One Fathom Bank Lighthouse

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One Fathom Bank Lighthouse
Rumah Api One Fathom Bank
Map
LocationOne Fathom Bank, Selangor, Malaysia Edit this at Wikidata
Coordinates2°53′03″N 100°59′08″E / 2.8842°N 100.9856°E / 2.8842; 100.9856
Tower
ConstructionConcrete pile lighthouse
Height43 m (141 ft) Edit this on Wikidata
ShapeCylindrical tower with triple balcony and lantern[1][2]
Markingsstripe (red and white, horizontal direction) Edit this on Wikidata
Light
First lit1999 Edit this on Wikidata
Focal height43 m (141 ft) Edit this on Wikidata
Range23 nmi (43 km; 26 mi) Edit this on Wikidata
CharacteristicFl(4) W 20s Edit this on Wikidata
1907 lighthouse Edit this at Wikidata
The present "old lighthouse" is the third iteration of the One Fathom Bank Lighthouse to be built. It was deactivated after the new lighthouse began operation in 1999.
Constructed1907 Edit this on Wikidata
ConstructionConcrete pile lighthouse
Height27 m (89 ft) Edit this on Wikidata
Shapeoctagon Edit this on Wikidata
Markingsstripe (red and white, horizontal direction) Edit this on Wikidata
Deactivated1999 Edit this on Wikidata

The One Fathom Bank Lighthouse (

offshore lighthouses in the Strait of Malacca, specifically, on a shoal within Malaysian waters, dubbed One Fathom Bank (Permatang Sedepa), off the coast of the state of Selangor
.

The One Fathom Bank station was originally served by a

lightship stationed in 1852 before a permanent screw-pile lighthouse
was built in 1874; the lighthouse has since been replaced twice over the course of its service, in 1907 with a concrete pile lighthouse, and in 1999 when a larger modern counterpart was built parallel to the 1907 lighthouse, superseding its predecessor's duties. The lighthouses have since been referred to as the "old" One Fathom Bank Lighthouse and the "new" One Fathom Bank Lighthouse.

Due to being well out to sea, both lighthouses are only accessible by boat. While both sites of the lighthouses are open, their towers remain off-limits.[1]

History

First reported during the mid-19th century by John Turnbull Thomson, a hydrographic surveyor, One Fathom Bank is a shoal located in the Strait of Malacca, between North Sands and South Sands, 30 kilometres (19 mi) southwest from the Klang Delta in Selangor.[1][3] In its early years following its original survey, the bank was always referred to as 2 and 1/2 Fathom Bank, named as such for its sandbank that apparently emerged during low tide with water depths of less than two and a half fathoms (4.6 m).[3]

The first move by the

£246,963.31, which remains standing to date.[3] Following the founding of Port Swettenham (Port Klang) in 1893, the lighthouse additionally acted as a marker on the approach to the port.[3]

The second lighthouse remained operational until the completion of a third lighthouse in 1999, which was erected parallel to the old lighthouse some 500 metres (1,600 ft) away at a cost of RM18 million for improved navigation and security.[1][3] While the older lighthouse has been deactivated and unused, efforts were made by the Department of Marine and related authorities, such as the Department of Public Works and the then Department of Museums and Antiquities, to restore it in 2004 and 2005 due to its historical and architectural value.[1][3]

Design

Old lighthouse

The present "old" One Fathom Bank Lighthouse is essentially a 27-metre (89 ft) high concrete-pile lighthouse.[1] Built on a circular-like arrangement of piles, the lighthouse is generally designed as an octagonal structure: Both the two storey keeper's house standing on the piles and the skeletal cast iron tower above that houses and supports the lantern, gallery, and watchroom are octagonal; the tower supporting the lantern tapers towards the top.[1][3] The lighthouse tower was also painted with red and white horizontal bands, which has since faded[1] and repainted white.

New lighthouse

The newer, modernised One Fathom Bank Lighthouse was constructed in 1999 with the intended purpose of accommodating better equipment, but is similarly based on pilings. At 43 metres (141 ft),[1] the new lighthouse dwarfs the old lighthouse, and contains more space and an additional concrete jetty to support larger sea vessels.

The lighthouse consists of a round cylindrical steel tower, similarly painted with red and white horizontal bands, rising from the centre of a dome-shaped equipment shelter and supporting the lantern and triple gallery; the dome is further mounted on a circular platform supported by the pilings.[1] The roof is made from high-quality polycarbonate and polished metal.[3]

Both One Fathom Bank Lighthouses are situated a mere 500 metres apart, as seen in this photograph.

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to One Fathom Bank Lighthouse.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of West Malayasia East Coast". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 9 September 2008.
  2. ^ "Rumah Api One Fathom Bank". Marine Department of Malaysia. Archived from the original on 4 October 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Dr A Ghafar Ahmad. "Restoration of Old One Fathom Bank Lighthouse, Selangor". School of Housing, Building & Planning, University of Science, Malaysia. Archived from the original on 26 September 2008. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
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