Måseskär

Måseskär Lighthouse

Måseskär new and old lighthouse.
Sweden
Location	Måseskär west of Käringön Skagerrak sea Sweden
Coordinates	58°05′39″N 11°19′50″E / 58.094124°N 11.330617°ECoordinates: 58°05′39″N 11°19′50″E / 58.094124°N 11.330617°E
Year first constructed	1865 (first)
Year first lit	1978 (current)
Automated	1978
Deactivated	1978 (first)
Construction	concrete tower (current) cast iron skeletal tower (first)
Tower shape	cylindrical tower with balcony, lantern and four daymark panels (current) pyramidal skeletal tower with balcony, lantern and central cylinder (first)
Markings / pattern	white tower and lantern, red daymark panels (current) white and red tower as checkerboard sample (first)
Height	13 metres (43 ft) (current) 27 metres (89 ft) (first)
Focal height	275 metres (902 ft) (current)
Original lens	2nd order Fresnel lens
Current lens	4th order modern lens
Range	white: 16 nautical miles (30 km; 18 mi) red: 13 nautical miles (24 km; 15 mi) green: 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi)
Characteristic	Fl (3) WRG 30s.
Admiralty number	C0448
NGA number	0584
Sweden number	SV-8206
Managing agent	Swedish Maritime Administration (Sjöfartsverket)[1] [2]

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.

History

Since the year 1829, a daymark had been constructed on the island, but it proved not to be enough since many ships were 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 1 for a couple of minutes. The island is included as a wind observation station in the shipping news of the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute.

See also

• List of lighthouses and lightvessels in Sweden

References

1. Måseskär The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved April 5, 2016
2. Leuchtturm Måseskär www.schwedische-leuchtfeuer.de

• Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Sweden: Uddevalla Area (Central Bohuslän)". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 28 August 2010.

External links

• Sjofartsverket (English)
• The Swedish Lighthouse Society