So after resigning from a job at the local crayfish factory, his dad arranged and interview for him at Diaz Point. “It used to hypnotise me to sleep,” he jokes. Japie grew up with the Diaz Point lighthouse in Luderitz flashing in his bedroom. There’s nobody else around so you depend on each other.” That’s also why the bonds between lighthouse keepers are so tight, because we support each other even if we don’t like each other. “Choosing a favourite lighthouse is like choosing a favourite child,” he says, “but I really love Dassen Island and St Lucia because they were so remote. From Diaz Point in Ludertiz, Namibia, to remote Dassen Island, Cape Recife, Cape Point, Pelican Point in Walvis Bay, Greenpoint Natal, St Lucia and Cape Columbine, all these lights have been his home. Japie corrects himself and says: “We are now called navigational officers, but I prefer being called a lighthouse keeper.” Though soon this evocative profession may no longer exist as the world speeds up and technology replaces human presence.įor 35 years Japie has lived at lighthouses. “I am one of four ‘older timer’ keepers from the seventies,” he says, still admiring the fresh white paint on the lighthouse tower, “the other lightkeepers are all new guys.” These ‘new’ keepers total only about a dozen who man lights along our 3 000km coastline – South Africa being one of just a handful of countries that still boasts lighthouse keepers. In clear weather, the light is visible from 60km away. Japie has been the keeper of the light at Cape Columbine since 2005, spending his nights under its beam of 5.4 million candle power. I can imagine someone standing at the top shooting arrows.” “To me it looks like an old English castle lookout tower. Standing tall as a tower, with his hands on his hips, Japie gazes in awe at ‘his’ lighthouse with the wonder of seeing it for the very first time. But some are far enough from civilization that they require a survivalist’s ability to find drinkable water, store supplies, and go days without outside contact during inclement weather.“Just look at this lighthouse, how beautiful it is,” muses senior lightkeeper at Cape Columbine on the West Coast, Japie Greeff. Of course, not all lighthouses are so isolated. The remote island is hard to reach, and the National Park Service warns that “only the most experienced private boaters and sea kayakers should consider attempting a trip to this lighthouse.” There’s no running water and you use an outhouse (forget about electricity, too). The actual light on this Wisconsin lighthouse is automated, but the rest is up to you. Take, for example, the Michigan Island Lightstation. That means they’re often far from society or on islands. Lighthouses are intentionally remote outposts. It goes without saying that very few lighthouses have cable or wi-fi. One in Wisconsin boasts a large number of closets, but you’ll have to look elsewhere for electricity. Some lighthouses have no power at all (at least for keepers’ quarters). Many lighthouses are in remote locations or on islands, so that means a generator is often the only available power supply. And somebody has to turn on the electricity, too. Generate your own electricity (or live without it)Ī lighthouse doesn’t magically send out light. It’s an ironic problem that people living in a secluded lighthouse have to be sociable enough to invite strangers into their home. If you’re living at one of them, as lighthouse keeper you’re their guide.Īt the Rose Island Lighthouse, for example, you’ll even be responsible for emptying out donation boxes at the end of the day. Many lighthouses include a gift shop, museum, and guided tours on their itinerary. Lighthouses are historical landmarks, and that means you’ll have visitors. These are just four of the difficult things you have to do if you call a lighthouse home. Each has different responsibilities, but even a rental can be a full time job. There are a few different ways to live in a lighthouse: you can buy one, rent one, or become a volunteer or paid lighthouse keeper. It’s picturesque and peaceful, according to postcards. Living in a lighthouse sounds great: you sip from a full mug of coffee, look at the ocean, and occasionally shoo away some seagulls.
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