Author: Bergwind

Daymarks for navigation

General

Daymarks have no light , but they have their meaning in mariners navigation beside lighthouses or bouys.

Bob Trapani Jr. has performed a great website for daybeacons and daymarks.

https://uslhs.org/daybeacons

I will add in this blog some pictures of uncommon daymarks around the world.

Germany, Cuxhaven, Kugelbake

Kugelbake is the logo and symbol of the town Cuxhaven, erected about 1703. Todays height 28,4 m, wooden tower and the most northern point of Lower Saxony.

Ireland, Westtown, Metal Man Beacons

built 1823, 10 m tall, never lit

Netherlands, Texel, Kaap Oosterend

erected 1854, 15 m tall, never lit

France, Charente- Maritime, Fanal de Beaumont

Date unknown, 9m tall conical stone tower, maybe a fire was lit inside

Laos, Luang Prabang, Mekong River

 About 1894, French colonizers built in the Mekong daymarks for navigation

Australia, South Australia, Robe Obelisk

1852, never lit, 12 m high, Admiralty Q2123

USA, Long Island, Sands Point, maybe  was earlier lit, USCG 1-21470

Ireland, Baltimore Beacon, 1849, never lit

Germany, island Neuwerk, often destroyed and reerected, 27 m tall

England, Gribbin Head, 1832, 25 m stone tower,  never lit

England; Portreath Beacon, never lit, 7,5 m tall

France, Tour du Gardour, 1952,  12 m steel skeletal tower at the highest point of Charente coast

Italy, Golfo di Trieste, Punta Sottile, 18 m daybeacon, never lit

Denmark, West Jylland, Lökken

Germany, Niedersachsen, Borkum, Kleines Kaap; 1872, 11,7 m high

Germany, Niedersachsen, Borkum, Großes Kaap, 1872, 23,4 high

Germany, Niedersachsen, Borkum, Oostbake, 1872, 7,3 m high

France, Brittany, Trieux estuary, near Bodic

Estonia, Laulasmaa, 1951, 44 m high

United States, Connecticut, Saybrook, 7m high, USCG 1-22510

United States, Maine, Stage Island Monument, 19m high, USCG 1-7960

Germany, Schleswig-Holstein, Goemnitzer Tower, 9m high, 1826/1827

Denmark; Christiansø Island / Kongens Bastion

 

 

 

 

 

Churches serve as navigation aid

General

Till now churches serve as navigation aids. I will try to collect some examples in this blog.

Most churches are Range Rear lights.

But  some  churches were daymarks and never lit.

Estonia, Tallinn, St.Olaf’s Church, built in the 12th century, never lit, 125 high.

Uruguay, Montevideo; Catedral Metropolitana, was lit from 1882 -1910

England, Burnham-on-Sea, St. Andrew’s Church, Range Rear, A5572.1

Portugal, Faro, Santo Antonio do Alto Church, D2214.1

Latvia, Riga, White Church, served as daybeacon first, later lit, C3547.2

USA, Massachusetts, Beverly, First Baptist Church, ARLHS USA-390, J0290.1

Portugal, Fuzeta, Igreja Matriz da Fuzeta, ARLHS POR-074, D2230.1

Morocco, Casablanca, Mosquée Hassan II, D2573.5

Denmark, Koge, St. Nicholas Church, a latern was hung from the tower

Spain, Valencia, Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles, not active since 1918, ARLHS SPA-347

Estonia, Mattiase Kirik, active light, Madise Range Rear, ARLHS EST-078

Estonia; Kihelkonna Church, Range Rear, inactive since 1998, ARLHS EST-067

France, Normandie; Abbey Mont Saint-Michel, inactive light since 1904, ARLHS FRA-760

Netherlands, Brielle, St.- Catherines Church, the light on the tower was a rear light with Stenen Baken, inactive since 1850

Netherlands, Reformed Church Goedereede, used as lighttower from 1708 – 1912, ARLHS NET-039

Italy, Barletta, Chiesa dei Monaci, inactive at least since 2015, ex-Admiralty E2263.5

Netherlands, Texel, Den Hoorn, Hervormde Church, Range Rear, ARLHS NET-035

Finland, Helsinki, Church of Soumenlinna, Range Rear,  ARLHS FIN-063

France, Southern Finistere, Beuzec, Eglise Saint-Budoc,   Range Rear, ARLHS FRA-197

Germany; Cuxhaven-Altenbruch, St. Nicolai Church, twin towers were used in 16th century for navigation on river Elbe ( Foto by Ralf Poppe )

France, Normandy, Portbail, Église de Notre-Dame, Range Rear, ARLHS FRA-763

Poland, Church of St Adalbert, Frombork, Range Rear, ex C3213.1

Poland, Church of St James the Apostle, Tolkmicko, ex C3220.1

Poland, Ustka,  St. Nicolas Church, existed until the end of 19th century, day and night beacon

Italy,  Porto Civitanova Marche , Chiesa del Cristo Re, E2337.6

France, Dieppe, Église Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours, not active, ARLHS FRA-849

France, Ouistreham , Feu Posterieur, Église Saint-Samson, inactive since 1888, ARLHS FRA-687

France, Plouguerneau, Northern Finistere, Eglise de St.Pierre et St.Paul, inaktiv, ARLHS FRA-783

A lighthouse in the middle of a Buddhist temple

History

According to Admiralty Thailand has 68 lighthouses. It’s not too much regarding the long coastline and many islands.
Thai lighthouses are no beauties, not to compare with well known American or British lighthouse beauties. Keeper houses are unknown. Most of Thai lighthouses are made of concrete, white and about 10-12 m tall. Taller lighthouses are square pyramidal skeletal towers, mostly on islands.
Most interesting Thailand lighthouse I have seen in Songkhla, Southern Thailand. It’s situated at the north end of the temple complex Phra Chedi Luang, the royal pagoda at the top of Tang Kuan Hill and now the symbol of Songkhla City.
The construction of lighthouse was finished 1897 and it seems to be one of the oldest Thailand lighthouses.
It remains unclear, if the caged lamp has any relation to the lighthouse! The information table in front of this lamp describes the historic lighthouse of Pharos and Alexander the Great ( personal information)!

The specifity of Taiwanese lighthouses!

Travel

The Republic of China ( Taiwan ) has about more than 50 lighthouses,  ARLHS lists 55 and Wikipedia lists 34 lighthouses. Many of them were build during the colonial domination of Japan starting end of 19. century! Unfortunately many of them where destroyed during Second world war, but after rebuilt.

If you add to your lighthouse list also breakwater lights, so you have a hard job to see them all in Taiwan. Nearly every small port,  I have seen on my trip November 2016 , has breakwater lights, sometimes outer and inner lights! Parking in these ports is mostly no problem. Many breakwaters are accessible and you can join the fisherman.

For the larger lighthouses exist signs, you can follow. Never I could climb a tower and museums are rare!

Be aware to visit lighthouses at weekend! Many Taiwanese are than on road ! So I had no chance for parking to visit the uncommon Yeliou Lighthouse (ARLHS Tai-036 ) .

Fugueijiao Lighthouse, popular sight for Taiwanese
Fugueijiao Lighthouse, popular sight for Taiwanese
Yehliu Geopark and in the distance, Yeliu Light. No chance for parking at sunday! In front: Tung-ao fishing harbor lights
Yehliou Geopark and in the distance, Yeliou Light. No chance for parking at sunday! In front: Tung-ao fishing harbor lights
Yeliou light and communication tower
Yeliou light and communication tower