The Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society, or ARLHS, was formed in 2000. The ARLHS is devoted to maritime communications, amateur radio, lighthouses, and lightships. Its members travel to lighthouses around the world where they operate amateur radio equipment at or near the light stations.

Other goals of the ARLHS include working to increase public awareness of the role ham radio and lighthouses have played in assisting and maintaining safety at sea; aiding with the preservation of lighthouses; and fostering camaraderie and fellowship among ham radio operators nationally and internationally. The ARLHS also maintains a World List of Lights.

John Huggins

John Huggins is an electrical engineer living in Virginia. He has experience in astronomy, aerospace, and the radio communication field, and he reviews and writes about antennas and other technical topics in various online publications. John became the president of the ARLHS in 2016.

Dan Romanchik

Dan Romanchik has been an electronics engineer, a software developer, an engineering manager, a writer/blogger/editor, a teacher/trainer, and a website developer. He's written a series of books called the “No-Nonsense Amateur Radio License Study Guides,” and he also has a popular blog on all aspects of ham radio operating. He's been involved with the ARLHS in recent years.

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The light station on East Brother Island in Richmond, California, was established in 1874 . After nearly a century as a staffed light station, East Brother was automated and destaffed in the summer of 1969. The building deteriorated for a decade until the Coast Guard granted a license for restoration to a new nonprofit organization, East Brother Light Station, Inc.

The property was restored and eventually the doors were opened for overnight guests.  The COVID-19 pandemic forced the bed and breakfast operation to close down at the end of last June. The resident caretakers left and board member Desiree Heveroh moved in as the resident keeper.

East Brother Light Station (U.S. Lighthouse Society photo)

In early April, a 30-year-old, 2000-foot-long underwater power cable, installed and owned by the Coast Guard, failed. A permanent fix to the cable will be very expensive. Funds are desperately needed so the light station won’t fall into disrepair, and so it can reopen for overnight stays.

Desiree Heveroh (Courtesy East Brother Light Station)

Host Jeremy D'Entremont and co-host Cindy Johnson recently interviewed Desiree Heveroh about the current situation.

Website for East Brother Island Light Station

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The lighthouse at Sumburgh Head, established in 1821, is the oldest lighthouse in the Shetland Islands, a part of Scotland. The light station is on a dramatic promontory at the southern tip of Mainland, Shetland, the largest of the islands and the fifth largest island in the British Isles. It was designed by Robert Stevenson, one of the most prolific and celebrated lighthouse engineers in the world. The tower is 56 feet tall, and the light is about 300 feet, or 91 meters, above the sea. Because Sumburgh Head is exposed to severe weather conditions, the walls of the lighthouse were built twice as thick as usual.

Sumburgh Head Light Station. Wikimedia Commons photo by Ronnie Robertson.

The station was automated in 1991 and the former keepers’ houses and the other buildings except for the lighthouse tower are now owned by the Shetland Amenity Trust. The Trust has renovated and restored the buildings to create a world-class visitor attraction.

Brian Johnson’s connection with Sumburgh Head Lighthouse goes back many years, beginning when he took a position as Supernumerary Assistant Keeper in 1969. Most of Brian’s lighthouse career was spent as a mechanical technician. He refurbished the foghorn at Sumburgh Head, and on special occasions visitors can watch as he expertly starts the diesel engine to sound the foghorn.

Brian Johnson (Shetland Amenity Trust)

Jane Outram first visited Shetland for three weeks and is still there 18 years later. She initially worked with the archaeological team of the Shetland Amenity Trust. When a position as a guide at Sumburgh Head became available in 2015, she jumped at the opportunity. Then, in 2019, she made the move to the site supervisor position.

Jane Outram (Museum of Scottish Lighthouses)

Here is the transcript of the interview:

JEREMY

D’ENTREMONT

I'm speaking today with Jane Outram and Brian Johnson, who

are associated with the Sumburgh Head Lighthouse in Shetland, which is part of

Scotland. Thanks so much for joining me today, Jane and Brian. I really

appreciate it.

JANE OUTRAM

Thank you, it’s great to be here.

JEREMY

First of all, can you explain where the Shetland islands

are and where Sumburgh Head is?

JANE

Yes, of course. So Shetland is an archipelago of around

100  islands, 15 of which are inhabited.

And we are located approximately a hundred miles off the northern tip of

mainland Scotland and due west of Bergen in Norway. And Sumburgh Head is the

rocky headland at the southern tip of mainland Shetland. This is where the

North Sea meets the North Atlantic.

JEREMY

So how do people get to Shetland from mainland Scotland?

JANE

So there are two options for getting to Shetland. You can

take an overnight ferry from Aberdeen, which takes between 12 and 14 hours, or

you can fly. And there are several flights every day from Scottish airports,

including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness , and Aberdeen.

JEREMY

Okay. I was reading that the weather conditions at

Sumburgh Head can be very harsh. So what sort of weather do you get there?

JANE

Well, really, the weather here is no worse than any exposed headland in Northern Scotland. Lighthouses by their very nature and purpose tend to be situated in very exposed locations. And I'm often surprised that even on a windy day, how sheltered it can feel within the grounds of Sumburgh Head. But overall, it doesn't rain very much in Shetland. And we have mild winters with temperatures between five to ten degrees warmer than other places on the same latitude. And this is down to the influence of the Gulf Stream.

That's not to say that we don't get our fair share of wind here. Margaret Anderson, an assistant keeper's wife, told us that she could remember watching her husband, Leslie, on his hands and knees against the strength of the wind, trying to reach the tower. And Tommy Eunson, who was an occasional keeper at Sumburgh Head from 1968,

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This is part two of two episodes about Pater Noster Lighthouse off the west coast of Sweden. The light station is operated as a small hotel that features rooms with a sea view, a restaurant, and three boathouses for dinner and conferences. The lighthouse hotel has formed a partnership with the Göteborg (or Gothenberg) Film Festival. The festival, which began in 1979, is the largest film festival in the Nordic countries. Because of COVID restrictions, this year’s 11-day festival was held digitally, with about 70 films and premiere screenings every night.

Pater Noster Lighthouse

This year the festival organizer’s created an “Isolated Cinema” event. It was announced that a winner would be selected to spend a week watching film premieres at the isolated Pater Noster Lighthouse. The winner would have to commit to living in isolation on the island, completely without contact with the outside world, and also to keep a video diary of the experience.

Lisa Enroth (Photo by Ola Kjelbye)

The contest was announced with an online video and more than 12,000 entries were received from more than 45 countries. On January 19, the festival selected Lisa Enroth, a 41-year-old emergency nurse and film enthusiast, as the winner. The CEO of the festival said it felt right to give the unique opportunity to one of the many heroes working in healthcare during the pandemic.

Jonas Holmberg

Lisa Enroth is interviewed in this episode. Also interviewed is Jonas Holmberg, artistic director of the Gothenberg Film Festival. Jonas is a movie critic who founded a film magazine called FLM. He joined the festival in 2012 and became the artistic director in 2014.

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Pater Noster is a small archipelago off the west coast of Sweden. The island group’s name, which means “The Lord’s Prayer,” is said to come from the tradition that mariners would recite the Lord’s Prayer as they negotiated their way around the dangerous reefs in the vicinity. The 105-foot-tall cast-iron lighthouse on one of the islands was constructed in 1868 during a period of intensive lighthouse building in Sweden. 

Pater Noster Lighthouse

Since last year, Pater Noster Lighthouse has been operated as a small hotel. The facilities include rooms with a sea view, a restaurant, and three boathouses for dinner and conferences. The hotel on Pater Noster was awarded the 40th annual Gold Key Award for Excellence in Hospitality Design. 

The lighthouse was moved to shore for restoration in 2002. In this photo it's being returned to the island in 2007. Wikimedia Commons photo by Rolf Broberg.

Erik Nissen Johansen is originally from Norway. He is the founder and creative director of Stylt Trampoli, a multi-award winning hospitality design company. For more than 25 years, Stylt has helped created unique hotel and restaurant experiences for clients all over the world. He is now a partner in the hotel at the Pater Noster Lighthouse.

Erik Nissen Johansen (Courtesy of Stylt)

This is the first of two episodes about the Pater Noster Lighthouse; the second will be posted on Wednesday, April 28. Earlier this year, the nearby film festival in Gothenberg awarded a weeklong stay at the lighthouse hotel to Lisa Enroth, a nurse. Linda watched all the films in the festival while at the lighthouse. Jonas Holmberg, artistic director of the film festival, and Lisa Enroth will be the guests in episode 116.

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Pointe-au-Père is near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River and about 160 miles northeast of Quebec City, Canada. For many years, river pilots helped incoming vessels to steer safely toward Quebec City. The Montreal Ocean Steamship Company established the first lighthouse and foghorn on Pointe-au-Père in 1859. The government of Canada purchased the lighthouse two years later. After the original lighthouse was destroyed by fire, a new one was built in 1867. The first and second lighthouses were both wooden dwellings with lanterns on their roofs.

Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse, U.S. Lighthouse Society photo.

Cindy Larouche (Parks Canada)

Work on the extant lighthouse at Pointe-au-Père began in 1909. The octagonal tower, 92 feet tall, is made of steel-reinforced concrete. With its buttresses, the design was unusual for Canada. Today, the Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse National Historic Site offers climbs to the top of the tower and exhibits in the former keeper’s house.

Cindy Larouche is the manager of the Pointe-au-Père National Historic Site, and she also manages the Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Site. 

Here is a transcript of the interview:

JEREMY D'ENTREMONT

I'm speaking today with Cindy Larouche, who is the manager of the Pointe-au-Père National Historic Site in Quebec, Canada. We've covered lighthouses in Nova Scotia and British Columbia before on this podcast. This is the first time we're focusing on one in Quebec. Thank you so much for joining me today, Cindy.

CINDY LAROUCHE

Nice to meet you.

JEREMY

Likewise. Let's talk about the history of the lighthouse and so forth. But before we do that, I just want to ask you – I'm kind of curious to know a little bit about what led you to being the manager of two historic sites in Quebec.

CINDY LAROUCHE

Well, it was a happy coincidence that led me to become the visitor experience manager at two historic sites of Parks Canada. First of all, having a very great interest in travel, I first studied tourism and then I did a bachelor’s degree in history at the University of Quebec at Rimouski. I always been drawn to culture, education, and museum sector. And furthermore, I have worked in tourism and cultural development in various institutions in Gaspésie and the Lower St. Lawrence region. So when I saw that Parks Canada was looking to fill a position on its team, I told myself, Cindy, you must apply right away. There was a mix of my interest and it helped me to use my skills in many ways. I applied for my dream job and I got it. And I'm still here eight years later. Managing two incredible national sites and doing my best to keep employees happy at work and visitors enjoying their visit. 

JEREMY

Yeah. Well, that's great. You know, not everybody gets to find their dream job, so I'm happy that worked out for you. That's wonderful. 

CINDY LAROUCHE

Yeah. 

JEREMY

So besides the lighthouse site, you also manage the Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Site. Can you explain what that is?

CINDY LAROUCHE

Yeah, this national historic site highlights a very interesting but little-known event in the history of New France. It was the last naval battle that took place in the Restigouche River between the French and the British for the conquest of the North American territory. During this war in 1760, the colony of New France was forced to ask for reinforcements from France, which sent soldiers and ammunition and food to the fleet of six ships. In the end, only three ships including a frigate and two merchant ships ended up in the Restigouche River to hide. They were eventually sunk by British ships in a battle that took place and resulted in the victory of the British fleet. And for more than 200 years, the remains of the different ships remained underwater. But in the ‘70s, Parks Canada carried out archeological excavations, which brought to the surface parts of the Machault sh...

Both of the lighthouses featured in this episode are celebrating their 150th anniversaries in 2021.

Souter Lighthouse is on the northeast coast of England, in South Shields, Tyne and Wear. A lighthouse was much needed here because of dangerous reefs offshore. When the light went into operation on January 11, 1871, it was one of the first lighthouses in the world to be built specifically to operate using AC electric current. The 77-foot-tall brick lighthouse was designed by James Douglass for Trinity House.

Souter Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.

Souter Lighthouse was decommissioned in 1988. Today the light station property is owned by the National Trust, an organization that promotes heritage conservation in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The lighthouse was opened to the public in 1990, and two former keepers’ cottages offer overnight accommodations for the general public. Kate Devlin, interviewed in this episode, is the National Trust's collections and house officer at Souter Lighthouse.

Vintage view of Souter Light Station. (National Trust)

Judianne Point

Pomham Rocks Lighthouse is owned by the American Lighthouse Foundation and managed by Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, a chapter of the Foundation.

The Friends have completed extensive restoration of the exterior and interior of the lighthouse in the past 15 years. They have a variety of events planned this year for the light station's 150th anniversary, and volunteer Judianne Point discusses the group’s plans in this episode.

Pomham Rocks Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.

The co-host of this episode with Jeremy D'Entremont is Jeff Gales, executive director of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Angeli Perrow

Angeli Perrow was born in Rockland on the Maine coast. Her grandfather was a lobsterman and her uncle fished the Grand Banks. As a child, Angeli delighted in exploring the beach with her grandmother, collecting shells and sea glass. She also started writing poems and stories when she was a child.

Angeli taught elementary school for 30 years before retiring two years ago. Maine's maritime history has provided material for much of her writing, including four of her children's books, Captain's Castaway, Lighthouse Dog to the Rescue, Sirius the Dog Star, and Love from the Sky, as well as a coloring book. The "Maine Lighthouses Coloring Book" was published in a brand new second edition in March 2021.

Her other picture books include Dogsled Dreamer and Many Hands, which was a 2010 Lupine Award winner. Angeli’s love for mystery stories inspired her to write the Key Mystery Series for children 8 to 12, starting with The Lightkeeper's Key and The Whispering Key. There are now eight volumes in the series. She has also written a trilogy of horse adventure books for young teens, Celtic Thunder, Celtic Tide,and Celtic Legend.

Angeli lives in Hampden, Maine, with her husband and their dog Lily. She is the mother of two and grandmother of three. Her other interests include hiking, kayaking, cross-country skiing, reading, painting, gardening, Irish dancing, and Celtic music.

Angeli Perrow's website

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Patos Island is the northernmost of the San Juan Islands in the state of Washington. The 207-acre island is in the Strait of Georgia, just two miles from the Canadian border. A light and fog signal station was established in 1893 on Alden Point, the northwestern tip of the island, and a more substantial lighthouse building was added in 1908.

Patos Island Lighthouse, U.S. Lighthouse Society photo.

In 2007, the Keepers of the Patos Light was formed to preserve the lighthouse. Edrie and Terri Vinson’s comprehensive book, Patos Island Lighthouse has been published by the History Press and will be available for purchase on March 29, 2021. Edrie is the president of the Keepers of the Patos Light, and Terri is the secretary.

Edrie VinsonTerri Vinson

Dangerous shoals around Cape Canaveral -- on the east coast of Florida -- were a constant threat to mariners, leading to the establishment of a lighthouse in 1849. The original brick tower wasn’t tall enough, leading to a decision to build a new tower. The second Cape Canaveral lighthouse, a 151-foot cast-iron tower, began service in 1868.

Cape Canaveral Lighthouse, Florida. (Courtesy of Ron Thorstad, Sunward Tours)

The Air Force became the owner of the automated lighthouse in 2000, with the Coast Guard continuing to maintain the light. Then, in 2002, the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation was formed. Rear Admiral Jim Underwood, U.S. Coast Guard retired, is the past president of the Foundation. Becky Zingarelli serves as the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Museum Director.

Jim UnderwoodBecky Zingarelli

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The Titanic Memorial Lighthouse stands today near the buildings of the South Street Seaport Museum, at the corner of Fulton and Pearl streets at the southern end of Manhattan. From 1913 to 1968, it was a familiar sight in its location atop the Seaman’s Church Institute, overlooking the East River. The cornerstone for the lighthouse was laid on April 16, 1912, one day after the news of the sinking of the Titanic reached New York. Many prominent New Yorkers were among the 1496 lives lost in the disaster.

The cylindrical white lighthouse was 60 feet tall. It displayed a fixed green light that was visible throughout New York Harbor and all the way through the Narrows to Sandy Hook, about a dozen miles to the south. Surmounting the tower was a time ball, to be hoisted five minutes before noon, Monday through Friday, and dropped at the precise moment a telegraphic signal signifying noon was received from Washington, D.C. Captains in the harbor set their ship’s chronometers by to the ball drop and citizens would set their timepieces to the drop of the ball at noon each day.

After the organization relocated in 1968, the building was demolished. The lighthouse was removed and donated to the South Street Seaport Museum. In May 1976, it was erected at its present location. There’s a new effort to restore the memorial lighthouse, which has fallen into disrepair. Click here for a GoFundMe page for this project.

The guests in this episode are Adrian Saker, who is spearheading the restoration effort, and also two descendants of Titanic passengers, Angelica Harris and Simon Medhurst.

Adrian Saker

Angelica Harris is the author of the book Titanic: The Brothers Peracchio, Two Boys and a Dream. The book is the story of her Italian uncles, Alberto and Sebastiano Peracchio. The brothers were stewards in the A’ la Carte Restaurant on board the Titanic.

Simon Medhurst’s great grandfather was Robert Hichens, the quartermaster of the Titanic who was at the ship’s helm on April 14, 1912.

Hichens survived the disaster in lifeboat 6. Simon’s mission is to keep the story alive and to promote all things Titanic.

Simon MedhurstAngelica Harris

Click here for the website for the effort to restore the Titanic Memorial Lighthouse

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