What information is most important when passing a lighthouse?

In this era of digital technology, there are many complex instruments or gadgets present to find out the navigation within a sea. Still, the lighthouse indicates the presence of a safe harbor within the sea. Lighthouse acts as the trafficking system within the water body to warn and provide safety measures to the water vessels. 

From the lighthouse, a rotating light is provided in a different direction to provide measures about the depth of water, presence of rocks, or other objects which may create a collision with water vessels. Now we are highlighting the important aspects which are crucial to know about a lighthouse within a sea, its impact, and what information we may receive from it. 

light house in the sea with boat

What is a lighthouse?

The lighthouse concept is in existence since the 16th century. These lighthouses are 120-130 feet high. There are two types of lighthouses which are small and big. Small lighthouses provide lights having 10 to 20-meter long tails and big lighthouses provide lights that have 30-40 meter tailed light sources. Ships and other water vessels follow these lights to navigate during leaving a country to step to another one. Still, now, 90% of trade is in continuation through seas and oceans where the lighthouse is a physical way of navigation. 

The most interesting information is that lighthouse is constructed in such an area of the sea that can be considered the most detrimental area for vessels, ships, and cargoes. Lighthouses provide two types of lighting patterns which are flashing and occulting. 

 In the flashing type, the lighthouse provides small light with a long duration of darkness which means 1-second lighting after seconds of darkness. Occulting is just the opposite i.e. long time light and small time darkness.  The lighthouse-provided lights are of different wavelengths which helps vessel and ship drivers to locate shallow water, rocks, and other objects which may incur collision. 

Information obtained during passing a lighthouse:

  • During passing through a lighthouse ships can use the bearings of a lighthouse. In this way, they can avoid collisions with shallow water and collision with rocks. 
  • When two or many other ships or cargoes are passing through a lighthouse, with the light of these lighthouses they can make a safe distance from each other.
  • With the bearing of the lighthouse, ships can follow a particular angel. In this way, ships and cargoes can avoid collisions and shallow water. 
  • The lighthouse is not only in use for nighttime navigation purposes. In day time ship and vessel drivers can come to know the depth of the water with the height and shadow of the lighthouse. 
  • Utilizing the same method, vessel drivers can come to know about the safe distance of the ship from the lighthouse. 
  • From the position of the lighthouse, vessel and ship drivers can come to know about the distance from the lighthouse or the land from the mid-sea. 
  • Radders and Raspberry pi s become great tools in collaboration with a lighthouse. It provides a great safety measure with the distance of the lighthouse. 
  • Seafarers mainly emphasize the light house during passing the chart of the lighthouse. Here people can find out time oriented depth of the sea, water level, and different types of ocean flows. It helps ship and cargo drivers to continue their journey with a high level of safety. Still, now experienced sailors can find out their pathway using only lighthouse flashes. There is no requirement for the modern GPRS system or others. 
  • This lighthouse concept is in use since ancient timing that’s why these are painted in different colors. Sometimes lighthouses are colored with red, blue, and other catchy colors. It helps sailors to notice the lighthouse from a significant distance. 
  • Nowadays lighthouses lit up their lamps with remote sensing and other colors. These sensors allow the lighthouse as well as sailors to provide signals whether in the air there is extra moisture or humidity, there is fog, or not. It helps sailors to find out their pathway safely. 
  • Sometimes two lighthouses are situated nearby. Here the light is maintained in a cross manner. As a result, sailors can easily measure the distance and presence between two lighthouses. 
  • The height of the lighthouse is a great factor. Lighthouses are always situated at the mean height of the water level. As a result sailors from different distances from land can find the light and access the lighthouse. 
  • Nowadays there are many instruments where vessel and ship drivers can come to know about the GPRS location, their distance from the land, and many others. But from ancient times, light is continuously playing a key role to help ships and protecting them from collisions. 

In this way, the lighthouse has been serving a great responsibility for millions of sailors, fishers, and others who need to sail for their livelihood. It is always important to maintain research and development for further improvement of this lighthouse system. 

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