Måseskär

Måseskär

Måseskär new and old lighthouse.
Location	Måseskär, west of Käringön, Skagerrak sea, Sweden
Coordinates	58°06′N 11°20′E / 58.1°N 11.333°E / 58.1; 11.333
Year first constructed	1865/1978
Year first lit	1865
Automated	1978
Deactivated	Active
Foundation	Iron (old), plastic (new)
Construction	Iron (old), plastic, fiberglass (new)
Tower shape	Conical skeletal tower (old) Plastic cylindrical tower (new)
Markings / pattern	Red and white
Height	13 m
Original lens	2nd order Fresnel lens
Current lens	4th order modern lens
Range	16 nautical miles (30 km; 18 mi)
Characteristic	Fl. (3) WRG 30 sec.
Admiralty number	C0448
NGA number	0584
ARLHS number	SWE-047 (old) SWE-276 (new)

Måseskär (en: The Gull Skerry) is a rocky island and a lighthouse station located in the sea of Skagerrak on the west coast of Sweden. Since the year 1829, a daymark had been constructed on the island, but it proved not to be enough since many ships was lost in the area. It was demolished during the lighthouse construction. The tower was built after sketches from swedish lighthouse pioneer Nils Gustaf von Heidenstam. Originally the flame ran on colza oil-lamps and showed red light. In 1884 a kerosene lamp was installed instead, and in 1887 the large lens was changed to a third order fresnel lens with white light. The old lens was divided and placed in two other lighthouses. Electricity came to the island in 1950, but the station was staffed until 1997. It was then one of the last staffed light stations in Sweden along with Söderarm and Holmögadd. In 1978 the old lighthouse was replaced, deactivated and planned for scrapping due to its bad rusty condition. But a rescue group convinced the Swedish Maritime Administration to donate the scrap funding and the lighthouse to them for repairs and historic preservation. They created the Måseskär foundation and works to preserve all light station buildings on the island. The modern lighthouse is still under control of the Swedish Maritime Administration. The old lighthouse is intact and fully operable. Since the year 2000 there is a tradition among the foundation to turn on the light at 00.00 january 1st for a couple of minutes. The island is included as a wind observation station in the SMHI shipping news.

References

• Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Sweden: Uddevalla Area (Central Bohuslän)". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/swe1a.htm. Retrieved 28 August 2010.