Yamaha RD400 C - 1977 - Motorcycle Accident

After years of riding dirt bikes I bought my first street bike in 1977.  It was a Yamaha RD400 C.  Being a 2 cylinder 2 stroke it was all but as fast as the 750cc bikes.

Saturday, October 29, 1977.  I wanted to ride some back roads in CT and enjoy the sunny day.  It was fall and a bit cool so I brought 2 Jackets with me.  I was wearing a denim jacket and I had Elmo’s leather jacket.  It was cold riding in the shade and nice riding in the sun.  For 30 minutes I debated whether I should stop and change jackets but decided not to.

I ended up riding east on Rt. 66 (Meriden Road) heading toward Middetown, CT.  With the reservoir on my left I was making a slow left corner going 45mph.  Ahead on my right was School Street that came down a big hill.  After many accidents School Street is now a dead end and doesn’t connect to Rt. 66 any longer. 

3:30PM … As I was riding on Rt. 66, I saw a car come down the hill on School Street and stop at the stop sign.  It was completely open so I could see the car from a long way off.   As I got close and closer the car suddenly pulled out in front of me making a left turn.  It happened so fast … no time to react … turning without leaning doesn’t work … I thought for an instant I would miss the back end of the car until the driver cut the corner.  I hit the car right in the driver’s headlights.  The driver of the car was going 10 or 15mph so combined speed was around 60mph.  

With years and years of riding in the desert of Arizona I instinctively stood up just before the impact.  I remember the LOUD BANG and looking down to see the front end of my bike passing below me.  Because I stood up I was launched up and over the car.  My boots hit my handle bars and turned them under so the mirrors ended up pointing down.  My front fork and tire was turned and tucked under from hitting the front end of the car.  I hit the top of the windshield and roof of the car on the way over and landed on my side directly on the double yellow lines.  I don’t remember turning the handlebars or actually hitting the windshield and top of the car.  I don’t remember flying gracefully (hehe) through the air but I do remember the impact of the landing on the road.

First pain … my finger.  I thought I broke my finger so took my gloves off to see.  It was ok.  Second pain … I thought I may have broken my hip.  Turns out I landed on my wallet and got hip pointer (bruise) but not broken.  Next my helmet.  Took that off.  Not a scratch on it but I was glad I was wearing it.  I would never ride without one.

The driver that hit me got out of his car and came back to me.  I said “What were you doing?” his response … “I was on my way to Florida”.  Turns out it was an 80 year old man who had just come from his son’s house.  Not sure how many times he looked both ways but it was 3:30PM and he was looking directly into the sun as I approached.  He never saw me. 

Several people, including a nurse, stopped to help and told me not to move.  Confused, the man who hit me turned, walked to his car, and tried to drive off.  My bike was hung up on the front end of his car and someone ran after him so he didn’t go far. 

Ambulance one arrived and started to take care of me.  Don’t move!  Ok.  Feel any broken bones?  No.  Where did you get hit?  I said my legs.  They cut one pant leg where my shin was bleeding.  They cut the other pant leg up to my knee.  They wanted to cut my boots off.  I said no as they were new Chippewa motorcycle boots and I wasn’t about to have them cut off.  Then ambulance 2 arrived.  The crews proceeded to argue about who got to take me away and what hospital to go to.  After a few minutes of that I was on my way to a hospital.

Parents were called … on their way … my mom (who is an RN) was not happy.  X-rays on both legs.  Shins and ankles pretty messed up with contusions and bruising.  Thankfully, nothing was broken.  The next day I was so sore I couldn’t stand up.  Crutches the following few days … then back in school … Oh the memories ...

Hike in New Hampshire

I continue to hike in the woods and take pictures at Monson Village, Beaver Brook, and up North to see animals, birds, scenery, etc.   I wish I could tell you I take pictures of unique subjects no one has seen before ... like a White Water Lily ... or a Blue Bird ... WAIT ... how about this Water Snake or this Dragonfly.

Am I the first to take a picture of a Frog ...the Monarch Butterfly is rare ... NOT ...


I WANT ACTION SHOTS.  Something unique ... a different angle. 




This Blue Heron coming in for a landing had more action. 

I WANT TO SEE A BEAR IN THE WOODS !!!  WITHOUT USING THE NEIGHBORHOOD BIRD FEEDER ... WHERE ARE THE MOOSE ... YES I KEEP SEEING DEER IN THE FIELDS BUT THEY DON'T COUNT ... although they are pretty and the bucks are in velvet. 

I need apples, bird seed, corn, Frank's food plot ... or $25 to purchase one ticket to the ZOO !!


Now that I vented ... my hikes will continue ...

Beaver Brook - Hollis, NH

Kevin invited his friend Clark to go on a hike in Beaver Brook. It was a nice sunny day with a cool breeze that kept the bugs down. I quickly realized I was the odd man out when Kevin asked that I hang back 25 or 30 yards so they could hike themselves. Should I feel hurt or is it part of the journey into manhood for 11 year old boys?

We hiked to the big rock by the beaver dam. We saw a Northern Water Snake with a fish partially swallowed. We tried to maneuver so it would come out of the water so I could get a good picture. This partial head shot is all I was able to get. It ended up swimming across the brook to the other side and disappearing in the sticks.

.460 S&W Magnum - Smith & Wesson

I went to the range this weekend.  There were 6 people at the 50 yard range when I arrived.  2 were leaving so I used their stand.  When the range went cold and I set up my targets to shoot pistols and my Springfield 87M.

The 4 guys that remained must have had a dozen pistols of all shapes and calibers.  Once we were all set down range we went hot.  The first pistol I heard go off to my left was the Model S&W500.  With a 4 inch barrel it made more noise than my .44 Magnum ever did.  It was impressive.

I stopped shooting and went to check it out.  It was a nice gun. We started talking about hunting.  I said I hunted a few times with my .44 Magnum but had never seen a deer when hunting with it.  I told them the .500 was nice but the S&W .460 had the best handgun hunting ballistics so that would be my choice.  One of the guys piped in and said … OH, that’s right here ...

They had the Model 460V Revolver with a 5 inch barrel.  They told me to shoot it and handed me 5 rounds.  I know the ammo is expensive ($3.35 a round) so I said thanks but one round will work for me.  They said you don’t get the feel for the gun with just one round so shoot all 5.  I was told the gun had a light trigger so they suggested I shoot single action.

I put 5 rounds in the cylinder and got ready.  The grip felt very nice.  Since I shoot a .44 Magnum I am fine with large frame guns with some kick. 

They had a dueling tree with 4 inch plates set up 15 yards out.  Anticipating a light trigger I made sure I was aiming at what I wanted to shoot before I put my finger on the trigger.  As I started to squeeze the trigger I thought to myself “I wonder ho …” BANG” … w much pressure I will need before the gun goes off?” … and that answered my question. 

Now, to back up a minute there were 2 things.  First, when I was told about the light trigger I should have dry fired the gun to get the feel of the trigger pull before I loaded up.  Second, I should have asked if I could shoot at the 4 inch steel targets before I shot to make sure I wouldn’t blow a hole through the steel.  There are various grades of steel and thicknesses so you need to make sure the steel you are shooting at can accommodate the caliber you are shooting at the distance you are shooting.

So what happened?  Well, this dueling tree had six 4 inch plates and was set up 15 yards in front of me.  When you hit a plate it will swing 180 degrees from side to side, right to left or left to right.

In this case the top plate was on the left, the other 5 plates were on the right.  For my first shot I aimed at the second plate from the top on the right side (3^rd plate down from the top of the tree).   Because the .460 had so much power, and perhaps being so close, when I hit the 4 inch plate it swung from the right to the left with so much force one plate above and the two plates below also swung around to the left side.  The force of the plate going from the right to left 180 degrees caused 3 additional plates to swing around.  No kidding ... 4 plates turned with one shot of the .460.  "Jerry Miculek look out!!!"  hehe ... There were now 5 plates on the left and one lonely plate on the bottom right.  I was impressed.  The round didn’t blow a hole through the steel either which was lucky for me.

They were impressed that I was able to hit the 4 inch plate with my first shot of this BIG revolver I hadn’t fired before.  At the 50 yard mark there was another steel plate set up.  I hit that with my second shot.  What a great round and a great revolver.  The trigger pull was not a problem for me but I thought it felt too sensitive for a gun this powerful (personal preference).  For hunting I would probably increase the pull a bit especially if wearing gloves.  I would love to try the .460 again at the 100 and 200 yard range.  The .460 ballistics say that distance wouldn’t be a problem.

Assessment: The S&W .460 revolver has Bark and a HUGE BITE ... I WANT ONE ... 

Messin' with the Family

A photograph captures an instant in time that will never happen again.  From that moment forward it's history.  It's what happened ...

For years I fought the industry standard of juicing pictures such as replacing a washed out sky for a nice one, changing backgrounds, colors, adding things that aren't there, etc.

I take pictures because it was a moment in time I experienced ... not a made up thing.  I finally caved in and started playing with Photoshop and may take out power lines or enhance a washed out picture BUT I keep it simple.  

I do like joking around with my family and poking fun at them.  This is a casualty of me being their dad.  I may see an event or look for a photo to mess with my family.

From Cigar Guy to sports, I may change something or add a head or two where they may not have been.  It’s all to poke fun.  I like a good sense of humor.  I can poke fun at myself like I do in some of my blog posts, and poke fun at family and friends like I may do in my blog posts. 

I am not a Photoshop expert and on my best day can't compete with the likes of an expert. 

I didn't have a blog post to place said pictures ... BUT NOW I DO ...

Two Christmas Tree Hunt and Kill Family pics ... New England Patriots ... Hunting ... Olympics ... Cigar Guy ... Chara - Boston Bruins beat the Pittsburgh Penguins ... Gronkowski ... Starting my own family "Duck Dynasty" show ...

Vermont Hike - Bear In The Woods

In 1983 I was introduced to a group of guys that liked hunting and fishing. We called our group "Sportsman's Fellowship". We started out hunting, fishing, and having Bible studies together. Over the years we have become the best of friends. Some of our group have come and gone because of jobs, moving, etc. but our core group hasn't changed. Our siblings were also included at a very young age and some are now adults carrying on the hunting and fishing traditions. Years ago we thought we would have a wild game dinner with bear, venison, caribou, salmon, trout, etc. Great idea but a bit unprepared when 95 guys showed up. Needless to say we ran out of everything.

We have loads of stories about our experiences in camp, in the woods, on the water, and on the ice.

Here is a true Doug story.

A few years ago there were several of us staying in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. We were scouting for deer season.

Doug decided he was going to hike to the top of Gore Mountain just north of Island Pond. I do believe there is a trail to the top that is 4 miles or so but Doug wasn't going to take the trail.

Gore Mountain is one of the highest mountains in the Northeast Kingdom at 3,330 feet. Coming from Rt. 114 (around 1350 feet) it's a steep climb. If you hike to the back side it is a bit easier but much longer.  Doug is pretty strong and in good shape.  I remember Doug helped Pam and I move to a condo. I was in the condo and heard a loud bang. It was Doug. He had taken our queen size pull out couch, mattress and all, off of the truck and proceeded to carry it on his back to the second floor by himself. He got hung up in the stairwell going through the door hence the bang.

Anyway, anyone who knows Doug will tell you he can cover more distance, rough terrain, and hills than most men in a very short amount of time. (i.e. South Rim of the Grand Canyon to Phantom Ranch and back in 6 hours.)

It was raining on the Saturday he asked me to hike Gore with him. With bad memories of past hikes and having good common sense I declined. Rain + a steep climb + a long distance + a very fast pace + average conditioning on my part + DOUG = A BAD EXPERIENCE. I dropped him off on Rt. 114 for his climb.

Doug said he hiked for a long time and stopped at one point as the rain let up. He said "I was tired!" This meant I would have been hobbling a half mile back most likely trying to get back to Rt. 114 and probably lost (pre GPS).

Because of the rain, walking was very quiet in the woods. As he stood there he heard a noise Shhhhhh ... Shhhhhhhhh ... Shhhhhh ... Shhhhhhh ... He looked around and thought "What in the world is that noise" ... Just then he caught a quick glimpse of black in the corner of his eye. He turned and saw a black bear run straight away from him crashing through the brush.

It was black bear season but it happened so fast Doug said his .44 pistol (named Bertha) never cleared his holster.

It turned out Doug stopped in the middle of a beechnut grove. Doug didn't realize it but there was a black bear up in a beechnut tree eating beechnuts. Because of the rain the bear didn't smell or hear Doug walking. As he rested the bear must have spotted or smelled him and became nervous. The Shhhhhhhhh ... Shhhhhhhh ... noise was the sound of the bear sliding down the tree to escape. 

I took a picture of this beechnut tree with bear claw marks on it when I was hunting.  It's one of my favorite trees in the woods.

Doug continued to the top then down again to Rt. 114. I got a call to pick him up. He was so hungry we headed straight to the store for some food.

A black bears senses are so good they typically smell or hear a person coming and move off. The odds of seeing a bear in the woods is rare. The odds of keeping up with Doug on a hike is also rare.

ActionshotsNH - Photography Collage

I enjoy taking pictures of activities my family and I are involved with.  Several years back I decided to make a collage.  Would it be a theme, a recap, or what?  I would use one of my photos for a background and add my subject photos to show something.  I really like the individual photos but there is something about a collage which makes a good summary of an event.  They would make nice posters. 

My first collage of skydiving parachutes.  I had a couple good sky photos and some colorful parachute canopy pictures.  I tried to create some kind of flow showing the parachute canopy colors so I took the skydivers out.  I get a lot of views on my blog for this so people must like it.

Kevin and I enjoy the 2012 AMA Pro Hillclimb event in NH.  I put this up on facebook and many of the riders tagged themselves to the photo.

After an excellent year of trail camera pictures I saw a fresh boot track on a trail I cut with a fresher deer track in it so I used that as the background adding the trail cam pictures from my hunting buddies.  The trail camera pictures were from Ryan, Derek, Stephen, and Ray. 

The NH ice fishing derby on Lake Winniepesaukee has been tradition for several years.  We have had large groups and small groups.  Great time, cold, fishing, food, and some nice ice shanty's.

We have been going to the Vermonster 4x4 mud races.  I decided to make this Vermonster collage. 

Vermonster also had a hill climb event at Whaleback Mountain.  No mud ... but snow ... had fun taking pictures and put this together.

Kate likes the Ford Mustang so this collage is for her.

This Crash & Burn Collage has some of my crash pictures with a parachute cut-away picture I took.  Which is worse?  A parachute malfunction with a cut away, cracking up a motorcycle, or rolling/crashing a car/truck/monster truck/snowmobile ... All have the potential to be painful.

This is from the 2013 AMA Hillclimb.  I took several pictures of Anthony DeHart so I thought I would do one of him.

I could go back over my adventures and do quite a few of these. If we continue going to some of the same events I may make another collage for a specific truck/car/rider/etc.

Over the years Pam's grandma made afghans for all her grandchildren and great grandchildren.  I took one of my sky pictures and made this for her.  I also did a Vermonster Monster Truck collage with the BIGFOOT truck in the middle.  

Had a great time at the 2014 AMA Hillclimb during Bike Week in NH.  

While exploring on vacation I spotted a garden by the ocean with lots of bird houses.  It was oceanfront property with no house.  On the fence was this sign.  The gate had a private keep out sign so I took some pictures from the street.

For years Mike and Lauren have been gracious hosts to us during hunting season.  I made Mike a hunting collage with some of our people pics.  Great memories.  Some big bucks from the group over the years and I thought "Buckwacka" was appropriate. 

I recently went to a car show and saw some very nice cars.  When I saw a lobster boat with the name "three E's" it reminded me of my 3 daughters.

I shoot pistols at my Fish & Game club a bit.  These black and white targets are 5.25" in diameter and the black and green targets are 4" in diameter.  At a distance of 12' to 25' who says I can't hit the "Broad Side of a Barn?"

When you go to the top of my blog to "Search this Blog" you can use key words to find the event I blogged about; skydiving, AMA hillclimb, hunting adventures, Vermonster, ice fishing, Monson Village, Whaleback ...

This is a work in progress ...

After-Market Vehicle Warranties - My BAD Experience

I bought a used 1984 Toyota Landcruiser FJ60 in 1988 from a Toyota dealer in MA.  In addition, I purchased a 2-year, 24,000-mile warranty from the Toyota dealer.  It was a great truck, and I had no issues.

The warranty required me to have all the fluids changed at 12,000 miles.  I cannot remember the name of the Toyota Dealer in Woburn, MA but I was working close by at that time, so I brought it to them for service.

They changed all the drivetrain fluids as required by the warranty on Friday.  That weekend it started shifting funny.  I brought it back to the dealer on Monday and they told me there was transmission oil all over the bottom of the vehicle and I had blown the transmission!!  They blamed me even though there were no issues before they had done the maintenance required by the warranty 3 days before.

The dealer told me it was not fixable so they would have to find me another transmission.

I did my own searching and found a shop in Upstate NY that had several rebuilt transmissions on the shelf ready to go for $850.  The Toyota dealer wanted to go a different route.  My Landcruiser had 57,000 miles on it.  They said they were looking for a used transmission with less than 57,000 miles on it for a replacement to satisfy the warranty requirement.  I was livid.  I called an attorney and was told there was nothing I could do based on the after-market warranty I purchased.  The dealer gave me no option.

The Toyota dealer found and bought a used transmission from a junkyard in Canada for $150 and had it shipped to Woburn, MA.  I told them I didn't want that and wanted a rebuilt transmission ready to go from Upstate NY.  They said no.  Throughout the process, I also found out there are warranty deductibles per item that I was responsible for paying for.  I ended up paying hundreds of dollars in deductibles per the warranty I purchased.  IT WAS A BAD EXPERIENCE.

I currently have a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock and I started getting those vehicle warranty calls.  I talked to one company and told them my story.  The person on the phone promised me that wouldn’t happen with them!  I said I was interested but I wouldn’t sign anything until I could read the warranty agreement. 

They sent it to me.  Reading through their warranty in the middle of the document on page 5 it said, “Replacement of Covered Parts that have experienced a Breakdown may be made with original equipment manufactured parts, non-original equipment manufacturer parts, re-manufactured parts, or used parts, at the Administrator’s discretion.”

This brought back bad memories.  Hmm … let's see … an $850 rebuilt transmission on the shelf ready to go or a $150 used transmission from a junkyard in Canada.  I was forced to take the $150 tranny from the junkyard in Canada at the Administrator's (Toyota Dealers) discretion …

A Jeep Wrangler is one of those vehicles where you can modify pretty much everything.  

With that, this same warranty document, on page 10, “Section V-Exclusions – What’s not covered”.  "Any breakdowns caused by any modifications, alterations, and/or additions to Your Vehicle, or if any modifications, alterations, and/or additions have been made to Your Vehicle You are using or have used Your Vehicle in a manner not recommended by the Manufacturer, including but not limited to, the failure of any custom or add on/aftermarket parts regardless if supplied by a franchised dealer or not, all frame or suspension modifications, lift kits (unless the lift kit option is marked on the Application Page and not to exceed 6 inched of combined lift), oversized/undersized tires or wheels not recommended by the original manufacturer (unless lift kit option is marked on the Application Page and not to exceed 6 inches greater than the Manufacturer’s specifications), trailer hitches.  Also not covered are any emissions and/or exhaust systems modifications, engine modifications, transmissions modifications, and/or drive axle modifications, which includes any performance modifications.”  There were more paragraphs after this …

You will get those calls and can purchase a warranty, or not!  It's up to you but you can LEARN FROM MY BAD EXPERIENCE.   

If you are considering one of those after-market or dealer-extended warranties, read it carefully.  I had a Toyota dealer sell me that warranty.  It was not backed by Toyota.  Read the warranty someone is trying to sell you before you throw down your cash and sign so you aren’t forced to settle for “the Administrator’s discretion”.

Note: I had this lousy after-market warranty experience and a bad Toyota dealer service experience.  I did buy another Toyota after my Landcruiser as they make good vehicles.  Over the years I had 2 more bad dealer service experiences with a Toyota dealer in New Hampshire.  They are supposed to be honest.  3 strikes ... I would stay away from Toyota for your vehicle service.

Giving credit where credit is due, I have had positive dealer experiences over the years with a Jeep dealer, a Honda dealer, a Nissan dealer, a Mazda dealer, and a Chevy dealer.  

Lighthouses from a Different Perspective … BE DIFFERENT …

There are many lighthouses up and down the coast.  A couple summers ago I was on the destination photo kick so I started hunting for lighthouses in the area.  Sunrise, mid-day, sunset, all times of the day.  Cold, snow, high winds, fog, haze, bad light, etc.  Since I don’t live close to any lighthouses, I make the best of it by taking the “it is what it is” approach.  It would be fun to revisit many of them.

When I take pictures, I like to try to BE DIFFERENT.  Digital cameras make it possible for most people with little or no photography knowledge to take pretty good pictures.  Some lighthouses are very popular tourist destinations.  I can assume almost everyone that has ever seen these popular ones have taken a picture of it so I want to BE DIFFERENT.  Some are not so popular and not easily seen or accessible from the shore, rocks, dock, etc.  A good telephoto lens might do the trick but again, if I stand right next to you and take a picture the subject will look like your picture.  An airplane, boat, drone, good photography skills, etc. or any combination of those can make things more interesting so BE DIFFERENT.

From my picture perspective, these lighthouses need to be something I want to take a picture of.  Several I tracked down were not up to my standards.  I passed on a lighthouse now surrounded by a parking lot, one surrounded by a chain-link fence and barbed wire, several no taller than 10 feet, etc. You get the idea.  I’m sure I will see more of them.

I do like to research so made a list of the lighthouse types by how they are built or by their shape.  They can be called a Bug, Caisson, Crib, Non-Screwpile (Straightpile), Screw-pile, Sparkplug, Texas Tower, or Wave-Washed.  As I find more types I will add them.

Annisquam Harbor Light was first established in 1801 and is one of the oldest lighthouses in MA.  I was up at 4:00AM and driving for an early morning sunrise.  The brick tower was replaced around 1897.  I liked the pink sky.

Eastern Point Light was built in 1832.  I was up early for the sunrise.  There was a hurricane off the coast that missed us earlier in the week so the waves were huge.

The big waves were a nice surprise and breached the 2,250-foot long "Dog Bar Breakwater" that marks the Dog Bar Reef.  The Dog Bar Breakwater Light marks its end.  It was built-in 1905.  Yes ... it is a lighthouse too.  

Ten Pound Island Light was originally built from stone in 1821 to help mariners avoid a dangerous ledge.  It was replaced by this 30-foot cast-iron structure in 1881 and was restored in 1989.

Goat Island Light Was built in 1833.  The walkway that connects the house to the tower was washed out to sea in the Blizzard of 1978.  The enclosed walkway from the house to the tower was rebuilt in 2011.  Before being enclosed it must have been a cold and windy walk in the winter.

Nubble Light was completed in 1879.  It is a very popular tourist destination.  I went there 2 mornings in a row. I arrived at 5:05AM the first morning and the lighthouse was lit up with Christmas lights.  When I asked a local told me they were celebrating Christmas in July to show the summer tourists what it looks like in December.  The fog rolled in and out several times. The second morning, again Fog … not what I wanted a second time but you must make the best of things.  Interesting how the fog was rolling over the water.  It looked more like the top of a mountain.

Straitsmouth Island Light was built in 1835 to mark the entrance to the harbor.  It used to have a 315-foot walkway to the oil house and quarters.  My guess is it either fell apart or was washed out to sea from a storm.

Thacher Island Twin Lights are the only currently operating twin lighthouses in America and the lights are 166 feet above sea level.  The island is named after Anthony Thacher.  He and his wife were the only 2 survivors out of 23 passengers and crew from a shipwreck caused by a great storm in 1635.  The twin lights were the eleventh and last lighthouses built under British rule and built on the island in 1771.  The waves crashing from a big storm would look spectacular.

Marblehead Light was originally built in 1835 as a wood and brick structure.  It was replaced in 1895 by this 105-foot skeletal structure.  It is the only tower of its type in New England.  

Portsmouth Harbor Light is the only lighthouse on the mainland of New Hampshire, Portsmouth Harbor Light (also known as Fort Point Light, New Castle Light, and Fort Constitution Light) was constructed in 1878 (48-foot tower) on the grounds of Fort Constitution, a Revolutionary War fortification.  You can see the openings in the walls for the cannons that protected the harbor.

Whaleback Light is a historic lighthouse marking the mouth of the Pisqataqua River in Kittery, Maine. It is located on a rocky outcrop offshore southwest of Fort Foster and south of Wood Island in Kittery. The present 50-foot tower was built in 1872.

Wood Island Station (Yes, I know this isn’t a lighthouse.  But it was right there!) is at the mouth of the Piscataqua River in Kittery Point, Maine has stood watch for 111 years. It housed men, brave “surfmen”, that were part of the US Life Saving Service (a forerunner of the US Coast Guard) who would wait with small rowing boats to go out to help mariners in distress in terrible conditions year-round.  Restoration started in 2011.

Wood Island Light was established in 1808.  It is Maine’s second oldest lighthouse and the nation’s eleventh oldest.  There were no windows in the house as it is being rebuilt.  This is one of several lighthouses I have seen using (or in this case will be using) solar panels.

Oak Island Light was built in 1958 with a height of 153 feet.  The first 40' feet of the tower is comprised of natural gray cement, while the next 50' feet is made up of white Portland cement and white quartz aggregate, and the final top portion is composed of cement and black paint.

Morris Island Light opened in 1876 with a height of 161 feet.  It used to have buildings attached to it.  In 1989, Hurricane Hugo struck Charleston, destroying the remaining buildings around the lighthouse, only leaving the actual tower standing.

Bakers Island Light was built on 10 island acres on the north side of Bakers Island approaching Salem harbor.  It went into service in 1798 with the current tower built-in 1821.  It was automated in 1972 and converted to solar power in 2000.  The tower height is 59 feet with a focal height of 111 feet.

Spring Point Ledge Light went into service in 1897.  The tower height is 54 feet.

Portland Head Light was originally built in 1791. It is an 80-foot tower with a 101-foot focal plane.  It is the most popular lighthouse in Maine. 

Portland Breakwater Light (Bug Light) was originally built in 1837.  The current cast-iron tower was built in 1875.

Ram Island Ledge Light was completed and lit in 1905.  The focal height is 77 feet.

Whitehead Island Light was established in 1804 and went into service in 1807.  The current 41-foot tower was built in 1852.  It is the third-oldest active light station in Maine.

Bass Harbor Head Light was built in 1858.  It is 33 feet in height on the edge of a cliff with a focal height of 56 feet.

Curtis Island Light was established in 1835, and the present structure was built in 1896.  It has a 25-foot tower with a Focal height of 52 feet.  The island shelters Camden Harbor for ocean storms.

Indian Island Light was established in 1850. The island was sold to the U.S. government for a light station by Silas Piper for $25 in 1849.  The present structure was built in 1875.  It is a 31-foot tower on the eastern side of the entrance to Rockport Harbor.  It’s a private residence now.

Marshall Point Light was established in 1832 with the present lighthouse built in 1857.  It has a 21-foot tower marking the entrance to Port Clyde harbor.  This is the lighthouse you see in the movie “Forest Gump”.

Owls Head Light was established in 1825 with the present lighthouse built in 1852.  Up high on a cliff, the tower is 30 feet with a focal height of 100 feet.

Pemaquid Point Light was established in 1827.  The current 38-foot tower is on a cliff with a focal height of 79 feet.

Rockland Breakwater Light has a 7/8-mile-long breakwater was built between 1881 and 1899 using around 700,000 tons of granite to protect the harbor. The lighthouse was established in 1902.  Its tower height is 25 feet with a focal height of 39 feet.  

Boon Island Light was established as a full light station and granite tower in 1811.  The current tower was constructed in 1855.  I haven’t had my buddy take me out to Boon Island Light in his boat so no pictures up close.  On a warm but clear vacation day, I spotted Boon Island from Kennebunkport 15.2 miles away, as it’s the tallest lighthouse in both Maine and New England at 133 feet with a focal plane at 137 feet above mean high water.  I hope to get closer someday.

Derby Wharf Light was built in 1871.  Its height is 13 feet with a Focal height of 25 feet.

Harbour Town Light was privately built in 1969 and is 93 feet tall with a focal height of 92 feet.

 
Tybee Island Light was originally built in 1736.  Pictured is the 4th tower that was built.  The previous towers had a rough go of being damaged or succumbing to storms, shoreline erosion, a Civil War burning, hurricanes, or an earthquake.  The present tower has a height of 144 feet.  It was fun taking the 178 stairs to the top.

Cockspur Island Light is a 46-foot-tall brick tower built in 1839 to guide ships into the South Channel of the Savannah River.  It was replaced in 1855 and has survived hurricanes and the Civil War Battle for Fort Pulaski.

Hunting Island Light tower construction was started in 1859 but was destroyed in the Civil War.  Construction started again in 1873 and finished in 1875. It stands 136 feet tall with a focal height of 130 feet.  Because of concerns for island erosion, it was designed and engineered to be moveable.  It was in fact, disassembled and moved to its current location in 1889 for that very reason.

Morgan Point Light was built in 1868 with a height of 52 feet and a focal height of 61 feet. It is at the mouth of the Mystic River. Impressive place, privately owned now, and not active.  I loved the granite and the slate shingles.

Latimer Reef Light built in 1804 and first lit in 1884 with a height of 49 feet and a focal height of 55 feet.  It rests on concrete or metal caisson so called a caisson lighthouse. Sometimes referred to as sparkplug lighthouses, or bug lights and coffee pots.  In this case the foundation is cast iron/concrete caisson.

New London Ledge Light was built in 1909 with a focal height of 58 feet.  On the Thames River, it guides vessels around the shoals and ledges at the entrance of the harbor.

Stoninton Harbor Light was built in 1840 with a height of 36 feet and a focal height of 62 feet.  It became a museum in 1925.

Saybrook Breakwater Light sometimes called Outer Light, was built in 1886 with a height of 48 feet and a focal height of 58 feet.  You can see Lynde Point Light in the background.  Both mark the harbor channel at the mouth of the Connecticut River and are about 3000 feet apart.

Mystic Seaport Light was built in 1966 with a height of 25 feet and a focal height of 26 feet.  It is a replica of the 1901 Brant Point Light on Nantucket Island.

Lighthouses have an interesting history.  Check some of them out yourself.  Also, if you click on the pictures they enlarge to view better.

I will add more as I explore ...