How Far Out Was the Lightship?

Ship at sea with "San Francisco" painted in large white letters on its hull.

Now, let's take a moment to lean on this rail facing the vast Pacific Ocean. Take a moment to imagine the shipboard navigator working to bring the vessel safely to its destination. (Land-ho) The navigator would most assuredly have a dog-eared copy of the Lighthouse Board's annual publication, Light List. The List would inform the navigator of the unique signature of each light-seeing a light flashing one second off, three on would mean you were looking at the Point Bonita light.
How reassuring it would be to see this array of lights flashing from a distance confirming the ship's bearing. (One second off, three on) By 1855, the navigator might have seen the Farallon Island light, and by 1898, the Light List would have noted a new lightship, the San Francisco, anchored 8½ miles out in the shipping lane.

Now look back at the San Francisco Bay.

By locking in a course from the lightship towards Alcatraz and staying safely off Fort Point on the starboard and Point Bonita on the port (and with a little bit of luck), the ship would soon be safely at anchor.

CONCLUSION

Now feel free to walk about the lighthouse grounds as we conclude our tour.

There are many geographical areas that, by their unique nature, have had a profound effect on human history; one of these is the Golden Gate. At the outset, the ability to safely navigate, or even locate, the Golden Gate seemed nearly impossible. But ultimately a robust lighthouse navigational system changed all that and led to the growth of an internationally beloved city. San Francisco is home to an amazing diversity of people, many who arrived by sailing through the Golden Gate. Today, the ports of Oakland and San Francisco host many international visitors and conduct significant global maritime trade. All this would be impossible without the hardworking keepers and the lanterns, bells and horns (and cannons) of the Lighthouse Service. (music crescendo)
Thank you for taking our cell phone tour of the Point Bonita Lighthouse. This cell phone tour was produced by the National Park Service and Antenna Theater.