Lighthouses In The Bahamas

T he Bahamas are made up of        hand. The lighthouse keeper must   several small islands           adjust the cables and weights      spread out through a wide       that keep the kerosene flowing     expanse of ocean. In the early        properly. Due to the special lens  days of the European settlements,     inside, the light from this        the lighthouses served an             lighthouse can be seen up to 17    essential purpose, guiding ships      miles out into the ocean.          to shore in the darkness. During      Visitors are welcome to make the   night storms when the overcast        101-step climb up to the top to    sky was unable to be used as a        admire the view.                   navigation tool, the lighthouse                                          was what brought the ships in,        Andros, of the Bahamas, is home    sometimes meaning the difference      to the Bird Rock Lighthouse,       between life and death for the        known especially for the ospreys   ship and its crew and cargo. Some     that make their homes there. It    of these lighthouses still remain     began its operation in 1876,       and can be visited today.             built by the British. It was run                                         by hand, withstanding storms,      One of the best known of these        hurricanes and even tidal waves.   lighthouses is found in Hope          But, it did not withstand          Town, on Elbow Cay, which is part     progress. In 1978, it became       of the Abacos of the Bahamas.         automated, ending its near         This lighthouse is a remarkable       century of continuous occupation.  red and white structure, and was      Soon, even the light was gone.     opened in 1863. It is one of          However, in 1999, the light was    three lighthouses in the world,       relit and the restoration of this  all of which are found in the         landmark lighthouse became a       Bahamas, that still operates in       project of local interest and      the old-fashioned way. The light      importance. The end result of the  is powered by kerosene and run by     restoration efforts is a           fascinating guesthouse that also      distant meeting point in complete  houses a small museum devoted to      comfort and peace.                 the history of the area.                                                                                       Lighthouses once were a vital      On the northern part of San           part of the seafaring life. The    Salvador, another island of the       lit beacon allows ships to find    Bahamas, there is another of the      land in difficult dark weather,    rare kerosene lit lighthouses.        as well as prevented them from     The light at Dixon Hill               running aground upon a tiny        Lighthouse was first lit in 1887,     island in the middle of the        and it continues to be run by the     night. They remain an important    manual efforts of its keepers. It     part of nautical history,          is 83 steps to the top of this        standing as a reminder of those    lighthouse, and visitors are          brave travelers, who navigated     welcomed.                             the seas with simple tools and                                           their knowledge of the sky above.  Yamacraw Point, which is on New       Lighthouses throughout the world   Providence Island of the Bahamas,     are being restored with loving     is home to another lighthouse.        attention, but the Bahamas are     The location is notable for its       home to most those that are still  beautiful view of where the sky       run the old-fashioned way.         meets the sea, and the equally        Visiting one of these fascinating  lovely beach that makes it            historical landmarks adds a nice   possible to contemplate that          touch to any Bahamas vacation.     About the Author: This article provided courtesy of http://www.charter-boat-guide.com Source: www.isnare.com