Tidelines: Busy times ahead at Maritime Museum

From 10am to 4pm next Sunday, October 29, it's all puff at the National Maritime Museum, Hobson Wharf. The museum's fleet of little steam boats will be fired up along with the model steamboats. Also SS Puke will be taking public jaunts around the inner harbour.

Wednesday November 1 sees the opening of Crossed Flags, a pictorial history of the New Zealand Shipping Company and the Federal Steam Navigation Company. It covers, over 100 years, the transition from sail to steam, the advent of refrigeration, the growth of passenger travel, two World wars and the introduction of modern cargo carriers.

On Friday November 10 an exhibition opens to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Radio Hauraki. It traces the struggle of the pioneering radio pirates to get to sea, stay there, survive a shipwreck and eventually come ashore to open the door to private radio.

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Following up on the problems of safe disposal of outdated EPIRBs, Safety at Sea has offered to deactivate and dispose of old beacons for free. Owners can take them to 79 Gaunt Street, Westhaven.

Company chief Lloyd Klee is still arguing with the Auckland Regional Council over the council plan to accept old beacons at HazMobile collections.

Klee believes that because some models need specialist attention to safely remove the batteries HazMobile is not the safe solution. He will continue to push for a national system to avoid the illicit disposal of beacons.

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Three days of action is on for Takapuna Sailing Club this weekend with the senior and youth classes competing in a regatta that includes 420, RS:X and OK dinghies.

Other activity: Today: Labour Weekend cruise, meeting at Islington Bay (Waitemata TYS); cruising races (Ponsonby CC and Weiti BC).

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Organisations planning events on or in the Waitemata or Manukau harbours should register in advance with the Auckland Regional Council on (09) 366 2000. The 24-hour response number for the ARC maritime unit is (09) 362 0397.

* Weekend Marine editorial inquiries to Robin Bailey on (09) 524 4572. PO Box 109 362 Newmarket, Auckland.