Type:
Year Established:
1912
Existing:
Yes
Download:
Anacapa Island CA 2010 Skip Sherwood.jpg (483.54 KB)
File Type:
jpg (image/jpeg)
Photo Date:
2010
Photo Credit:
Skip Sherwood
Photo Courtesy of:
U.S. Lighthouse Society
Collection / Donor:
LOCATION
Location:
ENTRANCE TO SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL
Latitude:
34° 0.57'
Longitude:
119° 21.31'
City / Town:
PORT HUENEME
U.S. State:
California
Location County:
VENTURA
Country:
United States
OWNER & ACCESS
Open to Public:
Yes
STRUCTURE
Year Tower Established:
1932
Tower Construction Material:
BRICK/CONCRETE
Tower Foundation:
REINFORCED CONCRETE
Height of light above mean high water, in feet:
277
Height, in feet, from base of structure to center of lantern:
40
Tower Shape:
CYLINDRICAL
Fog Signal Building?:
Yes
Year Fog Signal Building Constructed:
1932
Fog Signal Bldg Construction Materials:
CONCRETE
Keeper's Quarters?:
Yes
Year Keeper's Quarters:
1932
Keeper's Quarters Style:
SPANISH REVIVAL
Keeper's Quarters Construction:
WOOD
Other Structures:
OIL HOUSE, RADIO BUILDING, FUEL TANK HOUSE, 2 STORAGE BUILDINGS (ONE IS FOR WATER STORAGE), DOCK, CRANE HOUSE, CISTERN; DEMOLISHED: 1ST, 2ND, & 3RD ASST. KEEPERS AND RADIO BEACON
OPTICS
Current Optic:
DCB-24
Original Optic Type:
THIRD ORDER, FRESNEL
Year Original Lens Installed:
1932
Private Aid:
No
USCG Access to Optics:
No
Entered by:
Entered Date:
Jul 20, 2017
Historical Information:
Anacapa, a native-American word meaning "ever changing", was first discovered by Gabrillo in 1542. Anacapa Island is really a chain of three small islets extending four and a half miles from east to west. The easternmost island is one mile long, a quarter of a mile wide, and rises 250 feet above the water. Middle Island is one and a half miles long, a quarter of a mile wide and 325 feet at its highest point. The western, and largest island of this group, is two miles long by six tenths of a mile wide, and rises to a peak of 930 feet.
Anacapa’s 40-foot lighthouse tower and adjacent foghorn building are located on East Anacapa. It has a 1.1 million candlepower light beacon, and a foghorn and radio signal that have guided ships safely through the coastal channel since 1932, the date of construction. Prior to that an unattended light was placed on the island in 1912 as a guiding beacon for sailing vessels.
The characteristic is one tenth second of white light, 11-9/10 second of darkness, one-tenth second of light, 11-9/10 second of darkness, one tenth second of light, 35. 9 seconds of darkness.
The foghorn, is a diaphragm-type horn, producing a one two second blast then is silent for two seconds, blasts again for two seconds and then completes the cycle with 14 seconds of silence during low visibility. Electronic equipment sends out a continual radio beacon signal with a range of 12 miles. The Coast Guardsmen and their families of the light station resided in the four large Spanish style white stucco houses with red tile roofs before the light station was automated in December, 1968.
The buildings other than the lighthouse are now being utilized by the National Park Service.