Gibraltar North Mole Elbow Lighthouse

Last updated

Gibraltar North Mole Elbow Lighthouse
Gibraltar North Mole Elbow Lighthouse
Location Gibraltar Harbour, Gibraltar``
Coordinates 36°08′54″N5°21′57″W / 36.148409°N 5.365903°W / 36.148409; -5.365903 Coordinates: 36°08′54″N5°21′57″W / 36.148409°N 5.365903°W / 36.148409; -5.365903
Tower
Constructionsteel skeletal tower
Height25 metres (82 ft)
Shapesquare tower with control room
Markingsgrey metallic
OperatorPort of Gibraltar [1]
Light
Deactivated2013
Rangered: 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi)
Characteristic F R

The Gibraltar North Mole Elbow Lighthouse is one of several lighthouses in Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory at the south end of the peninsula of Iberia. Also known as the Gibraltar "E" Head Lighthouse, its tower is painted grey. The active lighthouse is west of the Rock of Gibraltar and positioned at the elbow of the North Mole at Gibraltar Harbour. The lighthouse is operated by the Gibraltar Port Authority.

Contents

History

Gibraltar Harbour (shown on map), also referred to as the Port of Gibraltar, is on the west side of Gibraltar, at latitude 36°09'N and longitude 05°20'W. In addition to the protection provided by the Rock, the harbour now has a system of man-made defences. These include three breakwaters: the North Mole (formerly the Commercial Mole) [2] with its Western Arm, the Detached Mole (in the middle), and the South Mole. [3] [4] The mole was defended by the North Mole Elbow Battery, which operated until as late as the end of the Second World War, with another gun mounted at the end of the mole. [5]

In May 2011, the North Mole was the site of an explosion of an oil storage tank. [6] The South Mole has an extension, and was formerly known as the New Mole and New Mole Extension (to distinguish it from the Old Mole at the northeastern corner of the harbour). [2] Gibraltar Harbour has north and south entrances. The northern entry is between the Western Arm of the North Mole and the Detached Mole. The southern is bordered by the Detached Mole and the South Mole. [3] [4]

Description

The Gibraltar North Mole Elbow Lighthouse (shown on map and pictured in links below) is located at the elbow of the L-shaped North Mole of Gibraltar Harbour. It is positioned at the "E" head of the North Mole, [7] from which the lighthouse derives its alternate name. [8] [9] [10] The lighthouse and harbour are west of the Rock of Gibraltar, and north of the east end of the Strait of Gibraltar, which serves as access to the Mediterranean. [8] [9]

The Gibraltar North Mole Elbow Lighthouse is a grey, square, skeletal tower, with a height of 25 metres (82 feet). [8] [9] [11] The skeletal tower has a round harbour control room, watch room, and gallery platform. The light is emitted from a skeletal extension of the main tower which has been installed adjacent to the control room. [9] The lighthouse is operational and is utilised as an aid to navigation, in and near the port. [8] The light characteristic is a fixed red light, with a range of five nautical miles. The active lighthouse has a focal plane of 28 metres (92 feet). [8] [9] [11]

The lighthouse tower is closed to the public. Opinions differ as to whether the site is open to the public. [8] [9] [11] The lighthouse is operated by the Gibraltar Port Authority. The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office Admiralty List of Lights and Fog Signals number for the Gibraltar North Mole Elbow Lighthouse is D 2449.2. [9] [12] The United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), formerly the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, number is 4240. [9] [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

Sea Hill Light Lighthouse

Sea Hill Lighthouse, also known as Sea Hill Point Light or Little Sea Hill Light, is a lighthouse on the northwest point of Curtis Island, Gladstone Region, Queensland, Australia. Its purpose was to mark the east side of the entrance to Keppel Bay, on passage to Fitzroy River and Port Alma. The first lighthouse at the locations was constructed in 1873 or 1876, moved in the 1920s, and is now on display at the Gladstone Maritime Museum. A second lighthouse was constructed in 1895 and its state is unclear.

Point Cartwright Light Lighthouse

Point Cartwright Light is an active lighthouse located on Point Cartwright, a point near the mouth of the Mooloolah River, in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia. It marks the entrance to the North West Channel, a deep water channel into Moreton Bay and the Port of Brisbane, and provides guidance into the Mooloolaba Harbour.

Europa Point Lighthouse Lighthouse on the southeastern tip of Gibraltar

The Europa Point Lighthouse, also referred to as the Trinity Lighthouse at Europa Point and the Victoria Tower or La Farola in Llanito, is a lighthouse at Europa Point, on the southeastern tip of the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea.

Gibraltar North Mole Lighthouse Lighthouse

The Gibraltar North Mole Lighthouse is one of several lighthouses in Gibraltar, the British Overseas Territory at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. Also referred to as the Gibraltar "D" Head Lighthouse, its cast-iron tower is painted black. The active lighthouse west of the Rock of Gibraltar is positioned on the Western Arm of the North Mole at Gibraltar Harbour, and is operated by the Gibraltar Port Authority.

Gibraltar South Mole Lighthouse Lighthouse

The Gibraltar South Mole Lighthouse is one of several lighthouses in Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory at the south end of the Iberian Peninsula. Also known as the Gibraltar "A" Head Lighthouse, it has a cast-iron, skeletal tower which is painted black and features two galleries. The lighthouse remains operational and is positioned west of the Rock of Gibraltar, on the South Mole at Gibraltar Harbour. It is operated by the Gibraltar Port Authority.

The Gibraltar Aerobeacon built in 1841 is one of several lighthouses in Gibraltar, the British Overseas Territory at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. It is also known as the Gibraltar Aviation Light and Gibraltar Aero Light. The active beacon is positioned atop the Rock of Gibraltar and is operated by the Government of Gibraltar.

South Mole, Gibraltar Harbour

The South Mole is a breakwater located in the southern section of Gibraltar Harbour, in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. Previously known as the New Mole and New Mole Extension, the South Mole, with the rest of harbour, is just north of the east entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar.

Detached Mole, Gibraltar Harbour

The Detached Mole is a breakwater located at the western aspect of the middle section of Gibraltar Harbour, in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. The Detached Mole, with the rest of harbour, is just north of the east entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar and was the site of the Detached Mole Battery. In addition to the role the breakwater plays in the defence of and access to the harbour, the Detached Mole provides berths for ships. The area adjacent to the mole is also a source of recreational and research opportunities, with dive sites at the wrecks of sunken ships.

Gibraltar Detached Mole ("B" Head) Lighthouse Lighthouse

The Gibraltar Detached Mole Lighthouse is one of several lighthouses in Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory at the south end of the Iberian Peninsula. The lighthouse is positioned west of the Rock of Gibraltar, on the Detached Mole at the south entrance to Gibraltar Harbour.

The Gibraltar Detached Mole Lighthouse is one of several lighthouses in Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory at the south end of the Iberian Peninsula. The lighthouse is positioned west of the Rock of Gibraltar, on the Detached Mole at the north entrance to Gibraltar Harbour.

North Mole, Gibraltar Harbour

The North Mole is a breakwater located in the northern section of Gibraltar Harbour, in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. The North Mole, with the rest of harbour, is just north of the east entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. The breakwater was formerly known as the Commercial Mole, and is the site of the commercial port in the harbour. It was the consequence of a late nineteenth century plan by the British Admiralty to create a modern dockyard and large defensive harbour in Gibraltar.

North Bull Lighthouse Lighthouse

The North Bull Lighthouse, is an active aid to navigation located at the mouth of the River Liffey, near Dublin, Ireland. It is one of four lighthouses that help guide shipping into the Liffey, and the Port of Dublin, all of which are operated and maintained by the Dublin Port Company.

Arenas Blancas Lighthouse Lighthouse on La Palma, Spain

The Arenas Blancas Lighthouse is an active lighthouse on the Canary island of La Palma in the municipality of Villa de Mazo, near the village of La Salemera. The larger settlement of Mazo lies 8 km (5.0 mi) to the north-west.

Büsum Lighthouse Lighthouse in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Büsum Lighthouse is an active 20th century lighthouse located in Büsum a fishing and tourist town, which lies on North Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein, in Germany. The current lighthouse is the second to be built in the town, two other separate breakwater lights mark the entrance of the small harbour from the North Sea.

References

  1. ↑ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Gibraltar". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  2. 1 2 Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Gibraltar"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 11 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 940.
  3. 1 2 Gibraltar Port Authority (2010). Port of Gibraltar Handbook 2010–2011. Land & Marine Publications Ltd, on behalf of the Gibraltar Port Authority. pp. 6–7, 13.
  4. 1 2 "Map of Gibraltar". wikimedia.org. Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  5. ↑ Hughes, Quentin; Migos, Athanassios (1995). Strong as the Rock of Gibraltar. Gibraltar: Exchange Publications. p. 318. OCLC   48491998.
  6. ↑ "Major Fuel Tank Explosion at North Mole: Injuries". Gibraltar Chronicle. 31 May 2011. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  7. ↑ "Publication 113 – List of Lights, Radio Aids, and Fog Signals" (PDF). msi.nga.mil. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2011. p. XI-XIV, 71. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 December 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Gibraltar North Mole Elbow Light". Lighthouse Explorer, from Lighthouse Digest Magazine. FogHorn Publishing. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Gibraltar". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  10. ↑ "Port of Gibraltar – Port Map". gibraltarport.com. Gibraltar Port Authority. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  11. 1 2 3 "Portrait Gibraltar (North Mole Elbow)". leuchttuerme.net. Leuchttürme.net. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  12. ↑ "Gibraltar". trabas.de. The Online List of Lights. Archived from the original on 17 January 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  13. ↑ "Chapter 4: Nautical Publications". The American Practical Navigator. United States Government (as reprinted on Wikisource). Retrieved 25 July 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.