Bombay Castle (South China Sea)

Map of the Spratly Islands showing Bombay Castle and Rifleman Bank

Bombay Castle (Vietnamese Bãi Ba Kè, Chinese : Pi-p'o pao chiao / Pengbo Bao)[1] is a shoal with a lighthouse in the Rifleman Bank of the southern Spratly Islands. It is occupied by Vietnam.[2]

Location and topography

Bombay Castle consists of a submerged reef located between 07°50′N 111°40′E / 7.833°N 111.667°E / 7.833; 111.667Coordinates: 07°50′N 111°40′E / 7.833°N 111.667°E / 7.833; 111.667 and 07°56′N 111°42′E / 7.933°N 111.700°E / 7.933; 111.700 (between 07°50′N 111°40′E / 7.833°N 111.667°E / 7.833; 111.667 and 07°56′N 111°42′E / 7.933°N 111.700°E / 7.933; 111.700) at the northern end of Rifleman Bank.[3][4] At its shallowest point, it has a depth of 3 metres (9.8 ft) consisting of sand and coral.[5] It is 80 miles (130 km) east of Huyền Trân (Alexandra Bank) and nearly 80 miles (130 km) west of An Bang (Amboyna Cay).[6]

Bombay Castle has a 22.5 metres (74 ft) tall lighthouse on steel pilings that was built in 1995. The lighthouse is two storied, with accommodation for the lighthouse keepers and a dish antenna.[7][8]

The reef is named after the East Indiaman clipper Bombay Castle.[9]

DK1 rigs

In addition to the lighthouse (DK1/21), three other DK1 rigs ("economic, scientific and technological service stations") have been constructed by Vietnam in this area. The current (2015) cluster has 3 rigs in use.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Glossary of names - South China Sea". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "Bombay Castle". East Asian Studies Library. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  3. ↑ Pub 161 - Sailing Directions - South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand (Ninth ed.). U.S.A: ProStar Publications, Inc. 20 November 2004. p. 14. ISBN 157785652X. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  4. ↑ Samuels, Marwyn (2013). Contest for the South China Sea. Routledge. p. 191. ISBN 1136575537. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  5. ↑ Valencia, Mark J.; Dyke, Jon M. Van; Ludwig, Noel A. (July 1999). Sharing the Resources of the South China Sea. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 0824818814. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  6. ↑ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the Spratlys". University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  7. ↑ "Lighthouse - VMS South - Ba Kè". Southern Vietnam Maritime Safety Corporation. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  8. ↑ "Photo of Bombay Castle Lighthouse, Rifleman Bank". Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  9. ↑ "The voyages of Bombay Castle". RMG Archives. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  10. ↑ "Photographs of DK1/4". hoangsa.org. Archived from the original on 2015-04-11.
  11. ↑ "Photographs of DK1/9". hoangsa.org. Archived from the original on 2015-04-11. close-up Archived 2015-04-11 at the Wayback Machine.
  12. ↑ "Photographs of DK1/20". hoangsa.org. Archived from the original on 2014-06-06.
  13. ↑ "Photographs of DK1/21". hoangsa.org. Archived from the original on 2015-04-11.
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