Cabo Frio Lighthouse

First lighthouse

Location	Ilha do Cabo Frio, Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Coordinates	22°59′53″S 41°59′20″W
Tower
Constructed	1836
Construction	stone
Height	5 m (16 ft)
Shape	cylinder
Light
First lit	17 February 1836
Deactivated	1861
Focal height	395 m (1,296 ft)
Lens	catoptric lens
Second lighthouse
Constructed	1861
Construction	stone (tower)
Height	16 m (52 ft)
Shape	cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
First lit	7 September 1861
Deactivated	1925
Focal height	159 m (522 ft)
Lens	first order Fresnel lens (1893–), catoptric lens (–1893)
Range	20 nmi (37 km; 23 mi)
Current lighthouse
Constructed	1925
Construction	cast iron (tower)
Height	16 m (52 ft)
Shape	cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markings	white (tower), white (lantern)
Operator	Brazilian Navy
Focal height	144 m (472 ft)
Range	49 nmi (91 km; 56 mi)
Characteristic	Fl W 10s
Brazil no.	BR-2400[1]

Cabo Frio Lighthouse is an active lighthouse located on the southern point of the Ilha do Cabo Frio, called Focinho do Cabo, in the municipality of Arraial do Cabo, Brazil.[1][2]

History

The first lighthouse, a cylindrical stone tower 5 metres (16 ft) high, was lit on 17 February 1836 and was built on the highest hill of the island, at an altitude of 395 metres (1,296 ft). The lantern was equipped with catoptrics lens and parabolic reflectors lit by 18 oil lamps. As the top of the island was frequently covered by fog, due to the cold Antarctic currents, the lighthouse was not always operational. It was decided to build another lighthouse on the southern point of the island at a lower altitude.

The second lighthouse was a cylindrical stone tower, 15 metres (49 ft) high, with balcony and lantern and it was inaugurated on 7 September 1861. The lantern was equipped with catoptrics lens and it had a range of 20 nautical miles (37 km; 23 mi); in 1893 the equipment was changed with the 1st order of Fresnel lens built by Barbier, Benard, et Turenne.

The current lighthouse, built in 1926, is settled on a lower level respect to its nearby predecessor; it is a white cylindrical cast iron tower 16 metres (52 ft) high with balcony and lantern. The lantern emits a white flash every 10 seconds) visible up to 49 nautical miles (91 km; 56 mi). The lighthouse is managed by Brazilian Navy and is identified by the country code number BR-2400. Because of the difficulty of reaching the lighthouse from the pier, an helipad was built nearby the keeper's housing.[3][4]

See also

List of lighthouses in Brazil

References

1. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Southeastern Brazil". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
2. List of Lights, Pub. 110: Greenland, The East Coasts of North and South America (Excluding Continental U.S.A. Except the East Coast of Florida) and the West Indies (PDF). List of Lights. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
3. "Cabo Frio". Farois Brasileiros. Archived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
4. "Farol de Cabo Frio". Centro de Sinalização Náutica Almirante Moraes Rego. Marinha do Brasil. Retrieved 5 July 2017.

External links

• Centro de Sinalização Náutica Almirante Moraes Rego