Communication – Lighthouse Memories

Humour – The Queen’s Riddle

May 13, 2014humor, humour, joke, lighthouse, litehouseCoast Guard, Communication, Government, Humour, StoriesretlkprLeave a Comment

The Queen’s Riddle When the Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada met with Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen of England he asked her. “Your Majesty, how do you run such an efficient government? Are there any tips you can give me?” “Well,” said the Queen, “The most important thing is to surround yourself with intelligent […]

Trial Island Lighthouse

May 3, 2014BC, lighthouse, litehouse, Oak Bay, VictoriaAnti-Automation, British Columbia, Canada, Communication, Environment, Equipment, Hobbies, Keepers, Lighthouses, North America, RecreationretlkprLeave a Comment

A lot of people who visit Victoria, British Columbia (on the southern tip of Vancouver Island) never get to see Trial Island lighthouse as it is not visible from the town core. One must travel to the Oak Bay waterfront to see the lighthouse. Although it is only about half a mile from Oak […]

It’s Old, But Not The Oldest!

April 25, 2014bottle, found, lighthouse, litehouseBeachcombing, Communication, Fishboats, Foreign, History, Lighthouses, Message in a Bottle, Recreation, Souvenirs, TravelretlkprLeave a Comment

On September 21, 2013 I wrote Message in a Bottle which described a 107 year old message-in-a-bottle find. Later on October 29, 2013 I wrote More Messges in Bottles which described more messages found in bottles. It seems that everybody loves to do it! Today I found this story in The Local – Germany’s News in English […]

Light at the End of the World

April 19, 2014lighthouse, litehouseAdult Memories, Automation, Beachcombing, British Columbia, Canada, Communication, Construction, Equipment, Foghorns, Groceries & Mail, Haida Gwaii, History, Keepers, Light, Lighthouses, Mysteries, On The Job, Operators, Radio, Recreation, Reprint, Ships, Stories, Storms, Transportation, WildliferetlkprLeave a Comment

Light at the End of the World Three Months on Cape St. James, 1941 by Hallvard Dahlie (orig from Raincoast 18, 1998) with notes from Jim Derham-Reid (last keeper on Cape St. James before automation) A strange interlude in my brief seafaring life took place in the fall of 1941, when I signed on as […]

Mise Tales Thirty-Five

January 21, 2014BC, crash, gallery, Heritage lighthouse, John McCormick, lighthouse, Lighthouses, litehouse, medevac, Michigan, Ottawa, photo, photos, storm, USA, video, Wales, yachtCoast Guard, Communication, Government, Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act, Humour, Incidents, Information, Lighthouses, Medical Emergency, On The Job, Reprint, Search & Rescue, VideosretlkprLeave a Comment

For an update on what a Mise Tale is then please see Mise Tales One. January 07, 2014 – People watch and photograph enormous waves as they break, on Porthcawl harbour, South Wales, Monday Jan. 6, 2014. (AP Photo/PA, Ben Birchall) . . . more [private] LONDON — What used to be Winter Storm Hercules has moved […]

Vanishings – The Missing Lighthouse Keepers

January 10, 2014lighthouse, lightkeepers, litehouse, missing, story, tale, video, YoutubeCommunication, England, History, Incidents, Lighthouses, On The Job, Operators, Radio, Stories, Storms, VideosretlkprLeave a Comment

These two tales on Youtube were brought to my attention. Quite the mystery!

Ship Movements – It Keeps Getting Better!

December 1, 2013AIS, lighthouse, litehouse, ship identification, worldwideAdvertisement, Communication, Database, Equipment, Information, Light, Lighthouses, Maps, Photos, Search & Rescue, Ships & Shipping, WorldwideretlkprLeave a Comment

On August 08, 2013 I wrote Canadian Firm Tracks Earth’s Ships From Space which also refers to another 2012 article What Ship Is That? Now we have an even better program, free, and online, called Marine Traffic. The screen shot above of Marine Traffic for 05:30 UTC (Z) for November 30, 2013 shows the freighter Axios (bottom left) off […]

Reprint – A Sailor’s Journal

November 22, 2013Abe Van Oeveren, CCG, CCGS, CG, lighthouse, litehouse, Sir Wilfrid LaurierAdult Memories, British Columbia, Canada, Coast Guard, Communication, Construction, Equipment, Fishing, Icebreakers, Information, Lighthouses, North America, On The Job, Reprint, Search & Rescue, Ships & Shipping, StoriesretlkprLeave a Comment

The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) carries lighthouse keepers and their supplies (groceries, mail, household goods, etc) usually by ship or helicopter. This story describes the inner workings of the Canadian Coast Guard light icebreaker Sir Wilfrid Laurier as told by my friend Abe Van Oeveren. I have been on several ships and they are indeed […]

Who Says Lighthouses Are Old Fashioned?

October 14, 2013aeronautical chart, Boston, IFR, lighthouse, litehouse, VFRAircraft, Communication, Equipment, Information, Lighthouses, Radio, Transportation, USAretlkprLeave a Comment

Can you imagine a lighthouse being used as an aeronautical beacon? Well there is one. It is in the United States at Boston’s Logan Airport and it uses the Boston Lighthouse as a visual marker for Visual Flight Rule (VFR) landings. See the copy of the aeronautical chart below:

Canadian Firm Tracks Earth’s Ships From Space

August 20, 2013AIS, Canada, company, lighthouse, litehouse, ship trackingCanada, Communication, Lighthouses, Search & Rescue, Ships & ShippingretlkprLeave a Comment

In 2012 I wrote an article called What Ship Is That? which listed a group of programs for tracking ships worldwide. Why would one want to do that? For myself I like to keep track of what ships are sailing on my home coast (the Philippines right now) or for that matter, on the British […]

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