As most of you know I love lighthouses and I have a special attraction for LEGO lighthouses (link1) (link2).
Well, as you can see by the photo at the left, this is not a lighthouse, but it is a marine vessel which could very well sail past a lighthouse, and it is the largest ship in the world (right now!) – the record-breaking Maersk ‘Triple-E.’
Built from over 1,500 bricks, the model recreates the real vessel in amazing detail.
Features include rotating gold-colored propeller blades, brick-built twin 8-cylinder engines, viewing window into the engine compartment, adjustable rudders, detachable lifeboats, removable containers, rotating crane arms and a special ‘good luck’ coin.
It includes rare medium azur, dark red, sand blue and sand green colored elements.
Play with the model on carpeted surfaces or mount the model on the display stand
Building instructions also include interesting facts about the real ship.
The majority of lighthouses shown in this book are American, but as a friend of mine wrote:
I received a lighthouse book for Christmas – from an ex -lighthouse keeper and I groaned when I opened the parcel. “Oh yes, forty photos of Portland bloody Head I suppose.” No, well yes, a couple, but Canadian lights and British Columbia lights – 4 pages on West Vancouver’s Pt. Atkinson, plus photo of Cape Mudge, and for comic relief Brockton Point (Stanley Park). – thanks JDR
So, not all bad news. The book is not coffee table format so it will fit easily on your bookshelf.
Lighthouses of North America – Beacons from Coast to Coast
What fuels did/does a lighthouse (pharos – the Greek word for lighthouse) use? I became curious about this when I discovered in an Internet article the name Colza oil. What the heck is Colza oil? Somebody’s mispelling of Coal oil? I had to find out.
Well that led to this article on lighthouse illumination (more). I enjoyed researching it – I hope you enjoy reading it. Any additions or corrections are welcome. Please contact me.
The principal methods and types of illuminating a lighthouse are below in order of usage. The dates and equipment used are from the photo and webpage on the left. Two other excellent pages on illuminants for lamps are Illumination Sources and the lighthouse page called Pharology.
5. Vegetable oils – Colza oil used in the Argand lamp; Lard Oil (1864-1884), Olive oil, Rape oil, and Coconut oil. Rice Bran oil is also used in some lands for illumination. today
6. Mineral oil – non-vegetable oils (hydrocarbon, petroleum or paraffin oils) including white oil, liquid paraffin, and liquid petroleum used as lighting oils.
7. Manufactured fuel gas, Manufactured gas or more commonly known as just Gas – gases with such names as Coal gas, City gas, Oil gas, Illumination gas (1904-1980) derived mostly from coal, but also wood, and oil. Acetylene was another manufactured gas.
8. Kerosene (1884-1955) used as a lighting oil in the vapourized oil burners
9. Electricity (1898-now) carbon-arc lamps up to present day light-emitting diode (LED) lamps
For an update on what a Mise Tale is then please see Mise Tales One.
Tell Tale Productions Inc’s. documentary “Lighthouses” – the film has been completed and has had its world broadcast premiere on CBC Television’s Land and Sea Sunday, November 24, 2013. If you missed it you can see it online on CBC Land and Sea.
Another beautiful video called “Salmon Confidential” showing the life cycle of Sockeye Salmon, and the problems they are encountering now with salmon farms, and other unknown fish diseases. Thirty-six minutes long but well-worth the watch because of the beautiful photography of wildlife on the British Columbia coast, both above and below the water.
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The Canadian Coast Guard HQ at Victoria, British Columbia–what a beautiful building! This view is from the Blackball Ferry deck on approach to the harbor. Those buoys look like Dreidels lined up on the rocks for Hanukkah! – posted on Facebook by author and friend of mine Elinor DeWire
Canada just acquired a new (used) hovercraft from England. It was shipped to Vancouver, British Columbia by the boat shipping company Peters & May. On their Facebook page they posted some wonderful photos of the loading of the hovercraft on one of their ships. Quite a feat!
Vancouver, British Columbia – The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors) and Member of Parliament for Richmond, today announced the arrival in Canada of the new hovercraft to be stationed at Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia – the CCGS Moytel.
[private]“Our Government is committed to investing where it counts in the interest of the Canadian Coast Guard. In fact, our Government has invested more in the Canadian Coast Guard than any government in Canadian history,” said Minister Shea. “We will continue to ensure the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard have the equipment they need to do the important work we ask of them.”
Upon completion of construction, the new hovercraft was shipped to British Columbia and will soon travel to Sea Island. Following a period of training for Coast Guard staff and inspection to ensure the vessel’s optimal condition following shipping, the vessel will be accepted into the Coast Guard fleet.
“Our investment in the CCGS Moytel, a world-class modern hovercraft, is another example of our Government’s commitment to ensure the safety of fishermen, recreational boaters, and sailors in and around Vancouver Harbour,” said Minister Wong. “The name of the new vessel is in Halq’eméylem, in recognition of our First Nations’ contribution to the province’s history, culture and economy.”
The new hovercraft will be named the CCGS Moytel. Moytel is a Halq’emélem word meaning “to help each other.” Canadian Coast Guard vessels are given names that promote Canadian sovereignty, culture, geography and history. Names of vessels are selected to raise the profile of vessels and the work they do by honouring and celebrating people and places of regional and national significance.
As a replacement for the CCGS Penac, the new Moytel will be a heavy-duty, more versatile amphibious vehicle capable of patrolling inland waters. A larger more powerful vessel than the CCGS Penac, it has a greater range of capabilities and features including a bow ramp that will enable it to transport supplies such as rescue equipment and vehicles.
Since 2009, the Government of Canada has delivered over 100 vessels to the Coast Guard, including: 6 Hero-class Mid-Shore Patrol Vessels (CCGS Private Robertson V.C., CCGS Caporal Kaeble V.C., CCGS Corporal Teather C.V, CCGS Constable Carrière, CCGS G. Peddle S.C and CCGS McLaren); the hovercraft CCGS Mamilossa; 5 Search and Rescue Lifeboats; 2 Specialty Vessels; 3 Near-Shore Fishery Research Vessels; 30 environmental barges; and 60 small craft. [/private]
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And from a former lighthouse keeper and friend of mine, Chris Mills, comes this wonderful view of a Fresnel lens – photos and a video showing the lens in action.
Building a gingerbread house has many steps, and it does take awhile. But it’s not as difficult as it looks. Just relax and have fun with it—we’d love to see what you come up with!
For an update on what a Mise Tale is then please see Mise Tales One.
Click the image or use this link to see the National Geographic article If All the Ice Melted.
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Navigational Light to be Fixed Atop Marriott Hotel May 16, 2013 by KNEWS filed under news
Georgetown Light-House
Port Georgetown Lighthouse, Guyana The Marriott Hotel will have a revolving light atop as a navigational aid for vessels leaving and entering Port Georgetown. In fact, even as the hotel is being constructed the contractor is expected to have the light in place and functional.
A source close to the management of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), said that the Marriott Hotel when completed will be taller than the lighthouse. The structure will obstruct light emanating from the 103-foot lighthouse located at Kingston.
But Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon at his post-Cabinet press briefing last Thursday said, “This revelation has not been brought home to Cabinet about another reason for disparaging this transformative project initiative (Marriott). Now we are interfering with light from the lighthouse.”
Dr. Luncheon jested that a new improved light house would be constructed. However, according to the source, the lighthouse would not be obsolete since it will still function as a navigational aid for vessels travelling south. Meanwhile, vessels travelling in the northern direction will be guided by light originating from the light affixed to the Marriott Hotel. – . . . more Continue reading Mise Tales Thirty-Two→
The photo at the left shows the lamp, lens, mercury bath bearing, and winding apparatus which was installed on the Pachena Point lighthouse in February 1908. The lens is a 1st order Fresnel lens made by Chance Brothers of Birmingham England – one of the largest sizes possible, and it all sits on a wooden tower!
The glass lens, 3 m tall, 2.5 m wide and weighing 400 kg was brought by boat around Cape Horn. The 1000-watt bulb in use now puts out four million candlepower and is visible from Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula. (reference)
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 a complicated piece of machinery run by very competent men and women.
Abe’s comments to me about the story when I asked permission to reprint:
The account is based on material gathered on several trips blended together to make a story that flows end to end. To make it readable I avoided talking about too much crappy weather which keeps everybody on board the ship unable to fly up to Van, Naden or Barry, or how the ship’s crew’s collective mood changes as the 28 day typical patrol proceeds. Continue reading Reprint – A Sailor’s Journal→
As many of you will know CW is the acronym for clockwise and CCW for counterclockwise OR anti clockwise.
Which way does a lighthouse lens rotate?
Now please be careful in your thinking and terminology. The light is fixed in place and thelens rotates around the light which gives the light its characteristic flash. In this post we are talking about the lens, not the light. From outside the lighthouse (seaward) the beam of the light moving makes it appear that the light itself is rotating but it is not.
In ninety-nine percent (99%) of the cases the lighthouse lens rotates in the clockwise direction. Mainly I believe because the drive mechanisms are made from clockwork gearing designs and naturally clocks rotate clockwise!
(photo retlkpr – CW clockwork mechanism at Pachena Point lighthouse)
In the aforementioned movie there is a lighthouse and one strange thing about this lighthouse caught my eye – the beam of the light revolved counterclockwise! This is most unusual and there are only a few lighthouses in the world that revolve CCW, the majority revolving clockwise (CW). Why did the directors make the lens rotate counterclockwise?
I have no idea, so I consulted with my lighthouse friend and guru Chris Mills via Facebook. He said:
. . . those lens systems were always called “French lights” here in the Maritimes (Canada). I believe the BBT (Barbier, Benard et Turenne – original in French; translated to English here) systems rotated counter-clockwise, as opposed to the Chance lights, which rotated clockwise. Not sure why…perhaps the French (or English) just being contrary!
I followed a couple of links on lighthouses from the site above that had BBT lighting but there is no mention of the direction in which the lens rotated.
I found a couple of lighthouses in Australia with CCW revolving lenses as mentioned on this Australian webpage.
Does anyone know the whys and wherefores of CW vs CCW rotation of the lens?
Does anyone have any knowledge of a lighthouse with a CCW rotating lens?
April 10, 2014 – I just received the following comment from Ms. L. Newton:
Hi. I live in one of the Lowestoft Lighthouse Cottages, Suffolk (England) . This lighthouse rotates CCW.
Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk.The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom.
Lowestoft High Lighthouse, located to the north of the town centre, was built in 1874 and stands 16 metres tall, 37 metres above sea level. The light, which has a range of 23 nautical miles (43 km), was automated in 1975.[98]
The first two lighthouses in Lowestoft were built in 1609, on the foreshore and candlelit, to give warning of the dangerous sandbanks around the coast. By lining up the two lights, vessels could navigate the Stamford Channel, which no longer exists. They were rebuilt in 1628 and again in 1676. It was at this time that one light was moved up onto the cliffs above the Denes – the location of the present lighthouse – to assist vessels further out to sea.[98][99]
The remaining ‘Low Light’ was discontinued in 1706 following sea encroachment, but re-established in 1730 in a form that could be easily moved in response to further changes to the Stamford Channel and shoreline. It was finally discontinued in August 1923. The ‘High Light’ tower was rebuilt as the present lighthouse in 1874[99] with the intention of displaying an electric light, but when opened paraffin oil was used instead; it was not until 1936 that it was electrified. The lighthouse, along with two cottages originally used by lighthouse keepers, is a Grade II listed building. – Wikipedia
I posted an article on a book that shows you what makes up beach sand, A Grain of Beach Sand, and a lot of it is shells and glass. The larger pieces of glass are collected and use in jewelry as in the story Nootka Sea Glass.
Cobalt Blue Earrings
Now another company I have found called A Day at the Beach has an online page and also a Facebook page. They specialize in earrings, bracelets, pendants, and necklaces with also a chance to special order items.
Pictured here is a pair of cobalt blue sea glass earings from their earrings page.
For their custom designs check out this page which shows off many different variations.
Next time you are at the beach keep an eye out for sea glass pieces which are rounded off and safe to handle. They come in many brilliant colours only limited by the colours of the glass bottles from which they are made. Glass is so much prettier than plastic on the beach don’t you think?
Well, as you can see by the photo at the left, this is not a lighthouse, but it is a marine vessel which could very well sail past a lighthouse, and it is the largest ship in the world (right now!) – the record-breaking Maersk ‘Triple-E.’
