OWN A LIGHTHOUSE IN THE DELAWARE BAY!
http://news.yahoo.com/gsa-selling-lighthouses-215838326.html
These are only three of the lighthouses the Government has put up on the sale block!
These are only three of the lighthouses the Government has put up on the sale block!
SHIP JOHN SHOAL LIGHTHOUSE
BRANDYWINE SHOAL LIGHTHOUSE
MIAH MULL SHOAL LIGHTHOUSE
Some years ago, when we made the Delaware Lighthouse poster, I went out on the Delaware Bay with a local fisherman (Waterman) from somewhere around Bowers Beach in Delaware. We went to visit all the offshore lights in the bay and spent an enjoyable day on the water photographing. These three are actually located on the Jersey side of the border between DE and NJ. I think the Govt. is actually giving these away free. But be careful! Ain't nothin free no more! The annual maintenance will choke a horse, not to mention a central banker.
I have often thought what fun it would be to own one. But! After the romance wears off, like in an hour and half, the work begins. Just think of the work and expense it would take to scrape and sand off the old paint on the outside alone. Then putting on a new coat which would last only a year or two when you could start all over again. Remember these things are in salt water and that stuff corrodes. Then the Govt. tells you what else you must do under the contract of sale or whatever. Just what I need. More direction from them. Course if the economy continues to tank, these things would be easy to arm. But then you need a boat to go to shore to fetch supplies and that would be subject to piracy. So I guess owning one might be a bit much.
However if you decide to get one, let me know. I would love to photograph your efforts. I do love lighthouses, but don't think I'm stuck on stupid. Well, maybe that's arguable too. I have visited and photographed two thirds of the 330 some odd lights on the east coast from Florida to Maine and the thing that amazes me most is that how hard they are to find. One would think that a structure you can see from ten to eighteen miles out to sea would be easy to see from land. Not! Since most were build in the mid to late 1800's all sorts of struff (trees and buildings) have grown up around them. And most are in areas that are now almost residential. So from the land side you really have to explore to find them. I have seen two of them moved. One on Block Island and the other on Hatteras Island. Unbelievable feats of engineering in both cases. I have been in and climbed a number of others, the most notable and difficult climb being Hatteras light, 208 feef of claustiphyobia.
I have visited most by automobile, but others by ferry (mostly in Maine), by foot of course, and in Florida by small plane. I have my favorites for all sorts of different reasons, but Hereford Inlet in New Jersey has got to be the best for me. Hatteras on North Carolina's outer banks is iconic as are Portland Head, Bass Head, and Marshall Point all three in Maine. The offshore lights in the Florida Keys are spectacular whem seen from the sky, with water of all shades of the blue green spectrum and reefs galore. Barnegat Light in New Jersey is classic and beautiful, but each lighthouse holds some special memories for me.
Hereford Inlet
Cape Hatteras in the old position
Portland Head
Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse
Marsahall Point (This is where Forrset Gump's run stopped on the east coast)
Alligator Reef in the Keys
It is my hope that organizations can be formed to maintane these parts of our maritime history, without too much commercialization or ultimate destruction of some. People's lives and livlihoods centered around these structures as other lives were saved. Beyond that, there is the romance of a three masted schooner fighting the wind, waves and darkness only to be warned of a rocky shoreline by a brilliant and constantly maintained shaft of light, or clanging fog bell, warning of danger. What a relief it must have been to those early voyagers to see one of those lights of salvation on a stormy night.
I am glad that the Government is letting loose of these lighthouses and my hope is that they go into good hands and not be destroyed. For once Washington is acting responsibly. Now if they can only divest of some of the other trillion or so programs, maybe this country has a chance.
Glad to hear you concurrently are happy to see our government divest itself of beautiful national treasures while blindly hoping that these lighthouses fall into hands that will maintain them in a suitable manner. You are full of contradictions. You love to photograph them, but resent that they are maintained so immaculately by our tax funds. Perhaps you prefer building schools in Afghanistan and maintaining border patrols at the 38th parallel from 1953 until Eternity. Go take a picture of a watchtower in South Korea and complain about THAT. I kind of like that my tax dollars are being spent on something here at HOME that I can enjoy. Then you criticize the government saying there's probably rules and regulations about maintaining these lighthouses if you buy one. Duh! How contradictory can you be? Do you have a screw loose or something? I hope your favorite lighthouse falls into the hands of someone who paints a big penis on the side of it, just so I can hear you trumpet the benefits of deregulation afterwards. In the meantime, I hope my tax dollars will be used for ME and not continuously for people halfway around the world who would behead my wife for marrying someone of the wrong faith. Wise up, buddy.
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