VELIERO

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Photo Pasquale

VIAGEM

Aparelhei o barco da ilusão
E reforcei a fé de marinheiro.
Era longe o meu sonho, e traiçoeiro
O mar…
(Só nos é concedida
Esta vida
Que temos:
E é nela que é preciso
Procurar
O velho paraíso
Que perdemos).


Prestes, larguei a vela
E disse adeus ao cais, à paz tolhida.
Desmedida,
A revolta imensidão
Transforma dia a dia a embarcação
Numa errante e alada sepultura…
Mas corto as ondas sem desanimar.
Em qualquer aventura.
O que importa é partir, não é chegar.

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Miguel Torga

Photo John

NORTHERN CAPE CODE LIGHTHOUSES, HIGHLAND LIGHT

Situated on a cliff 183 feet above sea level, Highland (Cape Cod) Light was the first of the lighthouses of the Cape. Construction of the lighthouse was prompted by numerous shipwrecks in "the dark chasm between Cape Ann and Nantucket" (Clark, p. 23).

The original lighthouse was authorized by George Washington in 1796. The government purchased ten acres of land for the lighthouse from Isaac Small. The lighthouse was completed in 1797.

The lamp consisted of 15 Argand lamps, which were surrounded by a revolving eclipser. This flashing light, the first in the US, was shown to differentiate from Boston Light. (Clark, p. 23, Thompson, p. 73)

By 1857, the original structure was deemed unsafe and replaced. The new 1857 light featured a first-order Fresnel lens, which was replaced in 1901 by an even larger room-sized Fresnel lens, supported on a bed of mercury. In 1932, a 1000-watt electric lamp was installed, which was said to be visible 45 miles away. Highland is currently lit by a pair of Fresnel-lensed aerobeacons. Each beacon contains two 1000-watt lamps (one flips on should the other fail).

The light was automated in 1986. It currently belongs to the National Park Service, and serves as a private aid to navigation.

By 1990, Highland Light was at serious risk of being lost to erosion. The first lighthouse was built 500 feet from the cliff. The current lighthouse stood a mere 100 feet from the cliff in 1990. In 1990, somewhere between 40 and 117 feet of cliff were lost to erosion. In an effort to save this historic lighthouse, the Truro Historical Society spearheaded an effort which, along with national Park Service, state, and Coast Guard funding, raised $1.5 million to move the lighthouse and keeper's house. In a span of 18 days in July 1996, International Chimney Inc. of Buffalo NY and Expert House Movers of Maryland moved the lighthouse to a new position 570 feet from the cliff. The lighthouse is currently located on Highland Golf Links.

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Photo Gino

CAST TERMINAL

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Photo CP Ships

CANMAR PRIDE

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Photo CP Ships

SWANSEA MARINA

Very much a modern part of Swansea, the Marina is a result of the redeveloped docks, located immediately to the west of the River Tawe.

When the First World War broke out, the emphasis on local copper and coal import and exports declined rapidly, leaving the docks somewhat redundant. The whole area fell into dreadful dereliction until finally in the 1970s the council embarked upon a cleaning up programme, culminating in the development and grand opening of the Marina in 1982. Yachts both big and small frequent the Marina from all over the world.

Worthy of mention is the impressive artwork, plaques and sculptures to be found around the Marina and seafront here. These, often surreal or abstract, pieces were created by various artists who were invited to reflect and express their impressions of Swansea's past and present maritime traditions.

Distinctive buildings around the Marina include the Swansea Observatory along Marine Walk and the red-brick Pumphouse at Pumphouse Quay. Now utilised as an attractive restaurant, the Pumphouse was once used to power the swing bridge, lock and other dock-side facilities from the early 1900s. Its huge tower once housed a huge balancing ram and accumulators and ended its industrial life in 1971 when the last vessel left the South Dock.

The following decade, left the building neglected and vandalised, with its machinary badly corroded by time and exposure. Structural work was carried out to make the building sound and the internal mechanisms were removed in 1981. The Pumphouse was given a Grade 2 listed building status in 1987.

The old dock itself is home to several floating exhibits, the Olga, a 1909 Bristol Channel Pilot cutter, the Helwick, a 1937 Lightship and Canning, a 1954 steam tug.

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Photo Paul

Explore Gower

CURRITUCK BEACH LIGHTHOUSE

Name: Currituck Beach Lighthouse

County: Currituck

Built: 1875

Operational: Yes

Body of Water: Atlantic Ocean, Currituck Sound

Color: Red bars

Design: Plain

Height: 162 feetSignal

Visible: 19 miles

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Photo David

BOLINA

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Photo David

FINISH LINE

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Photo Dog

CAPE FLORIDA LIGHTHOUSE

The Cape Florida lighthouse is one of the most celebrated landmarks owned by the State of Florida.

The historic compound in Bill Baggs State Park and Recreation Area includes the newly restored, 95-foot white-brick tower and a replica of the lighthouse keeper's 1825 cottage, delighting visitors as well as residents of this subtropical island of Key Biscayne. Graceful coconut palms line the walkway toward the ocean and grand historic monument.

A climb to the lantern room affords a vast panorama of the lush island with its long stretch of sandy beaches and the ever-changing tropical seas.

Against a background of aquamarine waters, leaping dolphins and giant rays, schools of colorful fishes, occasional sharks, diving pelicans, and other tropical birds may be seen.

You will view ships from international ports plying the deep blue of the powerful Gulf Stream, enormous cruise ships on the horizon, and luxury yachts, deep-sea fishing boats, and bobbing sailboats riding the waves.

The tranquility surrounding the entire state park - and especially the historic compound - belies the dramatic and sometimes violent past when hurricanes, fire, and the Seminole Wars swept through the region.

The original lighthouse and cottage, built in 1825, were attacked and burned in 1836 by Seminole warriors protesting U.S. presence in the South Florida wilderness and resisting deportation from Florida to the West.

When the lighthouse was rebuilt in 1855-1856, it was extended from 65 feet to its present height, and wooden stairs were replaced with 119 spiraling iron steps to the top.

Today rangers and guides on scheduled tours take visitors through the furnished air-conditioned cottage and the cookhouse (now an air-conditioned video mini-theater) as an introduction to Cape Florida lighthouse history and Key Biscayne.

The lighthouse rises on the southernmost tip of Key Biscayne overlooking the rest of the more than 500-acre Bill Baggs State Park.

Visitors may want to picnic, sunbathe, swim, fish, or follow paths through the ecologically restored interior, traveling on foot or bicycle from beachside to bayside on the Key

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Key Biscayne.com

FERRY BOAT

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Photo David

VILLE D' ORION

The CMA-CGM M/V Ville D'Orion drew a lot of lookie-loo attention from folks on nearby John S. Gibson Boulevard when it sailed into the TraPac terminal in Los Angeles on FRi. March 24 with stacks of containers at its stern leaning precariously to one side.

The containers apparently pulled loose at sea after one of the bottom containers collapsed. The ship was taken to the adjacent Yang Ming Terminal to offload the damaged cans.

Final score, according to the Coast Guard, was 69 containers damaged in the incident, no containers lost overboard, no HazMat problems, and no injuries.

A barge crane and crew was brought in from Matson Construction after IWLU longshore workers reportedly refused to unload the containers because of safety concerns.

Damage to containers ranged from simple cracks to containers torn completely open.

Damage to the ship was minimal.

Attorneys & marine surveyors were also on hand to assess damage for the owners of the ship, cargo, & containers. The last of the containers was unloaded on Mar. 27 & the Ville D'Orion sailed on.

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Countryman & McDaniel

HEINRICH BEHRMANN

At 02.30 LT, Nov. 8 on inbound leg to Zeebrugge, M/V Heinrich Behrmann had engine trouble & called help from tugs.

Weather very bad with N- NW stormy winds -- force 9 & peaks up to force 11.
Three attempts were made to secure the vessel By Tugs, but each time the tow lines snapped.

Driven by wind M/V Heinrich Behrmann grounded at the Blankenberge resort beach.
3 tugboat crew injured while trying to tow M/V Heinrich Behrmann back to open sea.

With NW storm blowing inland, tide was higher than usual (HW at around 06.00 LT) --
-- coming less than 10 meters from seafront, so the vessel grounded very close to it.

At low tide around 12.00 LT & with a difference of about 4.5 meters between high & low tide, vessel ended up on dry land

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Countryman & McDaniel

CVAVHTEMOC

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Photo Alexander

JUST A SINGLE SHIP IN A SUNSET

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Photo Christel

SAIL SHIP PASSAT

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Photo Andreas

RIO NILO

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Photo Clemens

RUSTY SHIP

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Photo Adrian

FIM DE REGATA

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Photo Anonimus

FARO DE S VICENTE DE LA BARQUERA O FARO DE LA SILLA, ESPAÑA

Está situado al Noroeste de San Vicente de la Barquera.

Aunque en un principio no estaba prevista su construcción durante el reinado de Isabel II, las protestas de marineros y autoridades locales forzaron su inclusión en el Primer Plan de Alumbrado.

Finalmente, el 27 de diciembre de 1871 entró en funcionamiento. La reforma más importante que sufrió fue en la década de los años veinte , al instalar un aparato óptico dotado de un juego de pantallas giratorias montadas sobre un flotador de mercurio y accionadas por una máquina de relojería de peso motor. con lo que conseguía una nueva característica de ocultaciones cada 6 seg. y 16 millas de alcance.

En marzo de 1954 se instaló una sirena de niebla provista de un único vibrador con la característica "V" en código Morse, repetida cada 30 segundos, que aún sigue operativa.

Solo se activa en caso de niebla, con la ventaja añadida de que se puede poner en marcha desde el Faro de Suances, cabecera de la zona oriental.

Esto responde al sistema de Telecontrol instalado en todos los faros y que permite dirigirlos por ordenador.

La vivienda era similar a la del faro de Suances, mientras que la torre, prismática cuadrangular y de mampostería, era parecida a la del Faro de la Cerda, adornada con esquinas de sillería.

El incidente más destacado sucedió en 1977 cuando el farero descubre la presencia de varios cadáveres, 14 en total, en la playa y que eran las víctimas del naufragio del "Lasarte" que se había estrellado contra la costa de Prellezo durante la noche.

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Faros de Cantábria