Category Archives: Automation

One Room Available on April 19th – Saugerties Lighthouse

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I was reading the short notice below in one of my online feeds for anything lighthouse related and what caught my attention was the phrase “Due to the tide, check-in time . . . “

The West Room is available on Thursday, April 19th. Due to the tide, check-in time would be 3-4PM on this date. If you can make this check-in time and want to reserve this date, please call the Lighthouse at 845-247-0656. 

I just had to know more, so clicking on the link took me to the Saugherties Lighthouse website.

To quote the website:

A landmark beacon on the Hudson River, the Saugerties Lighthouse is a venerable aid to navigation, constructed in 1869 at the mouth of the Esopus Creek. The Saugerties Lighthouse Conservancy maintains the Lighthouse and adjacent lands for the enjoyment of the public.

 

Everybody should remember the Hudson River near New York City where the Hero of the Hudson, pilot Chesley Sullenberger,  landed his plane on January 15, 2009 when both engines quit after he hit a flock of geese. His actions saved all onboard.

Well this lighthouse is not exactly where the accident happened, but further up the Hudson River where the Esopus Creek (see the muddy creek in the Google Map at bottom) meets the Hudson River. An overview and specifications of the lighthouse can be found here.

It is now a Bed and Breakfast (B&B) with two rooms available. The notice at the beginning of this article was because they had an opening in the West Room; the other being the East Room. Checking their calendar does not show too many rooms free for the whole summer. A very popular place I think.

The comment, above, about the tides and your check-in times,  is because this lighthouse is near the mouth of the Hudson River and the ocean tides raise the level of the river. Taking a look at the map (bottom) it may seem impossible, but tides do have a great influence on many world rivers a great distance from the mouth of the river.

More information on the effect of the tides and access to the lighthouse is given under Reservations:

Access

  • The Lighthouse is accessible by a half-mile walking trail or by personal boat. The Lighthouse does not provide a ferry service.
  • Check-in time is scheduled for the hour of 2pm-3pm, and check-out time is by noon, unless the timing of the tides necessitates changes.
  • You will be notified when you make a reservation if the tides require a change in check-in and/or check-out times.

It looks like a delightful place to stay. Now if only we could do something like that for say Point Atkinson near Vancouver. What a delight!


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New Threat to Lighthouses Illuminated

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Reprinted with permission from Jack Knox, Times Colonist

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New threat to lighthouses illuminated

By Jack Knox, Times Colonist April 3, 2012

Imagine the fuss if the owner of a 152-year-old downtown heritage building just walked away from the structure, allowed it to crumble.

But the Race Rocks lighthouse isn’t downtown. It’s plunked in the waters off Metchosin, as out-of-sight, out-of-mind as many of the other West Coast lighthouses that Pat Carney worries about.

That’s why Saturna Island’s Carney is sounding the alarm (or perhaps the foghorn) about a rapidly approaching deadline that could determine whether lights stand or fall.

This has been an ongoing battle for the former senator and Mulroney-era cabinet minister who, even retired from politics, remains a fierce advocate for B.C.’s coastal communities. This fight goes back years and years, a reaction to Ottawa’s history of tearing down, burning down or neglecting-to-death light stations it no longer valued. Continue reading New Threat to Lighthouses Illuminated →

In Memorium – Prospect Point Lighthouse – Automated!

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Prospect Point Lighthouse

Latitude 49 18 50.4N, Longitude 123 08 29.1W       List of Lights #392 

Established: October 01, 1888       Automated: January 1926 

Three nautical miles east of Point Atkinson, situated at the base of a cliff, stands the lonely and short-lived lighthouse called Prospect Point.

The light was first manned in October 1888 and was overshadowed by the importance of the Signal Station on the cliff above. This signal station operated in conjunction with Brockton Point  to signal when ships were coming into or out of Vancouver Harbour. 

In January 1926 the poor lightkeeper was informed by the Department of Marine and Fisheries that the lighthouse would be electrified and would then be operated by the Prospect Point Signal Station. He was out of a job after years keeping both systems working.

Prospect Point Lighthouse keeper’s house 1920 – 1930
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

Prospect Point Lighthouse (bottom) Signal Station (top)
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

Princess Victoria passing Prospect inbound 1920 – 1930
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

Princess Patricia Passing Prospect 1920 – 1930
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

SS Prince Rupert Passing Prospect 1920 – 1930
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

 

Prospect Point Signal Station 1920 – 1930
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

The photo below shows what replaced the lighthouse – a concrete block structure with a light on top and several small electric foghorns.

 

Prospect Point 2006
Photo from Imran Flickr pages

 

Prospect Point 2006
Modern light, modern ship
Photo from pwhsu48 Webshots page.

As mentioned above, the Prospect Point and Brockton Point signal stations monitored ship traffic in and out of Vancouver harbour. 

Just across the harbour from Prospect Point, at the mouth of the Capilano river, was the tiny little-known Capilano lighthouse (aka First Narrows). (see Capilano webpage here.) 

Below is a photo taken from the mouth of the Capilano River showing Prospect Point today and the the probable view from the Capilano lighthouse. Beside it is a Google Earth map showing the exact location of the three lighthouses. 

Prospect Point 2006 From mouth of Capilano river
Notice – no signal station
Photo from Glamorous_Life Flickr page.

Google Earth map Showing Vancouver harbour lights
Photo from Google Earth printout.

In this 360° view you can see Prospect Point off the right-hand side of the bridge. As the scene sweeps across the harbour, The sandbanks of the Capilano River come into view with the dolphin visible in deeper water. (Zoom in using Shift, and out with Ctrl key; Pause by clicking on photo).

Keepers
John Grove PLK (1888-1926)  

What’s Next For Brockton Point Lighthouse?

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 Automated in 1926, this video shows what some governments wish to do with automated lighthouses. They cannot just leave it alone as a lighthouse and a monument. No, they dream of turning it into a concession stand selling soft drinks and candy bars to the tourists! This was June 28, 2006. Luckily it was turned down by the public, but what comes next?

[media url=”https://ccanadaht3.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Brockton-Point.flv” width=”400″ height=”350″]

The Awfully Long Thermometer!

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 In an earlier story I wrote about how the lighthouse keepers have been doing sea water samples since the early 1930s – some of the oldest observations on the BC coast!

Now, with satellites we can get different temperatures of the sea – Sea Surface Temperatures for one – similar to what the lightkeepers do, but globally.

Sea surface temperatures have a large influence on climate and weather. For example, every 3 to 7 years a wide swath of the Pacific Ocean along the equator warms by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius. This warming is a hallmark of the climate pattern El Niño, which changes rainfall patterns around the globe, causing heavy rainfall in the southern United States and severe drought in Australia, Indonesia, and southern Asia. On a smaller scale, ocean temperatures influence the development of tropical cyclones (hurricanes and typhoons), which draw energy from warm ocean waters to form and intensify. – NASA Earth Observatory Continue reading The Awfully Long Thermometer! →

Triple Island – Inside the Lighthouse – 2012

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Triple Island

 

In June 22, 2011 I published an article about the Triple Island 3rd order lens which has now been replaced with a flashlight (see the article).

I have never spent any work time on Triple Island, but I have landed there once or twice with the Coast Guard helicopters as a passenger. I never did have any time to explore.

Triple Island - distant from Prince Rupert

There are two lighthouse keepers on Triple Island who rotate every twenty-eight (28) days with two other keepers. I always wondered what it would be like to live there in this day and age.

One of the keepers, my friend Glenn Borgens, has sent me some wonderful photos of the inside of the Triple Island lighthouse that I am going to share with you. For twenty-eight days, it looks like a comfortable place to live and work. Continue reading Triple Island – Inside the Lighthouse – 2012 →

Discovery Island Lighthouse Rots in the Sun

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Automated in 1977, these videos show what happens to a sadly neglected automated lighthouse. What a place for a B&B! Thanks to Discovery Island website for the information. Just for your information discoveryisland.ca does not seem to be working anymore.

The two following videos I found on Youtube were originally posted by the website discoveryisland.ca

Take a look at the tower and lantern that the keepers so meticulously maintained. 

Originally the keepers at Discovery Island would manual record the wind speed and direction, air temperature, sea temperature, humidity, sea level pressure, wave height, ocean swell height and direction, visibility and sky condition and then report it back via radio about seven times a day. Now due to the automation of the lighthouse the weather reports have gone the same way.

The new weather Instrument are mounted on the top of the tower and measure the wind speed and temperature and then automaticly report it back to Environment Canada, when it is not broken.

Only twenty-seven MANNED lighthouses are remaining says the government!

Save Canada’s Lighthouses

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CALLING OUR CANADIAN FRIENDS – What do the Georgian Bay lighthouses at Killarney, Bustard Rocks, Gereaux Island, Pointe au Baril, Red Rock, Snug Harbour, Jones Island and Christian Island have in common? They are all timber frame structures and the Canadian Coast Guard has ignored the spirit of the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act, and declared them to be surplus. Unless they are nominated for heritage status by May 29, 2012 and stewards identified who are willing to take on the prohibitively expensive task of maintaining them in accordance with heritage standards, the Canadian Coast Guard may demolish them and replace them with skeletal galvanized towers. The Heritage Canada Foundation is organizing a petition to the Federal government to provide funds to local groups to help them save these lighthouses for future generations, If you are a Canadian, visit the following website, sign the petition, and let your voice be heard. 
http://www.heartofstonephoto.com/photos/save-georgian-bay-lighthouses

Fairbanks Morse Type “N” Gasoline Engine c. 1900s

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– With thanks to Harry F. Mathews and his Harry’s Old Engine website for permission to reprint this old information on how to fire-up the old Fairbanks Morse gasoline engines of the 1900s. 

Photo Harry Mathews & Railroading Online website


The following text is borrowed with permission from Harry’s Old Engine website. I never had the chance to work with these monstrous engines and found this information very interesting and wanted to pass it on here. Remember, he is referring to a farm engine, but I imagine the lighthouse engines were also close to 32 Hp.  Continue reading Fairbanks Morse Type “N” Gasoline Engine c. 1900s →

Life on First Narrows Lighthouse and Fog Station c. 1915+

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Capilano Lighthouse behind the Empress of Japan - photo Dudley Booth

 

– a letter written by Dorothy Mawdsley (Harris) Harrop (daughter of first light keeper, George Alfred Harris, at Capilano 1915 – 1925),  with special thanks to Alfred Harrop, grandson of George Alfred Harrop, for letting me post the text of the letter.

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This letter is a bit long, as people were prone to write a lot before the advent of computers. If you have the time, this is a fascinating story of life way back then. – JAC

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Perhaps my grandchildren will take time to read this when I am long gone. We came to Vancouver  in 1909. I had just turned my 13th birthday. My father could not get work of any description. He had a Chief Engineer Ticket from Liverpool [UK]  but owing to the B.C. laws he was not allowed to work as an engineer even on a small tug in the inlet. It must have been very hard on both my father and my mother.  Continue reading Life on First Narrows Lighthouse and Fog Station c. 1915+ →