Friends of Pomham Rocks
Lighthouse President Don Doucette provided the following update...
On December 2nd, 2005, I called Keith Lescarbeau early in
the morning and asked if it might be possible to get out to the island.
He suggested sooner the better, as winds would be increasing during the
day. I literally threw on some warmer clothes and boots and left home
immediately to meet Keith, Kenny and Al as they were starting
Photo by Don Doucette
(L to R) Keith Lescarbeau, Al Vincenzo
and Kenny Reid leave the dock for
Pomham Rocks Light on a brisk day
their workday. We
all arrived minutes apart.
We boated to the island along with some building materials. It was sunny and
there was already a chop to the Bay topped with small windblown whitecaps.
The guys loaded the supplies into the "island taxi" trailer on the Pomham
dock - Keith got the tractor started and drove off the landing as Kenny and
Al gave some extra pushes to coax the "taxi" up the hill to the lighthouse.
Keith showed me the restored cellar entry. It is beautiful. The rear stairs
and landing had been painted in Victorian style. The color combination is
striking and has to be seen closely to fully appreciate the skill involved.
We went inside to the lighthouse kitchen for warmth and hot coffee as Keith
and Kenny went over plans for the day. They were going to try to
Photo by Don Doucette
Pomham Rocks Lighthouse
under restoration
complete the
red metal hip roof installation. While Kenny prepared needed material
upstairs for the roof project, Keith and Al fabricated a small sample of
the red metal roof from some scraps to inform me of the process. I have
retained that sample to show-and-tell other people about the roof.
While Keith and Kenny started on the roof, Al gathered scrap material for
off island transport. This is a never ending dreaded process, but necessary.
Whenever the boat leaves the island, scrap and waste go with it to the
dumpster. No trip is wasted - my off island transport would include me and
some scrap. Luckily, I avoided the dumpster.
I wandered about the property for a while snapping photos and marveling at
the beauty of the restoration. A stiffening wind buffeted the west and north
face of the lighthouse. I sought the sun's warmth in the lee of the building
on the granite steps by the south entry. I sat with my back to the building
and faced south looking down Narragansett Bay toward Sabin Point. It would
have been easy to just close my eyes and doze.
For a short time I sat perched like an old cat I used to see in a store
widow years ago basking in sunrays. However, I could not linger to the call
of slumber. The beauty of the Bay grabs you and draws you – the
waves glittered their shimmering silver sparkles and
instinctively I knew that I was not the first person to sit in that spot
and see the things I was seeing or think the thoughts I thought - and
there will be others, I'm sure.
When Al had gathered his cargo of scrap, I said my
goodbyes, we
Photo by Keith Lescarbeau
FPRL president Don Doucette takes in the
warmth of the sun as he rests on the lighthouse's granite steps
pushed off the island dock in stronger winds and I faced Pomham Light the
entire way to shore. Al being a kind hearted individual tried to lessen the
spray coming into the boat. I urged him to "press on." The wet spray would
evaporate in time, but the experience would linger for years to come.
