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We love Maine’s lighthouses because they are enduring, majestic and alluring – and the fact that most still shine. Be it the strength of a steadfast beam or a rhythmic flash of radiance, a lighthouse is all about its guiding light.
These venerable sentinels, upon whose broad shoulders raise on high gleams of exhortation, are the timeless ones. Their appearance abides much the same as it did during the days of yore. Not so their founts of light – and for good reason. Light is eternally spirited.
For light to uphold its influence upon the sea, it must remain dynamic and viable. Such candescent passion ought to enable creativity to thrive and vie with life’s onrush into the future.
Throughout our lighthouse history, light has done just that – keeping pace with change through the pursuit of enlightened proficiency. From parabolic reflectors to Fresnel lenses and aero beacons to light emitting diodes, light continues to evolve.
The latest advance in standalone lighthouse technology is the Sabik Marine VLB-44X light emitting diode beacon. This high-watt LED is becoming a go-to beacon for the U.S. Coast Guard.
You might say, wait, haven’t VLB-44 LED beacons been used in lighthouses for some time now? Yes, they have. In Maine, the first VLB-44s were installed at Whaleback Lighthouse in Kittery and Whitlocks Mill in Calais during 2009. Since that time, many other Maine lighthouses have also received the same type of LED beacon.
However, as time and tide flows, change is the one constant.
According to Sabik Marine, the beacon’s manufacturer, “Whilst based on the VLB-44, the VLB-44X was able to benefit from the combined technical and development resources of Sabik Marine, and one example of the benefits of this was that we were able to get the same performance out of a 3-tier VLB-44X that in the past would have required a 7 or 8-tier solution.”
Sabik Marine goes on to note, “This level of efficiency (in the VLB-44X beacon) significantly reduces the solar panel and battery requirements in standalone applications.”
On February 1, 2023, U.S. Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team Southwest Harbor, Maine, installed a two-tier VLB-44X LED beacon in Great Duck Island Lighthouse, which is located south of Mount Desert Island and the Cranberry Islands.
A little over a year later, on February 15, 2024, a one-tier VLB-44X LED beacon was installed in Dyce Head Lighthouse. The high-watt LED took the place of a 250mm incandescent lantern, which served in the lighthouse since 2008, when USCG ANT Southwest Harbor relighted the historic tower as an active aid to navigation at the request of the Town of Castine, Maine.
Great Duck’s two-tier beacon, which flashes a red light once every 5 seconds, possesses 4,120 candela, has a range of 14 nautical miles and weighs approximately 16 pounds.
Dyce Head Light’s one-tier beacon, which flashes a white light once every 6 seconds, possesses 3,730 candela, has a range of 11 nautical miles and weighs approximately 10 pounds.
If lighthouses matter – and they do – then these timeless guardians must continue to be effective and efficient when measured by the standards of modern advancement. Deploying LED beacons like the VLB-44X ensures these needs are met in the moment that counts most – the present. In doing so, the aged lighthouse remains contemporary in its performance.
Of course, change always looks different, but its introduction is never short on intrigue. In fact, it can be downright fascinating. The VLB-44X LED beacon is both!
Though the VLB-44X has only recently been installed in Maine lighthouses, Sabik Marine actually created this beacon in 2019. The beacon can be configured for one to three tiers, and depending on the number of tiers and color of light, its range is 6 to 16 nautical miles. The beacon is constructed of machine-cast acrylic (UV protected) and marine grade aluminum.
“The unique optical system utilizes an acrylic lens to maximize the light captured from the LEDs,” says Sabik Marine. “The LEDs are precisely graded and placed to produce a light beam with minimum variation in intensity.”
In the 21st century, our changing world is requiring the U.S. Coast Guard to implement force alignment more and more in an effort to streamline operations and meet the nation’s evolving needs.
The Coast Guard’s aids to navigation responsibilities are receiving an all-important boost from LED beacons as they markedly increase mission effectiveness, efficiency and reliability over legacy systems that contain incandescent light sources, moving parts and outdated electronic / power supply support systems.
For USCG lighthouse technicians, LED beacons prove near trouble-free and require far less preventative maintenance. During service visits, lighthouse technicians inspect solar panels and load-test batteries for solar-powered aids, but as for the LED beacon itself, there is little work necessary.
The technician covers the beacon’s daylight control – simulating darkness, to confirm the light activates and displays the proper characteristic (flash pattern). They also check to see if the beacon is level and firmly secured – and will wipe surfaces clean as needed. An LED beacon such as the high-watt VLB-44X is a lighthouse technician’s dream – reliable and gleaming bright!
Thanks to LED technology, the guardians of the Gulf of Maine and its bays, harbors and rivers, will continue to shine and help protect mariners in traditional fashion. As I like to say, lighthouses are not done making history!
This story appeared in the
Jan/Feb 2025 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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