Our Top 10 Most Interesting Lighthouses

Whether you're on land or sea, lighthouses have a special allure. We all fantasize about the solace and peace of the ocean. Most folks tend to forget the power of Neptune when the seas get ugly and gales and hurricanes pound the shores. Instead, it's easier to romanticize and imagine the splendor of a 360º ocean view. Lighthouses are indispensable to sailors, although in recent years, the traditional lighthouses are being replaced worldwide by mechanical, more efficient structures that do their duty, but have nowhere the charm of their predecessors.

Here's our short list of 10 interesting lighthouses we've seen in our travels. The list is nowhere comprehensive, but each lighthouse was chosen because of its unique appeal, location or sheer beauty.

Faro del Eclaireurs – Beagle Channel, Ushuaia, Argentina

The most beautiful lighthouse of all … Faro del Eclaireurs (the French name "Les Éclaireurs" means "the Enlighteners" or "the Scouts") stands in the Beagle Channel about 5 miles from Ushuaia on the northeastern- most islet of the five Les Eclaireurs islets, from which it takes its name.

Nubble Light – York, Maine, USA

In 1874, Congress appropriated $15,000 to build a light station at the "Nubble" and in 1879 construction began. Cape Neddick Light Station was put into service in 1879 and is still in use today. It's one of the most photographed lighthouses on the US East Coast and definitely our favorite.

Bird Island Lighthouse – Port Elizabeth, South Africa

The Bird Island Lighthouse is stunning … at least from a distance. Close up, there's lots of bird poop. Historically, a wooden lighthouse was erected in 1852. Work on a stone lighthouse began in 1872. The lighthouse, now fully automated, is home to a myriad of sea birds.

Cape St Blaize Lighthouse, Mosselbaai, South Africa

Built in 1864, it’s one of only two manned lighthouses remaining on the South African coast. Unfortunately, the lighthouse keeper was not available and no one else was around. We climbed the steep stone steps to the lower observation balcony and got a good up-close view of the neatly kept lighthouse and stupendous views of the foreshore below.

Bunbury Lightouse, Bunbury, Western Australia

A storm lantern on a wooden keg sufficed as the port’s beacon for many years. The structure became more sophisticated over time, but it wasn't until 1971 that a formal lighthouse was erected on the hill and painted the distinctive black and white checker-board design.

Waipapa Point Light, The Catlins, Southland, New Zealand

The Waipapa Point Light is particularly photogenic. The sheep graze almost down to the seashore as the lighthouse pops into view. The lighthouse was originally constructed of kauri and totara, local hardwoods, with rock in its base as ballast against the terrific storms and winds which occur there.

Deal Island Light, Deal Island, Bass Strait, Tasmania, Australia

The most outstanding structure on Deal Island is, of course, the lighthouse. Built in 1848, it is the tallest lighthouse in Australia at nearly 1000′ (305M) above sea level. In fact, it’s the tallest lighthouse in the Southern Hemisphere. Unfortunately, it is so high, it was many times occluded by clouds and fog and couldn’t be seen by ships … not good if you’re a lighthouse. It's most impressive because we had a chance to climb to the top and actually stand inside the fresnel light lens.

Ceru Bontana Lighthouse, Washington/Slagbaai NP, Bonaire

Very little is known about this lighthouse, but we found it oddly interesting when we toured Bonaire and the Washington/Slagbaai Park back in 2003. We're told it was restored and repainted in 2012.

Entrance Island Light, Hells Gate, Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania, Australia

The narrow 120m (~400') entrance to the huge Macquarie Harbour was discovered in 1815. The entrance is narrow enough, but the navigable channel through it is only a few boat lengths wide in spots, making it somewhat daunting. Though there was a penal colony at Sarah Island within the harbor, it wasn't until timber cutters and silver miners had problems entering and leaving the harbor that the 6-sided wooden towers, Entrance Island Light and Bonnet Island Light, were erected in 1891.

The Wedding Cake – Sydney Harbour, NSW, Australia

Western Channel Pile Light, also known as the Wedding Cake due to its shape is an iconic and active lighthouse in Sydney Harbour marking the western end of the Sow and Pigs Reef. Sailing past it was just one of the many thrills of Sydney Harbour.

More lighthouses? We've got a whole collection to peruse if you're interested. Check out the Nine of Cups website for a lighthouse photo gallery.

The hardest thing we ever did

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to leave sight of the shore.”

Andre Gide

We've been asked many times what our biggest challenges have been as cruisers and we always respond that the hardest thing we ever did was leave the dock in Kemah, Texas. I cannot imagine the angst and fear and anticipation that sailors of old must have felt as they sailed from the comfort of their home ports to explore an unknown world. I remember the mix of anxiety and exhilaration as we left Kemah ... and we were only heading across the Gulf of Mexico to Florida.

We've written about slaying dragons often in the past. Perhaps that's why our “just a little further” philosophy has worked for us. Having to worry about all the new things we were going to encounter … all those little dragons to slay … like night watches, squalls and storms, navigation, sailing skills …. was hard enough. Add to that bigger challenges/dragons like long ocean passages, rounding southern capes, high latitude sailing and circumnavigating the globe. Just contemplating those possibilities was beyond the realm of our realistic imaginations. Had we worried about all that before leaving, I think we might have stayed in a nice, cozy marina and perhaps gone coastal sailing on weekends. But we didn't.

Getting up the courage to leave was easy when we were just talking about it. Doing it … well, that was quite another thing. Remember, we didn't have years of sailing experience under our belts, but rather we took sailing lessons in our 40s, read lots, chartered a bit and then we sold up and sailed off. The morning we tossed off that last dockline and slowly watched the coast disappear into the horizon was a “gulp and swallow” kind of experience. Yikes … what were we getting ourselves into?

So what does it take to make the big leap? Well, along with a bit of courage, it takes preparation. Certainly, confidence in yourself and each other is a main ingredient. You need to trust each other. You have to have confidence in your boat, that she'll handle whatever comes your way because you've maintained and equipped her properly. Confidence and a mindset that whatever happens, you'll figure out what to do. Once you're out there, there's no telling where the wind will blow you, what you'll see, what you'll discover … about the world and yourself.

Yup. We left Kemah, Texas and then we were sailing and we kept going around and here we are … some 86,000 miles later … all because we left the dock.

FAQ - How do you meet people in a new port?

I was reading Women Who Sail on FaceBook the other day and one woman who was just beginning her sailing adventure asked “How do you meet people?” She was concerned that since she's a bit of an introvert, it would be hard to meet people when constantly sailing into new and unfamiliar ports. She got an overwhelming response … all positive.

Quick answer: It's easy … you can't avoid meeting new people!

Longer answer:

There are so many ways to meet people when you're sailing into a new port that it's hard to enumerate them all. Here are some tips.

• Check out the anchorage for familiar flying burgees to identify other boats that belong to your club, like SSCA or OCC and for instance.

• Knock on a hull. When we arrive in a new anchorage, if we're in the mood for socializing, we dinghy around to other boats to introduce ourselves and say hi … maybe invite folks aboard for sundowners. If we don't make the effort to knock on hulls, it's not unlikely that someone will knock on ours with the same intent.
• If you're in a marina or head to shore in the dinghy, there's always someone on the dock to chat with. It doesn't take much to start up a conversation.
• Listen to the local morning net if there is one and find out what's happening in the area. There's nothing like an evening potluck get-together or a rousing game of dominoes to introduce yourself to new folks.

• If you're a SailBlogger, you can check on-line to see who is close to you and make the effort to get in touch.

Interestingly enough, however, most of the responses were targeted at meeting other cruisers, not the locals. Though we enjoy meeting other cruisers, quite honestly, we could do that anywhere. If cultural experience and local interaction is what you're searching for, you might have to wander a little farther than the local dinghy dock.

• Make an effort to visit the local yacht club, community center, tourist info office, and/or the local chandlery to see what's going on and what you might become involved in. If none of these exist, try the school. Teachers are always interested in showing off their classes and usually welcome newcomers with open arms.

• Determine if your club or organization sponsors a cruising host or port host in the area and contact them for an introduction to the area, as well as an immediate local contact.

• The local fresh market is a great place to meet people since everyone turns out for this social community event. Chat up the green grocer and other customers. Ask about veggies and fruits that are new to you. A conversation will start up almost immediately.
• Got a special skill? Know how to fix solar panels, generators, etc? The more remote you get, the harder it is for locals to find help for maintaining and/or repairing equipment. If you offer your services, you can be assured of a warm response and many thanks from your new local friends.

• Just walk through town, smile and say hi. Interact with the community. When people find out you're from “the boat anchored out there”, you're bound to attract local attention.

We've found in our experience, locals were as interested in meeting us as we were in meeting them. It's not a one-way street by any means. They, too, are curious and happy to share their hospitality and cultural differences.