Getting a remote island lighthouse ready for the winter
months requires a great deal of planning and a large number of
volunteers to help. Plus, everything that is done needs to be
double-checked.
At Little River Lighthouse on a small island off the
harbor in Cutler, Maine, it requires draining the cistern as well as
draining the pipes, the hot water
Dave Corbett, vice president of Friends
of Little River Lighthouse makes a
final
check on the ropes that secured the
dock at its winter quarters
heater and the well pump. All the drains and pipe need anti-freeze in them,
storm windows and shutters need to be secured, and the heat needs to be
turned on to prevent the plaster from cracking and the paint from
Preparing to disconnect the float from
the
dock at Little River Lighthouse for its
journey across the bay to its winter home
peeling. Downspouts to the cistern need
to be opened so rain or melting snow does not go into the cistern and
outside faucets need to be opened to prevent freezing. All other island
maintenance items, such as the tractor, lawn mower, picnic tables and
other items need to be stored for the winter in the boathouse and old
oil house.
The biggest project is to dismantle the temporary dock and float into
several sections and move them across the bay to a small-protected cove to
protect them from the winter storms. Work of this nature required the help
of a number of people and large lobster boats with powerful engines to haul
the docks and float to their winter home. Fortunately, the fishermen of
Cutler and volunteers from the Friends of Little River made up the small,
but dedicated team of five boats and nine volunteers that accomplished this
goal before the winter storms set in.
