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Lighthouse Keeper Job Available - San Pablo Bay

Sue Clark — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:53:21 +0000

Run An Inn and the Lighthouse Too

A dream job has become available for a couple who long to be lighthouse keepers, at East Brother Island Lighthouse in San Pablo Bay, California. This one acre island in the bay, about a 10-15 minute boat ride to their nearest neighbor, the harbormaster at Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor, is a bed and breakfast. The successful applicants will watch over the flashing light and foghorns, and will run the inn housed in the 1874 lighthouse, which is still an active aid to navigation. And it’s a well paying position too, with the salary earned set at between $70,000 and $100,000, plus room and board. A health plan is also included.

The lighthouse was automated in 1969, and the Coast Guard left the buildings to the elements, and to teens looking for a place to tryst and party. Although the windows were boarded up and chains put in place, that didn’t stop the determined youngsters and others looking for a place to party. In order to preserve the light station and buildings, a group of people in the area successfully campaigned to have it placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1979 and 1980, the entire station was converted to a bed and breakfast, with five rooms available to pay for the upkeep and the salary of the lighthouse keepers.

About East Brother Light Station

Four of the rooms are located within the lighthouse itself and one room is located in the original Fog Signal Building. A stay at the lighthouse includes champagne & hors d’oeuvres upon arrival, a multi-course dinner with wine and a full gourmet breakfast the next morning. Guests are also provided with a full tour of the island taking in all of the buildings and being regaled with the history of the island and its life as a lighthouse up to the present day.

Life is a little rough out there, with power coming from a mix of solar panels, propane and an underwater electric cable from the shore. A tiny septic system handles waste. Water comes from a 70,000-gallon cistern that collects rainfall. Supplies are so scarce that guests are not allowed showers unless they stay a second night.

When the guests leave, the only ones left behind are the gulls and the waves. And the foghorn, which fortunately only operates from October through March. Well, in theory anyway. According to local legend, those who enjoy a romantic interlude on the island sound the foghorn to celebrate.

How To Apply/Requirements of the Job

This is a job for a couple, loosely applied. The job requires two people who must live together in close quarters; they do not have to be married. One of the individuals must possess a valid U.S. Coast Guard commercial
operators license for a boat carrying six passengers. If you do not have this or cannot obtain it within a short time, the East Brother Light Station requests you do not bother to apply. Keepers must have culinary experience or abilities, must be warm and presentable to the public, and must be enthusiastic and self-motivated. Children are incompatible with this job, as are pets. Smoking is not permitted. Previous food service or hotel type experience may be helpful but is not required.

The couple will operate the five-room inn, serving both dinner and breakfast, as well as providing ferry service for guests and all other tasks from chef to maid. The inn is open four days a week, and the island is also available for day use and special events. The new keepers will start about April 1, 2009.

The complete application package is available as a pdf file, or you may mail or fax your resume and proof of Coast Guard license to:

Tom Butt, President
East Brother Light Station
117 Park Place
Richmond, CA 94801
FAX 510.232.5325.

More information on the lighthouse, including an excellent history, can be found at

Photo Credit: East Brother Lighthouse by Catcubed. Some rights reserved.

For the very best in lighthouse photos and gifts visit The Lighthouse Guy.

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Lighthouse Keeper Job Available - San Pablo Bay

Lighthouse Keeper’s Identity Remains Unsolved Mystery

Sue Clark — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:00:40 +0000

Can You Identify This Man?

If you can identify this Maine lighthouse keeper, call Tim Harrison at 207-259-2121 or email him at editor@LighthouseDigest.com.

It’s been two years since Tim Harrison, editor of Lighthouse Digest, came across a photograph of a distinguished looking lighthouse keeper and but the man’s identity still remains a mystery. Harrison, who is nearing completion of a book on the lighthouses of Maine’s Washington County, said he’d like to include the photograph in the book, but he would like to be able to include the man’s name and some information about him and his family. Harrison would also like to know what lighthouse or lighthouses this mystery keeper served at. “When I first discovered the photograph, I thought it should be fairly easy to find someone who might know or recall who he is from old family records or photo albums, but so far I’ve been unsuccessful,” said Harrison.

The only clue Harrison has is that the photograph was taken in Southwest Harbor, Maine, which would indicate that the man was a lighthouse keeper somewhere in the ‘Downeast’ region. Harrison said that in the past year people have shared hundreds of old photographs with him of lighthouse keepers, their families and life at the lighthouses for his upcoming book and another one he is now working on featuring the lighthouses of the Bar Harbor region. According to Harrison, the books will have many images of lighthouse keepers and their families at the lighthouses and most have never before been published or even seen outside of the descendant’s families.

One Last Try To Find Out

Harrison said he knows the man was a head keeper because of the K on his uniform and his pocket watch shows a Masonic emblem surrounded by a horseshoe. “I’ve had lots of leads,” said Harrison, who went onto say, “Several people said it was their great grandfather, but none of them had any photos or sent him any information to substantiate their claims.” Harrison hopes that one more public appeal might uncover and solve the mystery. “I’d hate to publish the photograph in the book, not knowing this lighthouse keeper’s name. It’s important to know who he is, so this slice of history can be saved in the book for future generations. Once the book comes out, it’s too late to add his name to the book and that would be a real shame,” Harrison said.

Harrison can be called at 207-259-2121 or emailed at editor@LighthouseDigest.com. His mailing address is Lighthouse Digest, P.O. Box 250, East Machias, ME 04630.

For the very best in lighthouse photos and gifts visit The Lighthouse Guy.

Lighthouse Keeper’s Identity Remains Unsolved Mystery

America’s Last Lighthouse Keeper

Sue Clark — Thu, 29 May 2008 17:47:42 +0000

Reuters India has a story on Sally Snowman, the civilian lighthouse keeper at Little Brewster Island. Thanks to Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass), the light at Boston Harbor will always be tended to by a keeper. Snowman was hired in 2003 when the Coast Guard decided a civilian could do the job. Although the job is completely different from past days, Sally does have her work cut out for her. Even better, she dresses the part. A lot of her job has to do with groundskeeping, maintenance of the house, making sure the light stays lit (although now it’s a 1,000 watt bulb rather than a flame) and tending to the many tourists that come out to view the lighthouse. Why do people love lighthouses so much? Sally’s theory, which I totally agree with, is:

“For many, it has a sense of hope and spirituality, not religion, but spirituality,” she said in an interview atop the tower, looking out over Boston Harbor. “They look at it and see it as a coming home and safety.”

Check it out, it’s a nice story.

For the very best in lighthouse photos and gifts visit The Lighthouse Guy.

America’s Last Lighthouse Keeper

Lighthouse Keeper Job For Rent

Sue Clark — Thu, 22 May 2008 23:30:08 +0000

Tawas Point Lighthouse Needs Keepers

Well, technically it’s not a job. It would be considered a working vacation, I guess. But for only $275 a week, you can stay in the renovated upstairs of the former lightkeeper’s house at Tawas Point, Michigan. The Tawas Point State Park is looking for people willing and able to work in the lighthouse, for one or two weeks at a time. Tawas Point is located in the Northeastern portion of the state, on Tawas Bay, which is off Lake Huron. This lighthouse beam used to be visible to your editor (that’s me) on a clear night from the opposite side of Saginaw Bay.

Duties and Responsibilities

All persons who stay at the lighthouse must be at least eighteen years of age, and the renovated upstairs has room to sleep three people. The accomodations include two bedrooms, a modern kitchen and bath. Duties of the guest lightkeepers will include:

greeting guests
providing information about the history of the lighthouse
helping in the gift shop
taking care of the various artifacts located in the lighthouse museum

Training will be provided at the site when you arrive.

With Views Like This…

Saginaw Bay arguably has the most dramatic sunsets in the world, and this is the view you’ll have after your day’s duties are done. The water is warm, and the white sand beach is the best in the world. Tawas Point is often referred to as the Cape Cod of the midwest. For more information, or to receive an application to participate in the Tawas Point Lighthouse Keeper Program, contact the Tawas Point Lighthouse Museum Store at (989) 362-5658 or the Tawas Point State Park at (989) 362-5041.

Photo Credits: Tawas Point Lighthouse and Sunset by Jetfxer. Some rights reserved.

For the very best in lighthouse photos and gifts visit The Lighthouse Guy.

Lighthouse Keeper Job For Rent

Tales of Three Lighthouse Keepers

Sue Clark — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:00:20 +0000

Recent articles crossing the desk of Lighthouse News provided some good reading (and watching). Enjoy.

I Love My Lighthouse

An excerpt from a story at the Fleetwood News:

“I never thought it was possible to love a lighthouse. Then, I became a tour guide at Cape Leeuwin, right where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet, where it is beautiful, wild and remote. Surrounded by granite rocks, ocean swells and unique Australian scrub the Cape is considered by mariners to be one of the most dangerous in the world. It’s well known for its numerous shipwrecks and has a rich seafaring history of English, Dutch and French exploration.
3 days into my new job and I’m still in training to be a Guide. The wind has reached gale force today and I stagger past the old Lighthouse Keepers cottages, muttering to myself and hanging on to what’s left of my tour notes - flapping bits of ripped paper.

This is definitely a great read. Trudy Watson, whose grandfather was bosun on the ill-fated trawler the Red Falcon when she was lost off Skerryvore in December 1959, is a lighthouse guide at Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse in Western Australia. She’s one of the new generation of lighthouse keepers. Don’t miss it.

Lighthouse Is Home Sweet Home

And from the the Palos Verdes Peninsula News, a light story about a Coast Guard family living in the Lighthouse Keeper’s house at Point Vincente Lighthouse. A quick excerpt:

Says (Coast Guard Lt. Commander John) Hennigan, “When they showed me pictures [of the grounds], it looked great, but my first question was, ‘OK, how high is that fence and does it go all the way around?’”

“We have on the side of our house a gate, and [we asked the previous residents], ‘Did you ever have an issue like that with your kids?’ And they’re like, ‘Oh, no.’ They never even noticed. The first day [we moved in], the little one was halfway up it. He has no fear,” Missy (Hennigan) says with a laugh.

The story tells about the “joys” of living at an isolated property with three active young boys. It’s definitely a fascinating glance into living at a Keeper’s House. Especially with the foghorn.

The Light Watchman Tends To Area Lighthouses

And finally, but definitely not least, go along with Newsday as they visit Little Gull Island, Race Rock and other AtoN with an East Coast Aids to Navigation team. A quick excerpt:

Sometimes Brian Gresham makes house calls like any other electrician, pulling up in a van packed with tools and testers to replace fuses or tweak wiring.

But since Gresham is in the Coast Guard, the houses he services have lights atop them, and his calls often involve long, cold boat rides.

Gresham, an electrician’s mate first class, is the primary maintenance person for 20 lighthouses from Huntington to the Rhode Island border. He spends about one day a week fixing lighthouses, using the rest of his time repairing boats and equipment ashore. Usually, Gresham works anonymously, though the fine points of lighthouse maintenance were much discussed last fall when the Huntington lighthouse foghorn went on the blink and howled around the clock for more than five days.

This was an excellent read all by itself, but be absolutely sure to watch the video included with the story.

Photo Credits:

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse from clarisworkz. Some rights reserved.
Not Even a Hint of a Thought from noelaup. Some rights reserved.
Little Gull Island from cshoresal. Some rights reserved.

For the very best in lighthouse photos and gifts visit The Lighthouse Guy.

Tales of Three Lighthouse Keepers