Category Archives: Travel

Three More Lighthouses Saved! Sadly not Canadian

Anti-Automation, Automation, Bed & Breakfast, England, Foreign, Government, Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act, History, Lighthouses, Scotland, Travel, USA, Videos, , , , , , ,

New status shines light on landmark from UK News Guardian

Published on Thursday 10 May 2012 09:29

A coastal landmark on the borough coastline has been declared a listed building to help preserve it for future generations.

St Mary's lighthouse

St Mary’s Lighthouse, a popular destination for sightseers and school trips, has been given grade II-listed status by English Heritage.

The 19th century tower and adjoining cottages host more than 80,000 visitors a year.

Officials at English Heritage decided to list the lighthouse, keeper’s and fishermen’s cottages because of their historic and architectural interest.

A spokesperson for English Heritage said: “The late 19th century lighthouse and associated cottages have been designated at grade II. More ->

******************************** Continue reading Three More Lighthouses Saved! Sadly not Canadian →

Moving Day 1970s

Adult Memories, Boats, British Columbia, Children, Coast Guard, Equipment, Groceries & Mail, Helicopters, Hobbies, Lighthouses, Old Website, On The Job, Transportation, Travel, Workboats, , , , , , , , , ,
Crates awaiting lowering to the ship - photo Glenn Borgens

One of the problems with moving to another lighthouse was that everything had to be crated and or well-packed to withstand the dangers of the transportation and handling by ship and/or helicopter. It also had to survive unexpected falls and/or water damage, both fresh and salt.

When my wife Karen and I first moved on the lighthouses we had no material for crating so we had to get professionals from a moving company to do the work for us. They did a very good job but were very expensive.

When we got the bill we did not have the money to pay for it, so we told the man we would leave half the furnishings there in the warehouse and get them shipped out next month when we got paid. He was having nothing of that and eventually dropped the price to something we could afford. Continue reading Moving Day 1970s →

Illness at Boat Bluff Lighthouse 1970s

Adult Memories, Boats, British Columbia, Canada, Children, Coast Guard, Communication, First Nations, Helicopters, Keepers, Lighthouses, Medical, Medical Emergency, Old Website, On The Job, Seaplanes, Storms, Transportation, Travel, Women, , , , , , ,

The following memory was passed on to me by Margit Losel. It happened during their time at Boat Bluff in the years 1977 – 1980. They were lucky! They were able to get off and on the lighthouse. Some stations were too isolated for this method to work. – retlkpr

*************************

Boat Bluff c.1970s - photo Ray McKenzie

We were living on Boat Bluff Light and my oldest son Simon was an infant. He developed a very bad case of Croup. One stormy night he all but stopped breathing and we tried frantically to get some help.

We finally managed to get a radio patch through Bull Harbour Coast Guard Radio with a doctor in Bella Bella. The radio reception was so poor that the connection with the doctor broke up all the time, but we did understand that Simon needed medical attention as soon as possible.

Mother’s Day Brunch in Canada 2012

Advertisement, Lighthouses, News, Recipes, Travel, Women, , , , , , , , , ,

Many Canadians celebrate Mother’s Day by showing their appreciation for Mothers or Mother figures. The Mother’s Day date in Canada is on the second Sunday of May each year and it will be on Sunday, May 13, 2012 this year.

Lighthouse Bistro and Pub, Nanaimo, BC

For all of you living on southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada (or in Vancouver) there is a special Mother’s Day Brunch at the Lighthouse Bistro and Pub in Nanaimo, BC (Vancouver island). Continue reading Mother’s Day Brunch in Canada 2012 →

Books on BC Lighthouses

Books, Books, British Columbia, Canada, Information, Lighthouses, Nova Scotia, Old Website, Recreation, Ships & Shipping, Shipwrecks, Travel, , , , , , , ,

Over the years since I started this website in 2005 I have collected many books on British Columbia lighthouses. Some with only a reference to lighthouse, others dedicated exclusively to BC lighthouses like Donald Graham’s books.

Later I will dedicate a page to each book as I have to some earlier ones, but right now I am more interested in showing newcomers what is/was available so that they will recognize them when they are found in a flea market or garage sale.

If you click on the photo left, it will take you to a modified page from my old website which lists books that I have collected over the years. It will also specify if the book is available for sale or not.

Listed below are a few more lighthouse-related books that did not make it onto that list before I created this new website. If you can, please send me an email or comment about a new book that you have found. I will add it to the list and we can make this as complete as possible. Also, if possible, would you please also send a scan of the front cover so I can add it to the pages. You know the old saying “A picture is worth a thousand words”. Thank you.

Shipwrecks Along the West Coast Trail – Richard E. Wells – Sono Nis Press

Silent Seige III – Bert Webber – 301 pages – Webb Research Group (December 1992) 

The Last Island – Alison Watt – Harbour Publishing – 978-1-55017-296-6 · 1-55017-296-4
$34.95 · Hardback 6.5 x 9.5 · 192 pp · September 2002 (Available)
http://www.harbourpublishing.com/title/TheLastIsland
ISBN-10: 0936738731, 10.7 x 8.3 x 0.9 inches

There’s A Landing Today – Richard E. Wells – Sono Nis press


One Room Available on April 19th – Saugerties Lighthouse

Advertisement, Automation, Bed & Breakfast, Information, Keepers, Lighthouses, Ships & Shipping, Shipwrecks, Travel, USA, Webcam, , , , , ,

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!


View Larger Map

Let’s Play Russian Roulette with the Spirit Bear

Beachcombing, Boats, British Columbia, Cruise Ship, Equipment, First Nations, Fisheries and Oceans, Fishing, Game, Government, History, Incidents, Kayak, Lighthouses, Oil Spills, Ships & Shipping, Shipwrecks, Storms, Travel, Visitors, Weather, Wildlife, , , , , , , , , , , ,

You all know my feelings about the Enbridge Pipeline project (aka Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines) currently being proposed for British Columbia. I am definitely against it. During my years on the BC lighthouses I saw many examples of poorly managed mines and fisheries. Let us stop this one before it gets started and one oil spill creates havoc on our beautiful BC coast. Please read this student’s opinion. – retlkpr

Posted by  from the Bishop’s University Student Newspaper

March 1, 2012 9:24 pm

Sure, they’re irreplaceable, but who cares?

We all like oil, because we like the benefits that come from oil: like our heat and our gasoline.  But we’re all hypocrites, because we don’t like to see the oil, pay for it, or sacrifice our lifestyles for it. —more

Click for larger image

Of Ice and Men

Adult Memories, Coast Guard, Equipment, Government, Groceries & Mail, Lighthouses, Ships, Storms, Travel, Weather, Women, , , , , , , , ,

Following along with yesterday’s story about travel on a CCGS ice breaker, and with the permission of the author, Pamela Coulston, I am reprinting her article here about life on Canadian Coast Guard ice breakers servicing the north and the lighthouses. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

****************************

Of Ice and Men

Surprisingly, everyone made it to dinner, they also made it to breakfast and lunch. The

Photo courtesy of Gerald Rohatensky

Coast Guard icebreaker Sir Wilfrid Laurier was taking a whipping from the weather in the middle of the Bering Sea. But not a meal was missed.

While the two cooks dished up three squares, the seas served up a storm that included winds gusting to 90 knots and 10-metre waves that broke over the bow, drenching the bridge four storeys above.

The captain ordered all loose items secured and all outer decks off-limits – any one of these larger waves could wash a person overboard to their death in near freezing waters. Continue reading Of Ice and Men →

Risking it All – Oil on Our Coast

Advertisement, British Columbia, Canada, Fishing, Game, Government, Incidents, Lighthouses, News, Oil Spills, Recreation, Reprint, Shipwrecks, Storms, Travel, Videos, Visitors, Weather, Wildlife, , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

Risking it All – Oil on our Coast is a short film that outlines the plans for the pipeline and tanker route and what it means for our beautiful coast. It is produced by Twyla Roscovich in association with Hartley Bay & Gitga’at Nation, Oil on our Coast is meant to inspire, empower and help fuel the battle to save what sustains us. – Twyla Roscovitch

Risking it All – Oil on our Coast from Twyla Roscovich on Vimeo. Continue reading Risking it All – Oil on Our Coast →

Day of Departure – Going on Leave c.1970s

Adult Memories, Childhood Memories, Children, Coast Guard, Communication, Helicopters, Lighthouses, Old Website, On The Job, Radio, Ships, Transportation, Travel, Weather, , , , ,
MBB-105 - photo J. Coldwell

In the days before portable radios and instant communications, we were always apprehensive about the day we headed out for holidays. 

First there was the weather which as everone knows on the West Coast of Canada is always unpredictable even with modern weather forecasting. We observed the weather but rarely got any weather forecasts. 

Next came the Coast Guard. Our long-awaited flight could be diverted for search and rescue, maintenance, or any of a hundred other reasons.  Continue reading Day of Departure – Going on Leave c.1970s →