Fourteen Foot Shoal Light
Encyclopedia
The lighthouse
at Fourteen Foot Shoal
was named to note that the lake is only 14 feet (4.3 m) deep at this point, which is a hazard to navigation, ships and mariners.
This light is located at the northern end of Lake Huron
, Michigan
, US, where it is necessary for boats heading to Chicago to pass through a narrow strait and still avoid shallow water. The most common path is to go south of Bois Blanc Island (Michigan)
. In this channel, the Poe Reef Light
marks the northern end of the safe channel and the Fourteen Foot Shoal light marks the southern side of the channel.
The United States Lighthouse Service
intended from the time of design that this light would be automated (possibly the first such instance) and operated by radio control from the nearby Poe Reef Light
which is 3.5 miles (5.6 km) away; the keeper
's house was never intended to be used as a residence. In 1925 a temporary acetylene buoy was installed there and construction of the permanent light began in 1929 such that the light could begin operation in 1930.
The original light was a fourth-order Fresnel lens
. The focal plane is 56 feet (17.1 m). It now has a 250 mm acrylic optic Fresnel lens, and assuming it is properly installed and adjusted, has a maximum visible range of 9 nmi (16.7 km). A diaphone
fog horn is attached.
In 2002 the crew of the Cutter USCGC Mackinaw (WAGB-83)
painted and refurbished the light.
The light is not on the National Register of Historic Places
or the state registry, although it was determined to be eligible by the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office.
A private boat is, of course, the best way to see this light close up. Short of that, Sheplers Ferry Service out of Mackinaw City
offers periodic lighthouse cruises in the summer season. Its "Eastbound Tour" includes passes by Round Island Light
, Bois Blanc Island
and Light
, Poe Reef Light
and Fourteen Foot Shoal. Schedules and rates are available from Shepler's. Boat narration is provided by the Great Lakes Lightkeepers Association.
A distant view can be had from the Cheboygan Crib Light and the Cheboygan State Park
.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
at Fourteen Foot Shoal
Shoal
Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...
was named to note that the lake is only 14 feet (4.3 m) deep at this point, which is a hazard to navigation, ships and mariners.
This light is located at the northern end of Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, US, where it is necessary for boats heading to Chicago to pass through a narrow strait and still avoid shallow water. The most common path is to go south of Bois Blanc Island (Michigan)
Bois Blanc Island (Michigan)
Bois Blanc Island is coterminous with Bois Blanc Township, Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The island covers about and is about 12 miles long, 6 miles wide and has 6 lakes. Bois Blanc is located in Lake Huron southeast of Mackinac Island and almost due north of the city of...
. In this channel, the Poe Reef Light
Poe Reef Light
Poe Reef is a lighthouse located at the east end of South Channel between Bois Blanc Island and the mainland of the Lower Peninsula, about six miles east of Cheboygan Poe Reef has historically caused problems for shipping...
marks the northern end of the safe channel and the Fourteen Foot Shoal light marks the southern side of the channel.
The United States Lighthouse Service
United States Lighthouse Service
The United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States from the time of its creation in 1910 until 1939...
intended from the time of design that this light would be automated (possibly the first such instance) and operated by radio control from the nearby Poe Reef Light
Poe Reef Light
Poe Reef is a lighthouse located at the east end of South Channel between Bois Blanc Island and the mainland of the Lower Peninsula, about six miles east of Cheboygan Poe Reef has historically caused problems for shipping...
which is 3.5 miles (5.6 km) away; the keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
's house was never intended to be used as a residence. In 1925 a temporary acetylene buoy was installed there and construction of the permanent light began in 1929 such that the light could begin operation in 1930.
The original light was a fourth-order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
. The focal plane is 56 feet (17.1 m). It now has a 250 mm acrylic optic Fresnel lens, and assuming it is properly installed and adjusted, has a maximum visible range of 9 nmi (16.7 km). A diaphone
Diaphone
For Diaphone, the Noctuid moth species see Diaphone The diaphone was a noisemaking device best known for its use as a foghorn: it could produce deep, powerful tones able to carry a long distance...
fog horn is attached.
Current status and getting there
It is in U.S. Coast Guard District 9, and is still an active aid to navigation.In 2002 the crew of the Cutter USCGC Mackinaw (WAGB-83)
USCGC Mackinaw (WAGB-83)
USCGC Mackinaw was a vessel specifically designed for ice breaking duties on the Great Lakes. LR number: 6119534Mackinaws design was based on the Wind class of Coast Guard icebreakers, but the cutter was built wider and longer than the other Wind class vessels so that her draft would be shallower...
painted and refurbished the light.
The light is not on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
or the state registry, although it was determined to be eligible by the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office.
A private boat is, of course, the best way to see this light close up. Short of that, Sheplers Ferry Service out of Mackinaw City
Mackinaw City, Michigan
Mackinaw City is a village in Emmet and Cheboygan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2000 census the population was 859. The name "Mackinaw City" is a bit of a misnomer as it is actually a village...
offers periodic lighthouse cruises in the summer season. Its "Eastbound Tour" includes passes by Round Island Light
Round Island Light (Michigan)
The Round Island Light, also known as the "Old Round Island Point Lighthouse" is a lighthouse located on the west shore of Round Island in the shipping lanes of the Straits of Mackinac, which connect Lake Michigan and Lake Huron...
, Bois Blanc Island
Bois Blanc Island (Michigan)
Bois Blanc Island is coterminous with Bois Blanc Township, Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The island covers about and is about 12 miles long, 6 miles wide and has 6 lakes. Bois Blanc is located in Lake Huron southeast of Mackinac Island and almost due north of the city of...
and Light
Bois Blanc Light
Bois Blanc Light can refer to one of five lighthouses erected on Bois Blanc Island, Michigan, in Lake Huron. Two of the lighthouses are currently standing.-History:...
, Poe Reef Light
Poe Reef Light
Poe Reef is a lighthouse located at the east end of South Channel between Bois Blanc Island and the mainland of the Lower Peninsula, about six miles east of Cheboygan Poe Reef has historically caused problems for shipping...
and Fourteen Foot Shoal. Schedules and rates are available from Shepler's. Boat narration is provided by the Great Lakes Lightkeepers Association.
A distant view can be had from the Cheboygan Crib Light and the Cheboygan State Park
Cheboygan State Park
Cheboygan State Park is a state park in Cheboygan County, Michigan. Lighthouse enthusiasts can see the remains of the 1859 Cheboygan Point Light plus a distant view of Lake Huron's Poe Reef Light, some six miles to the northeast....
.
Further reading
- "A Tour of the Lights of the Straits." Michigan History 70 (Sep/Oct 1986), pp. 17–29.
- Lighthouse Central, Fourteen Foot Shoal light The Ultimate Guide to East Michigan Lighthouses by Jerry Roach (Publisher: Bugs Publishing LLC - July 2006). ISBN 0974797715; ISBN 9780974797717.
External links