Category Archives: North America

Chrome Island – a few photos for you

I received the following email from a friend on August 12, 2013:

“Pictures of Chrome Island Lighthouse taken by Bruce’s
sister-in-law  from Bruce’s brother’s living room at their home in Bowser, BC.”

 


View Chrome Island in a larger map
 
If you view the larger map you can see the points I have placed on the map showing Bowser, BC (the photographer’s home – green point) and Chrome Island Lighthouse – red point). I estimate the distance to be about three (3) kilometers.
 
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I wish more people would send me photos of their favourite lighthouses. These are great! Continue reading Chrome Island – a few photos for you

Mise Tales Twenty-Five

 

For an update on what a Mise Tale is then please see Mise Tales One.

Charm_BraceletEdgartown Lighthouse Charm Bangle

The first colony on Martha’s Vineyard, Edgartown is known primarily for its preserved 19th century seaport, picturesque harbor, and whaling traditions. Depicted on an Expandable Wire Bangle, the Edgartown Lighthouse is a beacon of light for generations of sailors and a popular point of interest for all seasonal guests. 

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 Can You Believe This?

During those times [late 1870s] lighthouse keepers were never supposed to leave the property unattended day or night, summer or winter, and the Dodges faithfully abided by that regulation for all of the years they were there which ended up being 51 years. More . .  Continue reading Mise Tales Twenty-Five

Marine Mammals of the Salish Sea – Poster

Marine Mammals of the Salish Sea

MARINE MAMMALS OF THE SALISH SEA1

Poster designed and illustrated by Uko Gorter (moi)
19″ x 27″ rolled in plastic sleeve.

The poster is now available. We are working on setting up the online sales via my website (www.ukogorter.com) hopefully within this week [August 20, 2013]. In the meantime, you can contact me at: uko(at)ukogorter.com for information and/or requests. If you’re in the Seattle/Eastside area, you may swing by and pick one up.

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MARINE MAMMALS of the SALISH SEA
19″ x 27″ poster (rolled in plastic sleeve). $16 plus S&H.

Contact Uko for wholesale orders of 25 or more posters.

NOW (August 23, 2013) available via Uko’s website! 
http://www.ukogorter.com/merchandise/index.html

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Advertised on Salish Sea Association of Marine Naturalists (SSAMN) on Facebook.

FOOTNOTE:

1 Salish Sea – The Salish Sea is the intricate network of coastal waterways located between the south-western tip of the Canadian province of British Columbia, and the north-western tip of the U.S. state of Washington. – Wikipedia

 

Canadian Firm Tracks Earth’s Ships From Space

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 Columbia coast (my old workplace). It is interesting and informative to anyone that lives on or by the sea. The following story came in from CBC News:

Canadian firm tracks Earth’s ships from space
Data mining with tiny satellites offers new business opportunities
By Emily Chung, CBC News Posted: Aug 12, 2013 5:33 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 12, 2013 12:59 PM ET

 hi-852-ship-aground-00659755-8col.jpg

ExactEarth’s data allows authorities to monitor whether ships are following maritime traffic laws or straying into protected areas. For example, it could have provided visual data on the Panamanian-registered ship MV Double Prosperity, which ran aground and destroyed a large portion of a marine sanctuary in Sarangani Bay in 2011. (Sarangani Information Office, Cocy Sexcion/Associated Press)

More information here.

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Want to know the location of every freighter and cruise ship plying the Earth’s oceans? That data isn’t easy to get, but a Canadian company can sell it to you, thanks to its view of the Earth from space.

Since 2010, Cambridge, Ont.-based exactEarth Ltd. has been “mining” data about shipping traffic on Earth using satellites — a technique that could potentially be used to collect other, new kinds of valuable data.

‘The ultimate goal is to build out a cluster of businesses around this platform.’—Glenn Smith, Communitech

“Until we started doing this…you had little bits of information, but you really didn’t have a complete domain awareness of what’s out there,” said Philip Miller, the company’s vice president of engineering and operations.

“Once a ship leaves the shore, essentially they’re a sovereign entity …. A captain can go where he wants. And from shore you didn’t know what was happening unless you contacted the ship and asked — whereas now we’re watching, and we know where they go.”

100,000 ships per day

ExactEarth sells information about the more than 100,000 ships it detects per day to over 50 customers on five continents, including ports, navies and governments.

The data can be used for a wide variety of applications, such as:

  • Identifying and tracking ship traffic through specific areas, such as the Arctic routes that are opening up as the sea ice melts
  • Monitoring whether ships are following maritime traffic laws or straying into protected areas
  • Detecting illegal fishing and piracy, or coordinating search-and-rescue operations during natural disasters.

Last year, the company doubled its customer base, doubled its revenues from $4.8 million to $9.6 million and had total order bookings of about $13.6 million, according to the 2012 financial report from its parent company, COM Dev, a satellite equipment maker that trades publicly on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

COM Dev predicted that by the end of 2013, exactEarth would become “a positive contributor to our cash flow.”

Not designed for detection from space

ExactEarth gets its marketable data by detecting over five million messages a day from automatic identification system (AIS) signals that passenger ships and ships over 300 tonnes (Class A vessels) are required to send out under international law.

The VHF radio signals, mandated by the International Maritime Authority since 2002 to reduce the risk of collisions, provide information about a vessel’s course, speed, position, size, destination and identification to nearby ships and monitoring and navigation stations. ExactEarth can also detect signals from some smaller vessels that use a lower-powered version of AIS.

ExactEarth detects five million messages a day from more than 100,000 ships around the world. ExactEarth detects five million messages a day from more than 100,000 ships around the world. (exactEarth)

AIS was designed for close-range communication and not for detection from space, Miller said.

But such detection was plausible — satellites have the ultimate bird’s eye view of Earth, without the obstructions that get in the way on the surface. Our eyes can spot thousands of car headlights and streetlights from an airplane, but with the right detectors, satellites in space can scan a wide area as they orbit and detect signals that have relatively short ranges on Earth.

Miller said ExactEarth started at a time when smaller satellites — suitcase-sized or smaller as opposed to car- or bus-sized — were starting to become more available and affordable. COM Dev began looking for things that it might be able to detect from space with such satellites, beyond traditional environmental monitoring and imaging.

In collaboration with the University of Toronto’s Institute for Aerospace Studies Space Flight Laboratory, the company launched a satellite in 2008 to prove it could detect AIS from space.

Glenn Smith of Communitech and Robert Zee of UTIAS Space Flight Laboratory hold a life-sized replica of a nanosatellite like one they will be launching in collaboration with exactEarth next year to provide more timely information about ships near the equator. Glenn Smith of Communitech and Robert Zee of UTIAS Space Flight Laboratory hold a life-sized replica of a nanosatellite like one they will be launching in collaboration with exactEarth next year to provide more timely information about ships near the equator. (Emily Chung/CBC)

ExactEarth began commercial service in 2010, using satellite technology from other suppliers. It launched two additional satellites of its own in 2011 and 2012.

ExactEarth’s satellites aren’t the only AIS detectors in space — Rochelle Park, N.J.-based Orbcomm sells data subscriptions similar to ExactEarth’s and already has AIS satellites in both equatorial and polar orbit. Norway launched its AISSat-1 in 2010 and the German Aerospace Center DLR’s AISSat is scheduled to blast off on an Indian launcher later this year.

Miller said most AIS satellites process a lot more data on the satellite than exactEarth’s do, making them substantially different.

“By doing the processing on the ground, we cannot only do more processing, but we can also evolve it over time,” he said, adding that it’s difficult to change anything that’s already in space.

New kinds of data to mine

Some organizations are now interested in trying to mine other types of data from space.

Satellites like those launched by ExactEarth have the ultimate bird's eye view of Earth, without the obstructions that get in the way on the surface. With the right detectors, they detect signals that have relatively short ranges on Earth, the way our eyes can spot thousands of car headlights and streetlights from an airplane. Satellites like those launched by ExactEarth have the ultimate bird’s eye view of Earth, without the obstructions that get in the way on the surface. With the right detectors, they detect signals that have relatively short ranges on Earth, the way our eyes can spot thousands of car headlights and streetlights from an airplane. (ExactEarth)

For example, DLR is currently testing a satellite that detects aircraft signals called ADS-B, which are somewhat similar to AIS. If it works, it will allow continuous monitoring of aviation routes, including areas without radar stations, such as the poles, where airplanes are currently untrackable from the ground.

In Canada, the Waterloo Region’s startup incubator Communitech is collaborating with exactEarth and UTIAS on a project called Data.base, which aims to use exactEarth’s expertise to expand Canada’s “data mining from space” industry.

In 2012, the collaboration received $6.4 million from the federal government to:

  • Research new applications and markets for the technology that exactEarth has developed to collect, package and view satellite data;
  • Work with other businesses that might be interested in getting into the area;
  • Improve the satellite technology; and
  • Design and develop new software.

“The ultimate goal is to build out a cluster of businesses around this platform,” said Glenn Smith, director of digital media projects management at Communitech.

Data.base thinks that AIS technology can be used outside the shipping agency to track other things. The technology to transfer data between Earth and space securely may be useful to industries such as finance, to transfer sensitive data from place to place on Earth via a satellite in space.

Smith said the group has already had discussions with a number of businesses and “there’s definitely a lot of interest.”

For its part of the collaboration, UTIAS is developing a new 15-kilogram microsatellite with a beefed-up power system that will produce and transmit more data more quickly, for both exactEarth and other companies doing similar work, said Robert Zee, managing director of the space flight lab.

Upcoming nanosatellite launch

Meanwhile, exactEarth wants to improve its detection of the weaker AIS signals of Class B ships and its ability to scan ships near the equator more frequently.

Currently, the company’s satellites are in polar orbit — in the same plane as the north and south poles — and can view only a small part of the equator each time they circle the Earth. That means there are “gaps of multiple hours” where ships near some areas of the equator will not be detected, Miller said.

To address that, exactEarth will launch a new seven-kilogram nanosatellite satellite, built by UTIAS, into orbit around the Earth’s equator. EV-9, which may incorporate some of the new technology that exactEarth is working on with its collaborators, will piggyback into space on the launch of a larger satellite. That launch was originally scheduled for this summer, but is now delayed until early 2014.

The new satellite will allow exactEarth to collect updated data about ships near the equator at least once per hour.

That will allow exactEarth to mine more data more quickly. But as in conventional mining, that’s just the first step.

It’s the refining of the data back on Earth that generates a marketable product that clients will pay for.

“You can collect all this data, and it’s valuable,” Miller said. “But you have to turn it into information and knowledge.”

AIS provides information about a vessels' course, speed, position, size, destination and identification to nearby ships. ExactEarth can detect the AIS signals from space and use them to track individual ships, as in this data from Sept. 2011. AIS provides information about a vessels’ course, speed, position, size, destination and identification to nearby ships. ExactEarth can detect the AIS signals from space and use them to track individual ships, as in this data from Sept. 2011. (exactEarth) [/private]

 

What a Beautiful Picture of a Lighthouse – NOT!

Ketchikan_AlaskaSometimes when researching an article or photo I come across a beautiful picture of a lighthouse that I just must have for my collection, screensaver, or . . . you know the feeling.

Well, I received a PowerPoint file (.PPS) the other day in an email and it had a lot of photos of European towns, as well as two lighthouse photos (photos 11 and 44 in the PPS file) – the one above, and the one at the bottom of this article.  Continue reading What a Beautiful Picture of a Lighthouse – NOT!

Maine Lighthouse Museum

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I thought that photo above would get your attention. It was shown in an article below which was published on August 7, 2013 to coincide with National Lighthouse Day, in the USA and now all over the world. The article brings attention to the Maine Lighthouse Museum. Here is the article:

It’s National Lighthouse Day – www.wabi.tv

image  Continue reading Maine Lighthouse Museum

Mise Tales Twenty-Four

 

For an update on what a Mise Tale is then please see Mise Tales One.

August 07, 2013 – August 7th every year is National lighthouse Day! Please mark it on your calendars so that you can track events next year. Yes, I know, I missed it too! SorrY!

National Lighthouse Day not only commemorates the 1789 act but honors and celebrates the lighthouse – a beacon of light that symbolizes safety and security for ships at sea. – from blog.calendars.com

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Torn paper ArtTorn Paper Collage Art of Beaches & Sea

Interesting way of creating art – cheap, and very creative!

Massachusetts artist Wanda Edward puts little pieces of paper together to create unique torn paper collage art of beaches and sea. I can’t stop looking at the collages! They are simply magnificent! Similar to a mosaic, torn paper collage art is a composition of small segments. Wanda uses bits of handmade and hand-painted papers, rice paper, book pages, and maps. “The papers are given a pattern and color in advance, but once the piece begins, it relies solely on the colors of the paper,” Wanda says. “You look at the large image first, then you move into the many other layers that create that image.” So take a close look! There’s lots to discover.

Buy Torn paper Collage Art at Ocean Offerings, and other selected stores and galleries listed on Artist Website. Continue reading Mise Tales Twenty-Four

Mystery Lighthouse!

mystery_lighthouse
Do you see the lighthouse? Is that not an impressive view!

The photo above was in a website for a Canadian west coast (Vancouver Island, British Columbia) resort. This is the actual view from one of the rooms. I could just imagine being there myself and seeing the waves beat up against the lighthouse island as I relaxed in comfort within the resort.

I even knew what lighthouse it was, or I thought I did! Continue reading Mystery Lighthouse!

Mise Tales Twenty-Two

 

For an update on what a Mise Tale is then please see Mise Tales One.

Lighthouse B&Bs let guests play keeper for a night Chris Wadsworth, special for USA TODAYJanuary 27, 2013

(Photo: GoEscape)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

 Most lighthouses are automated, and most ships are guided by satellites, radar and computers today

  • Many old lighthouses are finding new life as charming bed-and-breakfasts and rental homes
  • Lighthouse stays are available in more than a dozen states
  • Lighthouse stays are available in more than a dozen states . . . more

[private] Once guardians of the seashore, lighthouses stood tall against wind and storm, guiding ships of yore to safety along America’s coastline.

Romantic? Sure, but no longer a reality. Today, most lighthouses are automated, and most ships are guided by satellites, radar and computers rather than lights, horns and bells from a distant tower.

That’s why many old lighthouses are finding new life as charming bed-and-breakfasts and rental homes.

The U.S. has handed over many federally owned lighthouses to local municipalities, nonprofits and private operators. The goal: offer visitors unique lodging while preserving the structures and keeping them accessible to citizens.

Lighthouse stays are available in more than a dozen states. Check out these four in the Pacific Northwest, which allow you to experience what it’s like to live in a lighthouse. 

 

 EAST BROTHER LIGHT STATION

East Brother Island | Richmond, Calif.

Set sail to reach one of the most unique bed-and-breakfasts in North America—the island of East Brother, home to the East Brother Light Station, 30 minutes from downtown San Francisco. Operational for more than 133 years, the light station offers guests luxurious rooms, four of them in the light station itself. The other one is in the adjacent Fog Signal Building.

A stay includes champagne and hors-d’oeuvres upon arrival, a sumptuous dinner with wine and a full breakfast. “It’s a remote place. You have all these Victorian-style rooms, this Victorian house with a white picket fence. We’re trying to create a romantic atmosphere,” says innkeeper Richard Foregger.

Tour the small island, learn its fascinating history and relax with amazing views of San Francisco, Mount Tamalpais and the Marin County coastline. $295–$415 per night; 117 Park Pl .; 510-233-2385; ebls.org

HECETA HEAD LIGHTHOUSE*

Heceta Head Lighthouse
Heceta Head Lighthouse

Situated on a cliff 150 feet above the crashing surf, the Heceta Head Lighthouse is one of the most dramatic sights along the Pacific Coast.(Photo: GoEscape)

  Heceta Head State Park | South Yachats, Ore.

Situated on a cliff 150 feet above the crashing surf, the Heceta Head Lighthouse is one of the most dramatic sights along the Pacific Coast. Nearby sits one of the original lightkeeper’s cottages—Heceta House—re-imagined and renovated as a charming bed-and-breakfast. Cozy rooms with views of the 56-foot-tall tower and the Pacific Ocean beyond play host to up to 15 guests in six bedrooms.

Heceta House serves seven-course gourmet breakfasts, featuring artisan cheeses, fresh produce and homemade pastries. It’s also known for Rue, the friendly ghost rumored to roam the property.

An Oregon State Parks and Recreation spokesman wouldn’t confirm the legend of Rue. “As a public employee, what I can say is I love stories like that because they spark your imagination,” says Chris Havel. “I encourage visitors to learn about the rich history of this part of the Oregon coast and have fun with stories like that. They bring the landscape to life.” $133–$315 per night; 92072 Hwy. 101; 866-547-3696;hecetalighthouse.com

*Heceta Head Lighthouse is undergoing renovations until August 2013. However, tours are ongoing and the visitors’ center is open. The bed-and-breakfast is also open throughout the renovations.

  NORTH HEAD LIGHTHOUSE

 Cape Disappointment State Park | Ilwaco, Wash.

Three lovely rental residences await overnight visitors near Washington’s famed 65-foot-tall North Head Lighthouse at the mouth of the Columbia River, a treacherous and turbulent stretch of water where the river meets the Pacific Ocean.

Located in Cape Disappointment State Park, the Head Lightkeeper’s home is a century-old Victorian house with breathtaking views of the ocean. Nearby are the Assistant Lightkeepers’ residences—smaller, but still beautiful. “They’re absolutely gorgeous,” says Linda Burnett, a spokesperson for Washington State Parks. “The residences themselves and the furnishings are very luxurious compared to the primitive camping you might envision at a state park.”

Just watch out for the wind. North Head is known as the windiest lighthouse area in the nation, frequently recording wind speeds of 100 miles per hour. Staff love to tell the tale of a duck that blew off course in 1932, crashed through a lighthouse window and chipped the lantern’s mammoth lens. Assistant lightkeeper’s residence: $224–$299 per night depending on season, head lightkeeper’s residence: $318–$424 per night depending on season; North Head Lighthouse Rd.;360-902-8844;parks.wa.gov/vacationhouses/capedisappointment

POINT ROBINSON LIGHTHOUSE

Maury Island, Wash.

Maury Island in Washington’s Puget Sound is the setting for the 38-foot Point Robinson Lighthouse built in 1915. It shares a sandy beach with two renovated keeper’s quarters rental homes, perfect for families and small groups to get away and unwind. The two bungalows have full kitchens, sitting parlors and porches, all with stunning views of the sound.

Captain Joe Wubbold, president of the nonprofit Keepers of Point Robinson organization, says the quarters aren’t luxurious, but rather homey and comfortable. “They are the way that they were when the keepers from the lighthouse service were living there,” he says. “We have appliances in there that go back to the era. It’s really a beautiful restoration.”

Outside, water birds abound around the lighthouse, and the busy shipping lanes are filled with colorful watercraft of all shapes and sizes. The larger Vashon Island is just a short drive across a manmade isthmus from Point Robinson. $975–$1,580 per week depending on season, $225 per night in the off-season (two-night minimum stay); 206-463-9602

If you find yourself caught up imagining the adventures of those long-ago lighthouse keepers, there’s an amazing opportunity for you. Some old lighthouses now offer what are called keeper programs, where you pay a small fee and then get to live and work at a lighthouse for one to two weeks.

For example, the New Dungeness Light Station on a spit of land in Canada’s Strait of Juan de Fuca, offers families the chance to work as keepers. Duties include watering plants, mowing the lawn and giving tours of the light station to the public, including climbing all 74 steps. For more info on keeper programs, visit uslhs.org.

This article is excerpted from GoEscape, USA TODAY’s travel magazine, on sale now. Buy wherever magazines are sold or at goescape.usatoday.com. [/private] 

 

And Pinterest Does it Again! More lighthouse pictures!

Pinterest
Pinterest page

 Are You Interested in Supporting Two Film Producers to Make a Film Called “Lighthouse”

A dramatic tale of fatherhood, relationships and dedication based on the story of The Prodigal Son in Luke 15. . .  more

 

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 How To Make A Beautiful Clay Pot Lighthouse ideas-clay-pot-lighthouses

What a wonderful neat idea to make a lighthouse from clay pots. Staked and on top of it a light ( or perhaps even a solar garden light) this definitely makes for an eye-catching garden decoration.

It’s really easy to do and painting the lighthouse in the color of your choice will make it “fit” perfectly into your garden or backyard. Check out this easy to-follow tutorial via the link below (make sure you scroll down on the page – the drawing and explanation are here: Terra Cotta Lighthouse

 

Picture BC – a New Website

My website here is about British Columbia (BC) lighthouses and the environment surrounding them.

Just recently a good friend sent me an email to a website called Picture BC, a delightful photo and video tour of the province of British Columbia, Canada – as beautiful now as when it was created in 2008.

Picture BC - Fisgard Lighthouse
Picture BC photo

According to the site:

Picture BC is an initiative of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM), an organization representing the communities participating in this website. The idea and support for Picture BC came from the Province of British Columbia.

[media url=”https://ccanadaht3.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/PBC_intro_video_FINAL-1.flv” width=”400″ height=”350″]

The site contains a five (5) minute video tour of the whole of BC (above) which is very well done. If you have never been to BC, you will want to come and visit after seeing this video. If you plan on coming, this is where the lighthouses are. The video shows two or three lighthouses near the end of the clip but there are many more on the BC coast.

There are interactive maps of the regions of BC with links to most cities in the province.

There are also some beautiful photos of major tourist destinations in BC, as well as scenes which cannot be seen unless you take a helicopter or plane ride.

The website is done with Adobe Flash player so it is a bit tricky to manouever around, but have patience – it is worth it!

Enjoy!