel.., ,:, * \" The'Sbufch Channel stems hitherto to have been very imperfectly known, and its merits underrated j .but no^«? that buoys Have been plaoed, its approach and navigation is' rendered easy, and the depth of water boing the gome, as thnt on tho bar of the main phannol, r attd ; fteQOßßibla at times when the iattefisdattge'rOus.itißTn'ueh to be preferred, \ IPo" mako .the Sbiith'ChtiWn'el from seaward, keep the signal staff of iParatutai in line with the White Pile; recently ereo^d on the "inner slope; of * the peak ealled'Pukehuuhu: onthe, ehftrt (properly Phkehohb), 2?,5 M. ; .This wark leads ; midway between the shoals off the South Head .and the Heron Spit j arid when tho gap inside. Porpppro (now almost an islet) and the Two Trees, to the right ofthe wooded range, come inline, steer for* ifc up to the outer fairway Bnoy, the crossing mark for which is the Nine Pin rock and Parera Island in li- e. The outer Fair- way Buoy's red,, with black vertical Stripes, having '■' a bellwithin a circular cage on J;op. Leave. this buoy, or fche spot indicated*. by the marks, on the left hand half of a cable, steering 1^ point more to the east, for nearly four cables' leng-th. when the' inner Fairway Buoy will be reached.' This buoy is similar to the outer one in every respect: 'leaving ; this also on the left hand half a cable's length, two buoys will be seen in advance to the northward — a black one on the left indicating the position ofthe Tranmere Shoal (to the westward), arid a red one on the righfc^lf cable apart — pass midway between them steering parallel with the shore, pasning the Soit Buoy (red) on the right, and the buoy at the tail of the Emma Bank (half, black and white top) on the left, into the. deep water channel. It is recommended that Pukehoho be chosen as the site for the contemplated telegraph -station ; the signals to be made by two pairs of semaphore arms — one pair ahove the other ; one half of the arms along their length being painted black nnd the other white, which would ensure their been seen under all circumstances of light apd shade, against the sky, or with the land behiud — the arms working at right angles to a line midway between the main and south channels. The stump of the mast or a beacon should be on Paratutai for the South Chanuel entrance mark. The following remarks are by Mr. Wing, pilot ancl harbour-master, made during an experience of over a quartrr of a century : — High water at the entrance of the Manukau at fnll and change of moon at 9h. 30m. The range at spt ings, 13 feefc ; neaps, Bfe *t. The flood comes frcni the northward, setting along the shore from one to two knots, bufc when coming in contact with the banks about the bar, ifc trends into the channels, increasing its rate to four or live knots as ifc approaches fche Heads. Care should be taken to guard against the crosstides about the spits and swatchways. The prevailing winds are from N.W. to S.W., and ifc seldom blows a gale from the southward — the wind moderating as it draws from S.W. to southward. Easterly gales aro nofc frequent, and generally shift suddenly to the westward, in a violent squall and very heavy rain. The gales rarely continue long in one quarter, and a strong breeze from N.W. or even W.S.W. (as a rule) does nofc cause a heavy sea in the south channel, which can be taken with safety towards high water. The Bar, with, such winds, generally speaking, breaks, and sometimes dangerously, towards low water : bufc in case fche gale gets to tbe SW., the sea will break right across both channels bufc jess across fche S channel, which is never afc any time sp dangerous as the main. This, however, is of short cfuration, and seldom lasts over a day and night, when by the morning it becomes moderate, ami the south' channel free of break (even though there ba considerable swell outside and the banks breaking heavily), and safe to enter afc proper time of tide, say ab half flood, or even afc first quarter ebb, with a commanding breeze or steam. Barometer. A low range denotes a change, and in a northerly quarter to be shortly attended by rain ; and iv case the barometer begin to rise, expect I wind. When the barometer is ranging about 30 inches, steady weather may be expected from I seaward. ! A high barometer — say above 31 inches, and the I land be looming clear and distinct, it is, (as a rule) j a sign of a change to the eastward. l"have also to remark that for many years I | have observed that ver v* clear and cloudless nights i are indications of a chadgc oeing afc hand, either : wind or rain. I Frederick W. Sidnet, Commander and j Surveyor. December 21st, 1863. Sailing Directions for Waikato Kiver. When near the Waikato, do nofc shut in ; Oriiaranghi Point (a point- '3 minutes soiithward of the entrance) until "the fairway beacons are in one, bearing N.E. by E. A E easterly (magnetic) ; then proceed over the bar, with them in line. | When just over the bar. the water will deepen 5 or G feet '; keep the marks on until a sandy cliff on ! the South Head is about to shut in, then steer for ! Putataea. When, the Mission House is touching I a yellow cliff on the west side of Pufcataka, see that the small black beacons are still open, fco avoid the five-foot bank to northward of channel. If wishing to bring up to the eastward of Putataka, anchor so as to swing clear of a four feefc rock, E- by N., one cable from tbe point, and the shoal water to the northward of the Channel. If: a vessel is 150 feet long, she must moor, bufc can Ho at single anchor to the N.W. of the point. The tide is less to the eastward of the point. Ia going out from Putafcaka, steer down for the mouth of the river, keeping the black beacons open to avoid the 5-feet bank. Bring the Fairway Beacons in line when the Sandy cliff is about fco .open itself, and proceed across the bar. Keep the marks on until Omaranghi Point is well open, when you are clear of fche breakers at the entrance. The least water on the bar with the Fairway Beacons in line is 12 feet 6 inches, at low water spring tides ; but there is 10 feefc a short distance to the northward, and 11 feet the same to the southward, so thafc the marks should not be opened much. The beacons when in line are in the middle of an easily recognised gully. The eastern beacon is on White shell summit. The western the i-mile S.W. by W.£W, from it on a little mound. ' .. The Spits at the entrance appear, to have shifted since Captain Drurr surveyed the Waikato,' as the present fairway magnetic bearing differs 4 degrees or nearty half ft point from the old one. . ; ■ Johk- G-. BoTTLToa-, E.W., - Master's Assistant and Assistant-Surveyor. ■ * ' — ■