Mission report
Persons: Thorkild Aarup, Technical Secretary for GLOSS
	Keith Thompson, Dalhousie University
Date: April 16, 1999
Purpose: To inspect the tide gauge location in Tema harbor (Ghana).

Tabil Marcus picked us up at our hotel and we first went off to meet
with the Director of Survey in Ghana Dr. Naa Alhaji Jddrisu Abu to get
a formal permission to inspect the tide gauge location. We had a nice
conversation with Dr. Abu and he mentioned that the department would
like to put three more tide gauges up between Tema and Takaradi if
funds could be found. He also asked if we (GLOSS) could provide or
recommend any that could act as a consultant in the current maritime
boundary negotiations between Ghana and its neighboring countries. We
suggested contacting IMO and IHO and other GLOSS panel members may be
able to provide further suggestions.

During the Coastal GOOS meeting in Accra, April 12-15, 1999, several
speakers from West Africa had noted that the two tide gauge stations in
Ghana were no longer in operation and they all hoped that replacement
equipment could be found. In Tema harbor there had been a theft of the
tide gauge recorder and in Takaradi the clock on the recorder was no
longer working.

In Tema the inspection revealed that the Ghana Survey Department has
taken great measures to prevent theft from happening again. The access
to the recorder room is now through a double set of doors and the
window, through which the burglars had entered, had been closed by
bricks and mortar. New electrical wiring and outlets had also been
installed in the building.

According to Tabil Marcus the stilling well was 5-6 years old. It is
open at the bottom end. During our conversations in Tema it was
mentioned that a stone had been sitting at the bottom end of the
stilling well causing the float to rest there during low tide. They
mentioned that data had been interpolated over the "missing time
periods". [Note to PSMSL: Data for the time period where this problem
existed should perhaps be flagged].

In conclusion we were favorably impressed with the setup and the
precautions the Ghana Survey Department have taken to protect equipment
at the location, and we recommend that a new tide gauge be installed at
the Tema harbor. We learned that Norway operates a research vessel in
the region through the Norwegian Foreign Aid program (NORAD) and it may
be a way to get the equipment to Ghana without too many hassles.

Tabil mentioned that they would like to get a portable computer so that
data more easily could be downloaded from the data logger during
inspection visits. Also it was suggested that a link to a display unit
perhaps should be established to the harbormaster's office.