Tag Archives: manned

Reprint – Taiwan – Twelve Lighthouses to Brighten Up Visitors’ Travels From June 30

I still do not know all, but on August 19, 2011 I wrote How many Countries in the World Have Manned Lighthouses? 

Today, June 07, 2012, I found an article that states that Taiwan has 34 lighthouses, and according to my friend Lighthouse Ghost, at least one of these is manned, Pengchia. Below is the article from the China Post, Taiwan edition:

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Penchia Islet lighthouse

TAIPEI–Twelve out of the 34 lighthouses in Taiwan and its outlying islands, including three known as the “Northern Taiwan Triangle,” will be opened for public visits on June 30, as the end of an era in lighthouse management draws to a close.

The Directorate General of Customs (DGOC), which is under the Ministry of Finance, supervises Taiwan’s border facilities and opens several lighthouses for public visits every year to mark Tax Day and introduce people to Taiwan’s lighthouse culture, said Hung Kuo-ching, head of the DGOC’s Department of Maritime Affairs.

This year will be a little different, however, because it will be the last time people can see the lighthouses carrying the DGOC sign, Hung said. Continue reading Reprint – Taiwan – Twelve Lighthouses to Brighten Up Visitors’ Travels From June 30

In Memorium – Prospect Point Lighthouse – Automated!

Prospect Point Lighthouse

Latitude 49 18 50.4N, Longitude 123 08 29.1W       List of Lights #392 

Established: October 01, 1888       Automated: January 1926 

Three nautical miles east of Point Atkinson, situated at the base of a cliff, stands the lonely and short-lived lighthouse called Prospect Point.

The light was first manned in October 1888 and was overshadowed by the importance of the Signal Station on the cliff above. This signal station operated in conjunction with Brockton Point  to signal when ships were coming into or out of Vancouver Harbour. 

In January 1926 the poor lightkeeper was informed by the Department of Marine and Fisheries that the lighthouse would be electrified and would then be operated by the Prospect Point Signal Station. He was out of a job after years keeping both systems working.

Prospect Point Lighthouse keeper’s house 1920 – 1930
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

Prospect Point Lighthouse (bottom) Signal Station (top)
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

Princess Victoria passing Prospect inbound 1920 – 1930
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

Princess Patricia Passing Prospect 1920 – 1930
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

SS Prince Rupert Passing Prospect 1920 – 1930
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

 

Prospect Point Signal Station 1920 – 1930
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

The photo below shows what replaced the lighthouse – a concrete block structure with a light on top and several small electric foghorns.

 

Prospect Point 2006
Photo from Imran Flickr pages

 

Prospect Point 2006
Modern light, modern ship
Photo from pwhsu48 Webshots page.

As mentioned above, the Prospect Point and Brockton Point signal stations monitored ship traffic in and out of Vancouver harbour. 

Just across the harbour from Prospect Point, at the mouth of the Capilano river, was the tiny little-known Capilano lighthouse (aka First Narrows). (see Capilano webpage here.

Below is a photo taken from the mouth of the Capilano River showing Prospect Point today and the the probable view from the Capilano lighthouse. Beside it is a Google Earth map showing the exact location of the three lighthouses. 

Prospect Point 2006 From mouth of Capilano river
Notice – no signal station
Photo from Glamorous_Life Flickr page.

Google Earth map Showing Vancouver harbour lights
Photo from Google Earth printout.

In this 360° view you can see Prospect Point off the right-hand side of the bridge. As the scene sweeps across the harbour, The sandbanks of the Capilano River come into view with the dolphin visible in deeper water. (Zoom in using Shift, and out with Ctrl key; Pause by clicking on photo).

Keepers
John Grove PLK (1888-1926)  

Italy Still Has Manned Lighthouses

THE TWILIGHT OF ITALY’S LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS

Italy will still need lighthouses. But with new technology, lighthouse keepers are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Already just 62 of the country’s 161 “faros” have actual human operators.

Lighthouse in Vieste, Italy (Roby Ferrari)Lighthouse in Vieste, Italy (Roby Ferrari)

 By Fabio Pozzo

LA STAMPA/Worldcrunch

More on this story here.

How Many Countries in the World Have MANNED Lighthouses?

 

vector-world-map-v2.2

I am often asked how many countries in the world still have manned lighthouses, and how many.

Do you know?

There is one minor problem – How Many Countries Are There? Watch this short Youtube video to find out . . . or not!

I am asking for help in finding out which countries actually do have people on the lighthouses, performing the duties of a lighthouse keeper.

If you live in a country that maintains people on the lighthouses as lighthouse keepers, or have visited a country that does, please let me know in the comments box below, or contact me. I would like a webpage link or reference if you have one, and maybe, if you know it, how many manned lighthouses there are.

I will post and maintain a list of worldwide manned lighthouses by country.

Appreciate any help I can get, and yes, I know Canada has a few!

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Africa (?)

Democratic Republic of the Congo(1) http://www.labaleine.co.za/things_to_do.html

British Virgin Islands (1 +?) http://www.cyberdiver.net/cuan_law.html

Canada  (50) http://www.ohscanada.com/news/manned-lighthouses-reviewed/1000347338/ Canada’s “staffed lighthouses across the country now number only 50: 23 in Newfoundland and Labrador and 27 in British Columbia.”

Between 1970 and 1996, 264 [Canadian] lighthouses were automated, . . . http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0001271

Unmanned Cabot Head Lighthouse; Update http://www.guelphmercury.com/opinion-story/4179091-lighting-the-future-with-the-past/

Continue reading How Many Countries in the World Have MANNED Lighthouses?