Durban – The Cooper Lighthouse near Brighton Beach was one of three lighthouses celebrating service anniversaries in KwaZulu-Natal in July.
According to the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), Cooper Lighthouse celebrated 70 years of service on Monday, July 31, 2023.
It is one of 44 operational lighthouses along the South African coast.
“Cooper Lighthouse was commissioned on July 31, 1953. The 21-metre cylindrical concrete tower is painted red with a white band and has a red lantern house. The rotating lens system produces one flash every 10 seconds. It is connected to the main supply and has a standby diesel generator set. The lighthouse is fully automated and is not manned,” the TNPA said.
It said that scheduled maintenance was carried out by teams from TNPA in Durban.
The TNPA said that Cooper Lighthouse is one of the two lighthouses that were built to replace the Bluff Lighthouse – uMhlanga Rocks Lighthouse is the other. Bluff Lighthouse was in operation from 1867 until 1940. It was demolished in 1941 to make way for the placement of heavy artillery guns for World War II. The lighthouse was built of cast iron. It was encased in concrete in 1933 after a violent earth tremor.
The other two lighthouses that celebrated service anniversaries in July are:
- Cape Vidal Lighthouse near St Lucia was commissioned on July 8, 1985, and marked 38 years of service this year.
- North Sand Bluff Lighthouse was commissioned on July 17, 1968, and marked 55 years of service this year.
TNPA added that it was mandated by the National Ports Act, 2005 (Act No 12 of 2005) to provide, operate and maintain lighthouses and other aids to navigation (Aton) within commercial port limits and along the coast.
It said that lighthouses, beacons, and buoys were the most common types of visual marine navigation aids. Virtual navigation aids use digital signals to warn of dangers in specific locations, without the need for physical buoys or lighthouses.
The digital signals transmitted from Automatic Identification System (AIS) stations are received by AIS units on board vessels. Large vessels – such as container ships and passenger ships – are required to carry AIS in terms of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulations, but smaller vessels are not. Therefore, visual navigation aids cannot be done away with.
The TNPA said World Marine Aid to Navigation (Aton) Day was observed on July 1. It was established by the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (Iala), to promote the role of marine navigation aids. Iala is the international body that sets the global standards and guidelines for marine navigation aids. South Africa, represented by TNPA, is a founding member of Iala. All TNPA navigation aids conform to Iala’s standards.
WhatsApp your views on this story to 071 485 7995.
Daily News