Cape Sarichef Light
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| Location: | Unimak pass through Aleutian Islands, Alaska |
|---|---|
| Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS) |
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| Construction: | Reinforced Concrete |
| Year first lit: | 1950 (Hexagonal tower) |
| Year first constructed: | 1904 |
| Automated: | 1979 |
| Tower shape: | Hexagonal tower in 1950. Currently a skeleton tower. |
| Height: | 170 feet above sea level |
| Original lens: | Third order Fresnel lens, 1904 |
| Range: | 8 nm |
| Characteristic: | Flashing white 2.5s, Obscured from 223.5° to 018.5°. |
Cape Sarichef Light is a lighthouse located on the northwest tip of Unimak Island, approximately 630 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska. It marks the northwest end of Unimak Pass, the main passage through the Aleutian Islands between the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Lit July 1, 1904, it was Alaska's second coastal lighthouse, and the only U.S. manned lighthouse on the Bering Sea. Scotch Cap Light, located on the southwest corner of Unimak Island approximately 23 miles overland from Sarichef, was Alaska's first coastal lighthouse, lit June 18, 1903.
The original lighthouse was a wood tower on an octagonal wood building, 45 feet in height. The light was 126 feet above the sea. Following the disastrous tsunami in 1946 that destroyed Scotch Cap Light and killed its 5-man crew, the Coast Guard rebuilt Cape Sarichef Light in 1950. The upgrade included a LORAN (Long-Range Aids to Navigation) radiobeacon to help ships and aircraft obtain an accurate position. The station was automated in 1979. The new light was erected on a steel skeleton next to the old tower. The old light, fog horn and radiobeacon were turned off. The Coast Guard turned the property over to the Fish and Wildlife Service. The old tower and buildings were demolished in 1999.
Cape Sarichef Light is the most westerly and most isolated lighthouse in North America. Unimak Island is the largest in the Aleutian Chain, approximately 75 miles long and 17 to 30 miles wide. The island is a wildlife refuge populated by bears, caribou, wolves, fox, bald eagles, grey whales, and seals. Pogromni Volcano, elevation 6568 feet, dominates the western part of the island. The dominant colors of the island are black from the volcanic sand and rock, and brown from the vegetation. Grass adds some green to the landscape during the short summer season. Cape Sarichef Light boasted the only trees on the island, small pine trees transplanted from Kodiak. The temperature varies from the 50’s during summer to the 20’s during winter; the prevailing high winds produce a chill factor in the 20's. Foggy days are more common than clear days during summer.
Although living quarters were originally provided for them, the Lighthouse Board prohibited civilian keepers from bringing their families because of their isolation. Their nearest neighbor was a trapper some 10 miles away. Mail and supplies were not received for months at a time. The station shut down from December 1st through March 1st because the Bering Sea was frozen. Due to the privations they endured, civilian keepers got one full year off every 4 years of service. Circa 1933, one of the assistant keepers suffered a breakdown after two years at the lonely station. After Cape Sarichef Light became the responsibility of the Coast Guard, a crew of 21 men each served a one year tour of duty at the station. Approximately 2 miles from the station was an Air Force DEW (Distant Early Warning) Line radar station crewed by 25 men. Relations between the two services were reportedly very good, with a lot of swapping of everything from food to vehicle parts.
REFERENCES:
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/WEBLIGHTHOUSES/LHAK.html
http://www.uscg.mil/history/h_alaska_and_hawaii.html
http://www.cr.nps.gov/maritime/light/capesar.htm
http://www.tech-service.net/loran/Cape_Sarichef/1960s_Cape_Sarichef_Info_book.htm
http://www.lighthousedepot.com/database/uniquelighthouse.cfm?value=12
http://www.lighthousedepot.com/digest/Storypage.cfm?storykey=2244
http://www.brucegray.com/htmlfolder/html_subpages/unimak1.html
http://www.coastguardwives.com/index.php/component/option,com_content/task,view/id,1785/Itemid,435/
