White Shoal Light (Michigan)

Infobox Lighthouse
name = White Shoal Light

---

caption = White Shoal Light (USCG)
location = Lake Michigan west of the Straits of Mackinac
coordinates = coord|45.8417|N|85.1349|W|type:landmark (unverified)
yearlit = 1910
automated = 1976
yeardeactivated =
foundation = square timber crib/concrete pier
construction = steel/brick, aluminum lantern
shape = conical
marking = White orig./Red and White barber pole tower, red lantern & base
height = Tower - convert|124|ft|m
elevation = Focal plane - convert|125|ft|m
lens = 2nd order bivalve Fresnel Lens
currentlens = 190 mm Tidelands Signal acrylic lens
intensity = 1.2 million candle power
range = convert|17|mi|km
characteristic = flashing 5 sec
fogsignal = HORN 1 blast every 30", 3" blast. Operates year round.
RACON: K (– • –). [ [http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pubs/LightLists/V7COMPLETE.PDF Volume 7, US Coast Guard Lightlist (PDF).] ]
admiralty =
NGA =
ARLHS = USA-886
USCG = 7-17750

The White Shoal Light is a lighthouse located 20 miles (32 km) west of the Mackinac Bridge in Lake Michigan.

The unusual original lens, namely a 2nd Order Fresnel Lens bivalve, had a range of up to 28 miles and generated 1.2 million candle power. [ [http://www.terrypepper.com/lights/michigan/whiteshoal/whiteshoal.htm Terry Pepper, Seeing The Light, White Shoal Light.] ] It was automated in 1976. [ [http://www.nps.gov/history/maritime/light/whitesh.htm National Park Service, Maritime History, Inventory of Historic Light Stations, White Shoal Light.] ]

Also rare is the highly visible diagonal Daymark red and white 'candy cane stripe' paint job. It is the only 'barber pole' lighthouse in the United States. [ [http://lighthouse.boatnerd.com/gallery/Michigan/whiteshoal.htm Wobser, David, Boatnerd.com, White Shoal Light.] ] It is the only "aluminum-topped" lighthouse on the Great Lakes; most of the others are cast iron. [ [http://www.thegraphicweekly.com/archive/archive-feature/Lighthouses-of-the-north.html Lighthouses of the North.] ]

A private boat is, of course, the best way to see this light close up. Short of that, Shepler's Ferry Service out of Mackinaw City offers periodic lighthouse cruises in the summer season. Its "westbound Lighthouse Tour" -- three hours more or less -- includes passes by various lights, including White Shoal Light, Waugoshance Light, Wilderness State Park, Gray's Reef Light (originally built in 1891), and St. Helena Island Light. Schedules and rates are available from Shapler's. [ [http://www.sheplersferry.com/lighthouses/lighthouses.html Shepler's Ferry Service.] ]

Another alternative is to charter a seaplane to make a tour of the Mackinac Straits and environs. [ [http://www.mightymac.org/seatour.htm A seaplane tour of the Straits,] ]

The White Shoal light is the prominent design element in the "Save Our Lights" license plate for the State of Michigan, sale of which helps fund lighthouse preservation. [ [http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-17449_18638_21818-114056--,00.html White Shoal Light on "Save Our Lights" license plate.] ] Michigan is the only state that supports lighthouse preservation with a program that includes annual grants from the state to local preservation groups. Consequently, there are many organizations and their volunteers working hard to save and restore lighthouses. Tthe Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy is a state preservation society, and the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association is based in the state. [ [http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/miwl.htm Lighthouse Digest, White Shoal Light, University of North Carolina.] ]

References

Further reading

* "A Tour of the Lights of the Straits." Michigan History 70 (Sep/Oct 1986), pp. 17-29.
* [http://www.michiganlighthouse.org/bibliography.html Bibliography on Michigan lighthouses.]
* Crompton, Samuel Willard & Michael J. Rhein, "The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses" (2002) ISBN 1592231020; ISBN 978-1592231027.
* Hyde, Charles K., and Ann and John Mahan. "The Northern Lights: Lighthouses of the Upper Great Lakes." Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1995. ISBN 0814325548 ISBN 9780814325544.
* Jones, Ray & Bruce Roberts, "American Lighthouses" (Globe Pequot, September 1, 1998, 1st Ed.) ISBN 0762703245; ISBN 978-0762703241.
* Jones, Ray,"The Lighthouse Encyclopedia, The Definitive Reference" (Globe Pequot, January 1, 2004, 1st ed.) ISBN 0762727357; ISBN 978-0762727353.
* Noble, Dennis, "Lighthouses & Keepers: U. S. Lighthouse Service and Its Legacy" (Annapolis: U. S. Naval Institute Press, 1997). ISBN 1557506388; ISBN 9781557506382.
* Oleszewski, Wes, "Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses", (Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc., 1998) ISBN 0-932212-98-0.
* Penrod, John, "Lighthouses of Michigan", (Berrien Center, Michigan: Penrod/Hiawatha, 1998) ISBN 9780942618785 ISBN 9781893624238.
*
* Putnam, George R., "Lighthouses and Lightships of the United States", (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1933).
* United States Coast Guard, "Aids to Navigation", (Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1945).
* [http://www.uscg.mil/History/weblighthouses/h_lhbib.asp United States Coast Guard, "Aids to Navigation Historical Bibliography".]
*
* Wagner, John L., "Michigan Lighthouses: An Aerial Photographic Perspective", (East Lansing, Michigan: John L. Wagner, 1998) ISBN 1880311011 ISBN 9781880311011.
* Wargin, Ed, "Legends of Light: A Michigan Lighthouse Portfolio" (Ann Arbor Media Group, 2006). ISBN 9781587262517.
* Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, "Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia" Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) ISBN 1550463993

External links

* [http://marinas.com/view/lighthouse/953 Aerial photos, White Shoal Light, marinas.com.]
* [http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080520/SPECIAL01/80519001 Detroit News, Interactive map on Michigan lighthouses.]
* [http://www.lighthousesrus.org/Maps/mapIt.htm?file=GL/MichiganNorth.xml Interactive map of Lights in Northern Lake Michigan, mapped by Google.]
* [http://www.lighthousecentral.com/lighthouse_gallery.php4?lighthouse=White%20Shoal%20Light Lighthouse Central, Photographs, History, Directions and Way points for White Shoal Light, "The Ultimate Guide to West Michigan Lighthouses" by Jerry Roach (Publisher: Bugs Publishing LLC - 2005).] ISBN 0-9747977-0-7.
* [http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/miwl.htm Lighthouse Digest, Western Lower Peninsula, White Shoal Light, University of North Carolina.]
* [http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=210 Lighthouse friends, White Shoal Light.]
* [http://www.michiganlights.com/whiteshoallh.htm Michigan Lighthouse conservancy, White Shoal Lighthouse.]
* [http://www.terrypepper.com/lights/michigan/whiteshoal/whiteshoal.htm Terry Pepper, Seeing The Light, White Shoal Light.]
* [http://www.lighthousesrus.org/Maps/GL/MichiganNorth.htm Interactive map of lighthouses in northern Lake Michigan.]
* [http://www.lighthousefriends.com/macstraits.html Lighthouses in the Mackinac Straits, Lighthouse Friends.]
* [http://www.michigan.gov/documents/hal_mhc_shpo_lightmap_50933_7.pdf Map of Michigan Lighthouse] in PDF Format.
* [http://www.michiganlighthouse.org/Lighthouses/lighthouse_detail.php117.htm Michigan Lighthouse Project, White Shoal Light.]
*National Park Service [http://www.nps.gov/history/maritime/light/whitesh.htm Maritime History, Inventory of Historic Light Stations, White Shoal Light.]
* [http://haldigitalcollections.cdmhost.com/cdm4/results.php?CISOOP1=any&CISOBOX1=Shoal&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOROOT=all Photographs, White Shoal Light, Archives of Michigan.]
*United States Coast Guard [http://www.uscg.mil/history/weblighthouses/LHMI.asp 's complete list of Michigan lights, including information and photographs of White Shoal Light.]
* [http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pubs/LightLists/V7COMPLETE.PDF Volume 7, US Coast Guard Lightlist (PDF).]
* [http://lighthouse.boatnerd.com/gallery/Michigan/whiteshoal.htm Wobser, David, Boatnerd.com, White Shoal Light.]