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Cape St. Marys Lighthouse

59 Lighthouse Rd, Cape Saint Marys, NS B5A 5B4, Canada

Name and Location

Cape St. Marys Lighthouse is located on the rugged coast of Nova Scotia, Canada.

2. Construction and History

The lighthouse was built in 1870 by the Government of Nova Scotia to guide ships through the treacherous waters surrounding Cape St. Mary, a notorious spot for shipwrecks. The tower was designed by an architect whose name is not specified.

3. Architecture and Materials

The tower stands at a height of 32 meters (105 feet), with a focal plane located at 44.0853029° N latitude and -66.2104909° W longitude.

4. Light and Navigation

The lighthouse's light is characterized as Fl (3) W 15s, meaning it emits a white light every 15 seconds for three flashes. The light has a range of approximately 13 kilometers (8 miles), making it visible to vessels up to 12 nautical miles away.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

Visitors can access the lighthouse by driving along Lighthouse Road and parking at the designated lot. The surrounding area offers scenic views of the ocean and nearby Cape Saint Mary Lighthouse Park, a popular spot for picnics, hiking, and birdwatching.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The surrounding area offers scenic views of the ocean and nearby Cape Saint Mary Lighthouse Park, a popular spot for picnics, hiking, and birdwatching.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

Notable events include the grounding of the SS Britannia in 1893 due to dense fog, with all passengers rescued. The lighthouse has also been featured in local folklore stories about ghostly apparitions and mysterious occurrences at sea.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse was automated in the early 1980s, replacing manual operation by keepers. Today, it serves as a minor aid to navigation, providing an additional safety feature for mariners navigating the North Atlantic.

9. Further Information

For further reading: [NRCan-CanVec-7.0] (Nova Scotia Government's Geographic Information System) and [Wikipedia: Cape St. Marys Lighthouse].

Details

NameCape St. Marys Lighthouse
City
CountryOther
Coordinates44.0853029, -66.2104909