Ron Bugenske Video

Identifier

1033

Title

Ron Bugenske Video

Description

Video donated to BLMA by Linda Warner.
12 min 6 seconds long
m4v format video

Source

donated to BLMA by Linda Warner

Format

mp4 video

Duration

12 minutes 4 seconds

Transcription

WEBVTT

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Hello, I am Ron Bugenske, US Coast Guard Retired, CPO

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If you're looking at this video you're into 
nautical history or just love old lighthouses

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I was fortunate to have seen most
lighthouses in New England, visited many
and worked on some

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In my years traveling the coast by water

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In the early days of our country due to poor roads
mud and snow, the only way to move
goods was by water

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Poor charts many reefs and shoals made for the
loss of many ships

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The economy of our new nation relied on shipping

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Ships crossing the Atlantic navagation was only by compass, sun and time.

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Storms, cloudy days and unreliable time keeping made navigation questionable until a known landmark was seen

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A lighthouse may be the first landmark identified

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In the very first American Lighthouses were
built of wood and served as models for the
early lighthouses built in the original 13 colonies.

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generaly to mark and alert sailors about dangerous rocky coastlines reefs sandbars and shoals

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Coastal shipping, the only way to transport goods

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Boston Light, the first lighthouse, located on Little Brewster Island dates back to 1716 and was the first to be built in what was then colonial America

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The British bunt it down when departing Boston after the Revolutionary War.

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The second burned down and was replaced with a granite tower 

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Brant Point Light built in 1746. It was the second lighthouse built in colonial America, located on Nantucket Island

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The original Beavertail Light was built in 1749 as the third lighthouse in the 13 Colonies

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The first Beavertail Light was made of wood but burnt in 1753

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And lost by fire, the second lighthouse after the first, 

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The British sailors departing Newport burnt the 3rd lighthouse down. It was replaced with a granite tower

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Fog was another hazzard the sailors had to deal with on coastal shipping

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In the early days lighthouses were equipped with fog bells
later were equipped with horns

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On June 13th, 1959, I was aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Evergreen on International Ice patrol off Newfoundland 

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when informed my wife Mary had given birth to twin girls 

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We were expecting one child in August

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I became a paid guest at Beavertail Light in 1959

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arriving in a 1949 green Plymouth

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with a home made trailer with all our worldly goods

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My Mary next to me. In the back seat a canary, at cat and two one month old twin girls.

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 Assigned DN-2 Assistant Keeper

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My main duties - watch standing and maintaining equipment

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There was a coal fired boiler and an old wooden cistern - - brick cistern

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and held rainwater in the early days in the cellar of my quarters.

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I removed the cistern. We removed the old garage and a new one built behind the fog signal building.

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put up a post and rail fence around the property.

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Lighthouse beacon optics or lens show different characteristics

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hazards including quick flashing time flashing

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Minot Light, known by the locals as the love light flashes one, four, three

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and given colored lights Beavertail changed from white to green during my time at Beavertail.

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Aids to navigation publications pages list different characteristics of lights

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lighthouses also day beacons identified by their material name, shape and color

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Beavertail light was "granit square half white tower"

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 today no longer half white.

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 West Quoddy Head Light is candy shaped/stripped red and white

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Matinicus Rock Light 1827

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has two grey granit towers.

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Both towers were lit. Today only one tower is left

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In the early days, Matanicus light showed two lights 20 nautical miles off the mainland

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and it was the first light seen by ships crossing the Atlantic.

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Monhagan Light - 1824

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One of the two important off shore lights, showed only one white light.

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Monhegan light is 178 feet above sea level

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It's the second highest on the Maine coast.

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both Mincinicus and Monhegan Light were important lights to ships crossing the Atlantic.

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Sequin Light, white granit tower, white red brick building.

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Sequin Light is on Sequin Island in the Gulf of Maine

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at the mouth of the Kennebeck River, established 1795 was the second oldest of coastal Maine's coastal lighthouses

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With a first order lens and with it's light 180 feet above sea level

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it can be seen 40 nautical miles to sea.

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Lights, coastal lights were also built to assist ships seeking shelter into harbors.

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Bass Harbor Light on Mount Desert Island is one of these light stations.

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established 1858, and my favorite light.

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My son Lloyd, nicknamed Jack, called Beavertail light his first home.

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The twins one year old, the day their new brother arrive home at Beavertail

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All three children would sleep through the foghorn, unless it sounded a sour note.

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My mother and brother Jim and I with my son, Jack, at the original Beavertail Light foundation.

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A family light is a job you don't drive to work to.

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Besides maintaining the Light and buildings, unexpected disaster

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people fishing hooking themselves, small boats and breakers.

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I had my chance to be with my children the first four years of their lives.

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this is sacred to me

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I can recall 3 times we pulled people out of the water

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One especially, he was inside the breakers

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and I remember trying to warn him at the waters edge

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A large breaker landed in his boat and demolashed it.

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We removed him from the water

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and chewed him out using language I would not normally use

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we were all so banged up and wet

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He asked to use the phone to call the Quonset Naval Air Station

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He announced himself as captain

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He went with me to my office

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2 enlisted men were looking for a crack in the boar at that time

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When his office answere he announced himself as chaplin.

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Two navy helicoptors emergency landings at the Lighthouse

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This made a big day for the kids.

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We offered them coffee and let them warm themselves in the quarters.

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At Christmas time a third helicopter landed with baskets for both families.

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Later in my career with the Coast Guard, I was Chief on the Portland Light Ship

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Just another Lighthouse that floated on water

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Stationed well off shore, lightships marked a shoal or entrance to a harbor

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Besides a light or foghorn, lightships were equipped with a radio beacon.

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in the New England area sending out a beacon every 6 minutes for 1 minute

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I helped decommission the 533 and brought back to Portland Station the 536

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I could talk for hours about our time at Beavertail Light, friends we made in Jamestown

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Henry and Connie Armbrust, Mary and I called them our Rhode Island adopted parents

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I cherish my time at Beavertail Light over 60 years ago.

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I'm Ron Bugenske

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A good journey to all

Commentary

Video donated by Linda Warner.