ANOTHER MILESTONE

Thanks to the hard work and tireless efforts of Bob Trapani, the Executive Director of the American Lighthouse Foundation, of which the Avery Point Lighthouse Society is a chapter, a new light has been obtained for possible installation in the Avery Point Lighthouse.

Bob has been communicating with a company called Carmanah Technologies Corporation out of Victoria British Columbia, Canada, who specialize in LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology.  That company makes various LED lights for various purposes, including marine products.  Many of the lights are used as navigational aids on buoys and marine markers.  The company presently has in excess of 100,000 units installed in 110 countries.

Bob convinced the company to donate one to experiment with at the Avery Point Lighthouse.  They are valued in excess of $1,200.

The light is self-contained and solar-powered.  The batteries are [reportedly] good for at least four or five years. The lifespan of the LED is up to 100,000 hours and if flashing green it will take approximately 14 years before reaching 80% of its original effective intensity.  According to the company, the light will survive extended exposure to the environment and extreme swings in temperature from –40F to 176F.  The light will project to approximately 3.2 nautical miles.  It does require sunlight to maintain its charge.  A fully charged battery will operate for up to 600 hours without recharging (that would be 35 to 50 days without the sun – depending on the length of hours of darkness).  

That’s enough of the technology talk. 

The company provided Bob with the light after they charged it up and made appropriate adjustments to have it flash green every four seconds.  By the way, the light weighs only 18 pounds, is 13 ½” tall and a little over 6 inches wide at the base.

On the afternoon of Saturday (June 10, 2006) Bob, Ron Foster and Jim Streeter brought the light to the lantern room and placed it on top of a temporary staging.  The purpose of placing the light in the lantern room was to determine if there was sufficient sunlight inside the lantern room to keep the unit charged.  The light was to remain on site for at least a week or so to insure its recharging capabilities.

That night, Jim, Ron and Ron’s son Joe, returned to the lighthouse to make some adjustments to the height of the staging.  While doing so, the light began its operation.  (The time was noted to be 8:24 P.M.)  Because the light was only temporarily installed for experimental purposes, in conjunction with the fact that official approval has not been granted by the US Coast Guard to have the light operational, it was necessary to cover the lens.  Of course several photographs of the light in operation were taken before the lens unit was covered.

A little sentimental, but at 8:24 P.M. on June 10, 2006, the Avery Point Lighthouse had temporarily come back to life, almost thirty-nine years after its beacon had been extinguished.

See the attached photos.

Special thanks again to Bob Trapani for his initiative and expertise in filling out the appropriate paperwork to be submitted to the US Coast Guard for approval of having the Avery Point Lighthouse once again designated an official aid to navigation.  The University of Connecticut, as the owner of the lighthouse, has signed the application forms requesting approval to relight the structure as a “Private Aid To Navigation”.  It is hoped that approval will be granted in time for the relighting/rededication ceremony for the lighthouse scheduled for Sunday, October 15, 2006.

Incidentally, anyone who has contributed to the restoration effort of the lighthouse is invited to attend the relighting ceremony.  It is anticipated that hundreds of lighthouse supporters and enthusiasts from throughout the country will be in attendance at this significant historical relighting ceremony.  Plans are now underway to have various maritime displays and events taking place prior to the relighting.  The APLS steering committee is looking at various items to hand out to those in attendance as special mementos of this historic event.  More detail information will be forthcoming as it becomes available.

 Members of the New England Lighthouse Lovers (NELL) have graciously committed their time to assist in the activities associated with relighting ceremony events.