History of The Lighthouse

A Little Lighthouse History

The lighthouse and its keeper is a romantic idea inspiring paintings, poems and songs.  But, the best of all are the stories.  Lighthouses were developed as a result of ships traveling on perilous waters, only to fall victim to rocks or unseen shoals.

Before the lighthouse. ships tended to sail by day and near coasts.  Natural landmarks, winds, currents and the use of the stars were the navigational aids to mariners. Some primitive maps and charts were used, which gave water depths measured by lead line and contemporary anchors on a rope.  Some early cultures developed crude compasses and other devices to navigate.

Fires lit on shore were first used, but were not very bright and needed to be tended.

290 B.C. Colossus was erected at the entrance of Rhodes and built by Chares of Lindos.  The sun-god of Helios was made of bronze and measuring 40 meters high and held a fire in his hand.  It was destroyed by an earthquake 80 years later.

Egypt constructed a lighthouse on the Island of Pharos.  A structure 130 meters high, built by Sostratos of Knidos in 299-288 B.C, marked the entrance of Alexandria.  Again, destroyed by an earthquake.

Also, the Roman were known to build at least thirty lighthouses on the Mediterranean Sea.

The first beacons recorded in writing were built by the Greeks in the fifth and sixth centuries B.C. to mark the entrances of harbours, such as Piraeus.

A tower called the Torre de Hercules in Coru�a, Spain has stood since the first century A.D. and is actually still used.

Lights along French and English coasts in 800 B.C. tended to be maintained by private interests such as churches.  Monks would help shipwrecked vessels and usually collect

Fee Based lights were established by Spanish merchants who built a light on Cordouan cliff, which is still used today.  Lights were maintained through fees that were collected from passing ships.

History of the Lightship

Lighthouses were not always used, in some cases lightships were located in areas where water levels were too deep or lighthouses would be to expensive or impractical to construct.

Lightships were believed to be first used off the coast of Holland by the 1400's.  Evidence of the Roman Empire using a galley to patrolled the coast to protect merchant ships and this ship carried a lighted fire basket to signal ships.  However, the first lightship known (or record of a ship used as a navigational aid) is by the English stationed at Nore Sands in the Thames estuary in 1732.

Types of Lights

Approaching Lights or Coastal lights, are placed high up, with very strong illumination.  Lightships located far from land help vessels out to sea.

Leading Lights, lead vessels properly in fairways entrances and harbors & are weaker than approach lights and have a shorter range.  Lightships, placed in narrow channels for the same purpose.  Leading lights are divided into lights in line and sector lights.

• Lights in line always lie in pairs and mark out a straight fairway (they form a straight line.)  The nearer light is usually placed lower on horizon than the farther one.

• Sector lights generally shine white, green and red in particular directions.

  • White - shows that the ship is in the fairway and can proceed without risk.

  • Green and Red - indicate that it is outside the fairway on the port or starboard side, respectively.

Light Characteristics and Color

Vessels must be able to identify lights from each other to determine ships position in order to navigate properly.  These factors determine the exact lighthouse a sailor is looking at:

• Characters - Change or measurement between light and dark.  Always measured in seconds.

• Colors - Red, white or green.

Different configurations of flashing light and color define a light characteristic.
Example:  One light may use light may use a flash of white light every 5 seconds.  Where as another light may use a flash of white light every 20 seconds.  Variations of the amount of time a light flashes to the color of light used define a light characteristic.  See below a small sample of light characteristics:

Reported Lighthouse "Heights"

There are many ways authors and organizations have to report the height of a lighthouse.

HAW - (Height of the light above mean water) Is measured from the water's surface to the optic's focal plane.

Height of the tower - Measured from the base of the tower to the top of the shaft, just below the watch room or lantern deck.

Height of lighthouse - Measured from the base of the tower to the top of the ventilator ball.

Height of the light above the water - (Used by the U.S. Coast Guard) Measured from meanhigh water to the top of the ventilator ball.

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