Lighthouses in Jamaica

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Negril Lighthouse.
Negril Lighthouse.

There are seven operational onshore Lighthouses in Jamaica and two offshore[1]:

External links in this section are to WikiMapia unless marked "Photo".

  1. Morant Point on the easternmost tip of the island[2]. The oldest in the island, it consist of a 30m (100 ft) iron tube, cast in London in 1841, which has a diameter of 5 m (18 ft) at the base and 3 m (11 ft) at the cap. It is listed by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust as a historic monument, being 'of considerable interest to historians of industrial technology'. It was erected in 1841 by Kru men from Africa who were among the free Africans brought to Jamaica in the period following emancipation[3][2]. Photo.
  2. Plumb Point. Built in 1853 it is claimed that the light has gone out only once since then, during the 1907 earthquake. The 21 m (70 ft) stone and cast iron tower shows a white light visible for about 40 km (25 miles) over the entrance of the eastern navigable channel and a red light over the south channel which is visible for 20 km (12 miles)[4][5]. Photo.
  3. Portland Cottage (light structure) formerly Portland Lighthouse[6]. The tower is an open framed steel structure 40 m (132 ft) high (129 iron steps). It has a white revolving light, giving two flashes in quick succession every 15 seconds[7][8]. Photo.
  4. Lover’s Leap. Built by the Engineering Department of the Port Authority in Jamaica, it is the most recent lighthouse built in Jamaica. It is 100 feet (30 m) above sea level and is powered by three different power sources: a generator, electricity and a set of batteries[9]. Photo.
  5. Negril, built in 1894 on the westernmost tip of the island by the French Company Bubbler & Bernard on a tank 14 feet (4.3 m) deep, which is kept filled with water to keep the 20 m (66 ft) high concrete tower balanced and secured in the event of an earthquake. An automatic white light 30 m (100 ft) above sea level flashes every two seconds. The light was operated by gas initially, switching to acetylene in 1956 and solar energy in 1985[10][11]. Photo.
  6. Rose Hall[12] (light structure) on the northernmost tip of the island.
  7. Unused number.
  8. Galina. A white concrete tower 12 m (40 ft) high with a white light flashing once every 1.2 seconds followed by 10.8 seconds of darkness and visible for 19 km (12 miles)[13][14]. Photo.
  9. Folly. Built in 1888, it flashes a white light of 2 seconds duration followed by 8 seconds of darkness and is visible for up to 13 miles (21 km). There is a beautiful garden around the lighthouse[15][16]. Photo.
  10. Pedro Cays[12] (offshore - 60 miles (97 km) south of Jamaica) on the north side of Northeast Cay (Top Cay).
  11. Morant Cays[12] (offshore - 32 miles (51 km) sout east of Jamaica) on the easternmost point of North-East Cay.

The official numbering suggests that there is or was an additional, non-operational lighthouse or structure - #7.

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ Annual Transport Statistics Report: Jamaica in Figures 2003-2004, Ministry of Transport and Works, July 2005.
  2. ^ a b Morant Point Lighthouse, Jamaica National Heritage Trust, 2005.
  3. ^ Morant Point Lighthouse, Frans Eijgenraam, 2000.
  4. ^ Plumb Point Lighthouse, Frans Eijgenraam, 2000.
  5. ^ Plumb Point Lighthouse, Jamaica National Heritage Trust, 2005.
  6. ^ UK Directorate of Overseas Surveys 1:50,000 map of Jamaica sheet H, 1973.
  7. ^ Portland Point Lighthouse, Frans Eijgenraam, 2000.
  8. ^ Portland Point Lighthouse, Jamaica National Heritage Trust, 2005.
  9. ^ Lovers' Leap Lighthouse, Jamaica National Heritage Trust, 2005.
  10. ^ Negril Point Lighthouse, Frans Eijgenraam, 2000.
  11. ^ Negril Point Lighthouse, Jamaica National Heritage Trust, 2005.
  12. ^ a b c Google satellite images have at present insufficient resolution to show this light structure.
  13. ^ Galina Point Lighthouse, Frans Eijgenraam, 2000.
  14. ^ Galina Lighthouse, Jamaica National Heritage Trust, 2005.
  15. ^ Folly Point Lighthouse, Frans Eijgenraam, 2000.
  16. ^ Folly Point Lighthouse, Jamaica National Heritage Trust, 2005.

[edit] See also

Transport in Jamaica