Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
of running generators for twenty-eight continuous days could be 'tuned out'. A keeper
on Skerryvore said that he was so used to the sound of the generator that the silence,
when he went on leave, nearly drove him mad.
Mostfoghornswereofthesirentype.Theyweregenerallylocatedinasmallbuilding
of their own, situated close to the water's edge and some distance from the living ac-
commodation. When originally built, the direction of some of the horns would have
beenabletohavebeenadjusted,butovertheyearsthiswasdiscontinuedandthemajor-
ity were fixed. To power the foghorn, there was an engine-room, three engines - gen-
erally but not always Kelvin diesels - along with their associated compressors. To run
the horn, two out of the three were used, with the third being kept as a spare in case
of 'failure to start'. The whole apparatus was a mass of pipes, wheels and valves. Once
started,therewouldbetwoenginesupandrunning,andtheairinthelargetanksoutside
would build up to its operating pressure. Then the final outside valve would be opened,
allowing the air down the line to the horn-house, where it would start to spin the siren.
There was a built-in timing device, like the navigation light, and each foghorn could be
identified by its particular series of blasts.
The duty keeper always kept an eye on the visibility, as sometimes it could deteri-
orate very rapidly. There were distance markers, which were set in such a way that if
the sight of them was lost, the foghorn would be started up without delay. Lightkeepers
wereadeptatcarryingonaconversation,pausingforeachblastofthehorn.Therewere
no ear-defenders back then either, which would probably not be the case today if light-
houses were still manned. Fog charts which recorded the duration of the run, were re-
tainedandsenttoheadquartersat84GeorgeStreet,alongwiththereturnseverymonth.
Due note was taken of fuel and lubricating-oil consumption.
One of the biggest changes that set rock reliefs apart from 1900 to the latter part of
the twentieth century was how they were carried out. Helicopters have been mentioned
previously and it was their use that revolutionised lighthouse reliefs, which no longer
depended on the weather, as was so often the case with tender or attending boat reliefs.
For example, every two weeks a Bolkow 105 helicopter operated by Bond Heli-
coptersoutofPeterheadwouldbeusedforreliefs.Twokeeperscameoutwiththe'main
relief',andtwowouldgoashore.Allthesuppliesandpersonaleffectswerepackedinto
plastic boxes that were specially designed to fit into the Bolkow's hold. The helicopter
always carried an engineer who flew 'up front' with the pilot, the keepers behind them.
Occasionally someone would be fortunate enough to travel alone on a 'mid relief',
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with one keeper who travelled on the basis that 'any fool can be uncomfortable', and
usually took about twice as many boxes as the others, which inevitably caused some
grumbling. Travelling solo at times had other advantages; for instance, the distance
from Campbeltown to Sanda was fairly short, so now and again the pilot would leave
