For the first 182 years of Portland Head Light’s history, the beacon ablaze at the top of the venerable sentinel was the lone focal point for mariners seeking safe passage in and out of Portland …
united states coast guard
Petit Manan’s Puffin Colony is a “Tern-Key” Success
All seabirds have a certain beauty and charm – and all are worthy of efforts to respect and protect them, but one – the puffin, may very well be considered the most adorable of the marine bird …
Outgrowth of the Lighthouse Keeper: USCG Aids to Navigation Teams
Lighthouses and their keepers are inseparable - and always will be as long as they continue to stand, shine bright and bellow out their audible warnings into the future to come. For no matter how many …
Keepers of the Lights
Though lighthouses are no longer staffed by resident keepers in this day and age of automation, there are still dedicated professionals watching over them. When a mariner or landlubber sees a …
Watching Over the Lights
We just celebrated the 231st anniversary of our nation’s Lighthouse Service on August 7th – and what a storied history it is. The rich traditions and legacies that have come to embody “keeping a good …
National Lighthouse Day – August 7th
Each year countless people look forward to the date of August 7th – and with good reason. Our nation’s lighthouse heritage not only traces its roots back to this historic day in 1789, it also is a …
Dedication and Tradition Still Shine Bright at the Lights
Thirty years have passed since the last lighthouse keeper stood watch at a Maine lighthouse. When Coast Guard keeper Bradley Culp “turned out the light” for the final time at Goat Island Lighthouse in …
Rock Fed from a Barrel
The following account was penned by Coastguardsman Calvin Alley and published in the May 1951 issue of the Maine Coast Fisherman… U.S. Coast Guard Depot, Southwest Harbor: “Hope I am not too late …