My View
By Chief T.J. Malvesti Station Brant Point
Standing here at the top of Sankaty Head Lighthouse, looking east towards Rose and Crown Shoal, I can't help but think about the distinguished service this aid to navigation has provided Nantucket, and of the generations of mariners it has guided away from the treacherous

shoals plaguing the waters east of the island.

Sankaty Light's history dates back to 1850 when its then state of the art Fresnel lens beamed its light some 20 miles out to sea for the first time. This second order Fresnel lens made Sankaty Light the most powerful light in New England.

Lighthouse keepers manned the light until 1965 when the Coast Guard automated its operation. Through the years, various changes to the light and lantern room improved efficiency and visibility. Currently, two rotating aero-beacons provide light and display a white flash every 7.5 seconds. Even with the sophisticated GPS-based electronic navigation systems used by mariners today, Sankaty Light is still a very important aid to navigation and a welcome sight to boaters navigating back to Nantucket. Here at Station Brant Point, our boat coxswains use the lighthouse as a visual reference in conjunction with their electronic charting navigation system to verify their position.

A new chapter in Sankaty Head Lighthouse's history begins this fall when International Chimney of Buffalo, N.Y. will move the lighthouse to its new location 400 feet northwest of where it sits today. Once situated in the new location, there will be no significant change to its characteristics or visibility. The Coast Guard will continue to maintain the navigational aid part of the lighthouse and ensure it continues to operate properly. This inevitable move will ensure that Sankaty Light will continue its historical service to Nantucket and to the mariners transiting the waters east of the island for many

years to come. I