How Far Out to Sea Does the Light Shine?

View of the foghorn building. The army manned a range finding station and spotlight during WWII.

And here it is, the Point Bonita Lighthouse. Not a tall tower but a squat solid structure. The building on which the tower rests is twenty-four by fourteen feet, and the tower extends sixteen feet above the roof, and is twelve feet in diameter. The lamp is seven feet high, a dominant part of the building itself. The lighthouse light is operational today, as it was when it was first lit.
How many sailors and captains took a deep sigh of relief at the sight of its beam shining 18 miles out to sea? One second off, three on, One second off, three on,... Port within reach! Payday! and the Barbary Coast. (Hornpipe) To the sailors and passengers alike, after weeks at the mercy of the sea, this lighthouse must have evoked the image of a stalwart sentinel: welcome!

Please cross the fiberglass bridge and stop at the next sign.