Seal Point

LIGHTHOUSE DETAILS

Name	Seal Point
Structure	28 metre circular masonry tower painted white
Other Features
Date Installed	4 July 1878
Description	Seal Point lighthouse is situated approximately 30 km from Humansdorp and 100 km from port Elizabeth and is home to the tallest masonry building, standing 27.75 meters high. The focal plane is 36 meters above sea level and the light has a range of 28 sea miles. Joseph Flack, a civil Engineer and architect who was employed by the Cape Colonial Government at the time was instrumental in building this majestic building. He was also involved in building Robben Island. Joseph Flack, who came from Maidstone, Kent, England died on 14 November 1876. W.B. Hays took over on 29 November of the same year and the light was lit for the first time on 4 July 1878. It was equipped with a three wick burner and had an intensity of 15 000 candles, providing a single white flash every 20 seconds. On 17 May 1906 the flash rate was changed to one flash every 5 seconds and a petroleum vapour burner was fitted, increasing the candle power to 120 000 candelas. Today the character of the light is once every five seconds with an intensity of 2 750 000 candelas and a range of 28 sea miles. Named after the patron saint, Cape St Francis is now becoming a popular tourist Mecca. In 1959 a ship the Lady Head was wrecked in the bay at the mouth of the Kromme River and its is believed than a population of swans that inhabit the estuary came from the ship. Today the lighthouse has one Senior keeper with a modern radio beacon, fog signal and fog detector. As Seal Point lighthouse continues to watch over the coast and has done for almost 123 years there have been fewer shipwrecks.

LIGHT DETAILS

Light Type	Revolving electric
Light Character	One flash every 5 seconds
Light Range	28 sea miles
Light Power	2 7500 000 CD
Height of focal Plane	36 metres above high water

POSITION

Position

34 12 44.79 South, 24 50 11.92 East