Gibraltar Detached Mole ("B" Head) Lighthouse

Gibraltar Detached Mole ("B" Head) Lighthouse
Location of the Detached Mole ("B" Head) Lighthouse.
Map
LocationGibraltar Harbour, Gibraltar, Iberian Peninsula
Coordinates36°08′09″N 5°21′51″W / 36.1357°N 5.3641°W / 36.1357; -5.3641
Tower
ConstructionConcrete
Height37 Feet
ShapeSquare
Light
Focal height29 Feet (9 Metres)
Range5 Nautical Miles
CharacteristicQ.R.

The Gibraltar Detached Mole ("B" Head) Lighthouse is one of several lighthouses in Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory at the south end of the Iberian Peninsula. The lighthouse is positioned west of the Rock of Gibraltar, on the Detached Mole at the south entrance to Gibraltar Harbour.

History

Gibraltar Harbour, also referred to as the Port of Gibraltar, is on the west side of Gibraltar,[1] at latitude 36º09'N, and longitude 5º20'W. In addition to the protection provided to the harbour by the Rock of Gibraltar, there is a system of manmade defences.[2][3] These include a trio of breakwaters: the North Mole (formerly the Commercial Mole)[4] including its Western Arm, the Detached Mole, and the South Mole.[2][3] The South Mole includes an extension which was added later, and was previously known as the New Mole and New Mole Extension.[4] The harbour has both north and south entrances. The northern entry is bordered by the Western Arm of the North Mole and the Detached Mole. The southern entry is between the Detached Mole and the South Mole.[2][3]

The Gibraltar Detached Mole ("B" Head) Lighthouse is located at the south end of the Detached Mole of Gibraltar Harbour. It is positioned at the "B" Head of the Detached Mole.[3][5] The lighthouse and harbour are to the north of the east end of the Strait of Gibraltar, the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, and west of the Rock.[6]

The Detached Mole ("B" Head) Lighthouse comprises a square tower built of concrete, on piles, with a height of 37 feet (11 m). The light characteristic is a quick, flashing red light, and the range is 5 nautical miles. The focal plane of the light is 29 feet (8.8 m).[7]

The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office Admiralty number for the lighthouse, originating in Volume D of the Admiralty List of Lights and Fog Signals, is D 2445.[7][8] The United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) number, from Publication 113 - List of Lights, Radio Aids, and Fog Signals, is 4228.[7] Its Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society number, from the ARLHS World List of Lights (WLOL), is GIB-003.[9][10]

References

  1. ^ "Huge Underwater Mountain Discovered in Red Sea". harbor.wordpress. Working Harbor Committee. Archived from the original on 17 December 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  2. ^ a b c Port of Gibraltar Handbook 2010-11. Land & Marine Publications Ltd, on behalf of the Gibraltar Port Authority. 2010. pp. 6–7, 13. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d "Gibraltar". wikimedia.org. Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  4. ^ a b Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Gibraltar" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 11 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 940.
  5. ^ "Port of Gibraltar - Port Map". gibraltarport.com. Gibraltar Port Authority. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  6. ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Gibraltar". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  7. ^ a b c "Publication 113 - List of Lights, Radio Aids, and Fog Signals" (PDF). msi.nga.mil. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. p. XI-XIII, 71. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 December 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  8. ^ "Gibraltar". trabas.de. The Online List of Lights. Archived from the original on 17 January 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  9. ^ "ARLHS World List of Lights (WLOL) - Gibraltar". wlol.arlhs.com. Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  10. ^ "Detached Mole, "B" Head Light ARLHS GIB-003". wlol.arlhs.com. Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society. Retrieved 2 August 2012.