Marstein Lighthouse

Marstein Lighthouse
Marstein fyrstasjon

Marstein Lighthouse
Location	Marstein Islands, Austevoll, Norway
Coordinates	60°07′48″N 5°00′38″E
Tower
Constructed	1877
Construction	masonry
Automated	2002
Height	17.3 m (57 ft)
Shape	square
Markings	white (tower), red (lantern)
Racon	M
Light
First lit	1950
Focal height	38 m (125 ft) (white), 29 m (95 ft) (red)
Intensity	840,000 candela
Range	17 nmi (31 km; 20 mi) (white), 10.6 nmi (19.6 km; 12.2 mi) (red)
Characteristic	Iso W 10s, Iso(2) R 4s

Marstein Lighthouse (Norwegian: Marstein fyrstasjon) is an active lighthouse in the municipality of Austevoll, in Vestland county, Norway. It is located on the small island of Store Marstein just west of the island of Stora Kalsøy on the south side of the entrance to the Korsfjorden and therefore assists ships going to both the city of Bergen and to the Hardangerfjorden.^[1]

Description

The Marstein Lighthouse currently consists of a 17-metre (56 ft) tall square, white, masonry tower with a red roof, and a single-storey service building attached. The light sits at an elevation of 37.5 metres (123 ft) above sea level. It emits a white and red isophase light with a period of 4 seconds. The light has an intensity of 850,000 candela and it can be seen for about 11 nautical miles (20 km; 13 mi). A secondary light is located at an elevation of 29 metres (95 ft) above sea level and that emits a red light, occulting in groups of two.^[1][2]

History

Store Marstein and the Lighthouse on a calm summer day in 2008

Marstein Lighthouse and Keeper's House

The original octagonal prism-shaped lighthouse was built on this site in 1877. During World War II, the island and lighthouse were occupied by German forces. Allied aircraft bombed the lighthouse on two occasions, 25 July and 1 August 1940, and caused considerable damage. From 1949 to 1950, a new square light tower, a new keeper's house, and a new surrounding, protective, bulkhead were built.^[3]

The lighthouse was automated in 1987 and in 2002 the lighthouse keeper position was eliminated and the lighthouse is now controlled electronically from the mainland. In January 2005, a severe storm breached the bulkhead wall and destroyed the keeper's house. After the keeper's house was repaired its ownership was transferred to the local Austevoll municipality. A hotel now operates the facility as a dependency.^[4]

The newspaper Marsteinen was named after the lighthouse in 1978.^[5]

See also

• Lighthouses in Norway
• List of lighthouses in Norway

References

1. Rowlett, Russ (19 July 2011). "Lighthouses of Norway: Leirvik Area (Southern Hordaland)". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2014-12-31.
2. Kystverket (2014). Norske Fyrliste 2014 (PDF) (in Norwegian). ISBN 9788245015959. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2015-01-01.
3. Aaroe, Ane F. (June 2005). "The Marstein Lighthouse - at the edge of the world". Lighthouse Digest. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
4. Norske Fyrhistorisk Forening. "Marstein fyrstasjon" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 2013-09-02. Retrieved 2014-12-31.
5. Våge, Nils Steinar. 2014. Marsteinen. Allkunne.no (February 28).

External links

• Norsk Fyrhistorisk Forening (in Norwegian)