Whitestone Bank
Whitestone Bank

Present Day Buoy
Description of Structure: West Cardinal Buoy
Location: Latitude 54° 24.58’ North Longitude 04° 20.41’ West
Character: Quick Flash (9) 15 Seconds
Colour: Yellow,Black above Yellow Horizontal band

Whitestone bouy 2013
Whitestone Bouy 2013
Serviced by NLB Lighthouse ship

History
About a mile off the Point of Ayre is Whitestone Bank,marked by a gas-lighted boat and bell-buoy anchored in 4½ fathoms on the inner edge of the bank.
The tideway on this bank is called the "Streuss"

11th July 1906
The bouy or gas boat is about 30 feet long,and is built of iron.
It has a kind of lattice work tower erected upon it 5 feet high.
A bell is fixed in this structure which is wrung by the motion of boat
At the summit of the structure a light is exhibited.
This light is worked automatically,two seconds visible and four seconds eclipsed.
The boat contains enough gas to last six months.

Above extract from "Ramsey Courier" 13th July 1906

1911 Acetylene light

1963 Whitestone buoy


All photographs Copyright Fred Fox.