Refuelling a Lighthouse

map
photo credit Ron Amundsen

British Columbia (BC) lighthouses mostly have diesel generators unless they are close enough to a large town or city to allow a power cable to run to them.

So how does one refuel a lighthouse as most of them are sitting fairly high above the water line and very distant from a local gas station?

Well, thanks to the lighthouse keepers at Scarlett Point lighthouse and Ivory Island lighthouse for giving me permission to use their photos, I can now show you. 

Scarlet
Scarlett Point lighthouse – Google Maps

Ivan Dubinsky at Scarlett Point lighthouse, north of Port Hardy, BC has been photographing anything that moves and does not move at his lighthouse with his new camera and posting them on Facebook. He now has quite a few followers admiring his photos.

OK, back to the refuelling. There are many ways that I have seen it done. From most to least expensive we have helicopter slinging in fuel drums or bladders, hovercraft carrying fuel in it’s tanks, and Coast Guard ships pumping it into a fuel barge and moving it to shore.

           CG253_Ivan_DubinskyRefuelling Entrance_Ivan_DubinskyCCGS Bartlett_Ivan_Dubinsky Continue reading Refuelling a Lighthouse

Mise Tales Forty-Five

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

As mentioned earlier on the front page of my website, any photos or cartoons, or short bits of information, when it is removed from the front page, will also be included again later in the next next Misc Tales posting. That way you can keep track of it, search for it, or copy it.

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10655367_10204690112723819_5618802589848728890_oWhat do you think of this? Someone shared this photo in Facebook. The artist Richard Honan said . . . 

. . . this particular piece was done with colored pencils. The other medium that i typically work with is oil pastels . . .

No information was give if he sells the artwork. I have written him for more information.

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A very cute story from Patagonia, South America entitled Penguins at the Lighthouse (that is very far south). The lighthouse is on Isla Magdalena, Patagonia. 

 

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Cruising the Inside Passage

Inside-Passage-Lighthouse-Photo-Credit-Chris-WheelerMany of the British Columbia lighthouses, manned and unmanned, are along BC’s world-famous Inside Passage.

Today I came across a new story on the Internet about this fabulous trip and it is onboard the new BC Ferries vessel vessel MV Northern Expedition (aka NorEx).

Northern Explorer
Image credit Mike – Voyager on West Coast ferries Forum

MV Northern Expedition

The article is called Cruising the Inside Passage from explore BC. Continue reading Cruising the Inside Passage

Updates

lighthouse-clip-art_422123_sm_6-150x106As most of you know, and I keep reminding people, this lighthouse website began as a simple list of lighthouse keepers after I retired from 32 years of lighthouse keeping in 2001. I created the first website for historical and genealogical purposes. After a few years, and much help from the public, it developed into this second website.

The database listing all the keepers resides on my personal computer and is updated on the website whenever I get more information. From the database I create a printout of the information and post it on this site. Last time I checked I had . . .

. . . collected 1129 British Columbia (BC) lighthouse keeper names on 96 different lights, for a total of 1922 changes / moves / appointments.

One of the lesser-known bits of lighthouse information is that lightkeepers did not always reside in a lighthouse – notice the term lightkeeper rather than lighthouse keeper. These men kept a light burning for mariners but lived on the land rather than maintaining a lighthouse. Most probably they held day jobs as well, as the only duties for the mariners was to row out to their light before dusk and light the lamp, and then row home. Just after sunrise they would row out again, extinguish the light, refuel the lamp, and clean the lens in preparation for the evening lighting. It was not a hard job except in stormy winter weather.

Not many of these men are remembered but I have managed to record a few in the database. If interested read near the bottom of the database page for my request “I need your help“.

Just recently I received an email from a Ms. J. Milton about Channel Rock Light which I had not been able to locate. Here is the information I now have on this light:

  • Channel Rock*……………- This was a light in Uganda Pass between Cortes Island and Shark Spit on Marina Island. One of the keepers was John Poole, followed by Alex McKee – I don’t know the exact dates.
    A writer, Gilean Douglas, moved to Cortes Island in 1948, to the property homesteaded by John Poole. That property is known as Channel Rock. – thanks J. Milton for the information.[private]Unknown location could it be LL 258, on N. end of North Channel Islands, near Saltspring Island, chart 3478? (1914 – 1943){/private]

Please, if you know some information about any of these unknown lights or their keepers please pass it on to me. Thanks – retlkpr

 

Machias Seal Island Photos

Machias Seal Island is located on the East coast of Canada between New Brunswick and Maine. It is best known for its bird populations – especially puffins – and also for its ongoing border dispute between Canada and the USA. Thi taken s morning I was notified of a lovely photo album taken this month at the island. It is quite a lovely place, but the light tower does need repainting, especially as it is symbolically representing Canada!

Machias Seal Island   August 2 2014

 

To navigate, click on a thumbnail photo and then when it opens, click on the arrows at upper right of page.

More photos of the light and island here on a Google Image Search. Historical information here in Wikipedia. Enjoy!

Mise Tales Forty-Four

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

As mentioned earlier on the front page of my website, any photos or cartoons, or short bits of information, when it is removed from the front page, will also be included again later in the next Misc Tales. That way you can keep track of it, search for it, or copy it.

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10294509_805559479465065_7375517851873014253_n This is a cute Infographic to help teach your children about the Water Cycle

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The Lighthouse Keepers

 

 

This book The Lighthouse Keepers by Stuart Buchanan was brought to my attention by an Australian resident. It is small, only 282 pages, but according to this Google Books report it contains a lot of information:

Illustrated personal account of work and life on a Queensland light station – most of which are now unstaffed. Includes a list of 1200 Queensland light-keepers from 1857 to 1994 and the first issue of instructions to light-keepers issued in 1917. The author joined the Commonwealth lighthouse service in 1973 and worked with his wife as light-keepers along the Queensland coast until the destaffing of all Australian lighthouses began in 1982. – Google Books

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Oldest Wooden Lighthouse in America Is (still) for Sale in Poplar Point, R.I.

lighthouse-aerial-589x411

Does anyone have a spare $6.45 million US dollars to purchase it?

[private]

By Erika Riggs

For many years, the Poplar Point lighthouse was the beacon guiding ships in Wickford Harbor, a protected inlet in Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay. Built in 1831, the structure — listed as the oldest wooden lighthouse in America — is left over from the era before satellites and GPS. And now, it’s for sale for $6.45 million.

Because of the size of the harbor, Poplar Point lighthouse wasn’t in service long. In 1882, the lighthouse was darkened and later sold at auction for $3,944.67 in 1894.

Gallery: Take a Peek at Poplar Point Lighthouse
view fullscreen

When the lighthouse was first built, the caretaker’s living area was a stone cottage, measuring just 40 by 20 feet. The home was slightly expanded in 1932, again in 1966, and when the current owners took over in 1987, they undertook the task of continuing to expand and renovate the entire property.

Today, the home in North Kingstown, R.I., is more than a stone caretaker’s cottage: It’s a full estate measuring 4,563 square feet with four bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, a detached guest house and garage. Although completely updated, the home still retains much of the original feel, says listing agent Judith Chase.

“It still has tons of the old charm and nautical detail of the old lighthouse,” Chase explained.

Spanning 1.66 acres on a private peninsula, the home juts into the harbor with spectacular views of the bay.

“It’s a beautiful front-row seat to everything that happens,” Chase said.

The home’s location in the picturesque town of Wickford only adds to the property’s appeal.

Chase describes Wickford as a “darling Nantucket-type town,” and the home is within walking distance of many of the town’s charms.

According to Zillow’s mortgage calculator, a monthly payment on the lighthouse would be $23,044, assuming a 20 percent down payment on a 30-year fixed mortgage. [/private]

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lighthouse   eBay

 

Have you ever typed in the word “lighthouse” in eBay? Try it! You will get so many lighthouse related items it is amazing. Maybe there will be some you will want to buy. Great place to shop. eBay for Lighthouse Articles.

On the left is one part of 10+ pages of lighthouse related items. Great fun!

Lighthouses Attract Birds!

lighthouse-web
Bardsey Island lighthouse, UK

It sounds impossible, but the very bright light emanating from a lighthouse at night attracts  birds. This happens on the most remote of lighthouses, some far out at sea.

What interest would birds have in a lighthouse?

Well sometimes it is because the light beacon attracts numerous insects which the birds feed upon. In other cases birds fly to the lighthouse lamp because it is the only attraction in their universe, just like a boat will navigate towards the safety of a lighthouse. Continue reading Lighthouses Attract Birds!

What Do They Do With an Old Coast Guard Boat?

The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) has had many ships since it began – the old and the new.

CCG is constantly replacing old ships with a newer version as is mentioned below:

Newest Canadian Coast Guard ship named for fallen soldier Jun 09, 2014 

ccgs-corporal-mclaren
The 43-metre CCGS Corporal McLaren M.M.V.  — named for Cpl. Mark McLaren — was formally presented in Dartmouth on Monday. (CBC)

but what does the CCG do with the old ships? Many are sold for scrap (eg CCGS Camsell) but this man found out what he wanted to do with one that was decommissioned:  Continue reading What Do They Do With an Old Coast Guard Boat?

Mise Tales Forty-Three

For an update on what a Mise Tale is then please see Mise Tales One. As mentioned earlier on the front page of my website, any photos or cartoons, or short bits of information, when it is removed from the front page, will also be included again later in the next Misc Tales. That way you can keep track of it, search for it, or copy it.

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 CruiseFrom the Toronto Sun online for May 17, 2014 comes the article  See Canada from the sea on a boutique cruise

See Canada from the sea just as the explorers did and discover some of the country’s vast but relatively untouched wilderness.

Maple Leaf Adventures, a boutique expedition cruise company, explores Haida Gwaii (Islands of the People), formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands. . . . more

For more information: mapleleafadventures.com and Holland America Line: hollandamerica.com.

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THquincentenary_1The history of Trinity House, UK On This Day in Trinity House History – 20 May 1514– The Big One! . . .

. . . and a Lighthouse Photography Competition also from Trinity House. Please check it out and vote. Excellent photos!

 

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Mise Tales Forty-Two

For an update on what a Mise Tale is then please see Mise Tales One. As mentioned earlier on the front page of my website, any photos or cartoons, or short bits of information, when it is removed from the front page, will also be included again later in the next Misc Tales. That way you can keep track of it, search for it, or copy it.

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Video: What hidden treasures lie within Orfordness Lighthouse? Charitable trust opens the iconic landmark to the public before it’s taken by the sea

–  Monday, April 14, 2014 

Orfordness_Lighthouse
Orfordness Lighthouse is opening its doors to the public for the very first time. Nicholas Gold, the new owner of the lighthouse.

For centuries it served as a beacon of security, offering safe passage for thousands of seafarers.

Now, as the sea it once guarded over grows perilously close, the end of Orfordness Lighthouse looms near.

But before the iconic landmark is lost to the waves, a final chance to view it in all its glory has been made possible. . . more

To inquire about visiting email orfordnesslighthouse@gmail.com. Continue reading Mise Tales Forty-Two