The days of the blue uniformed lighthouse keeper checking his whale oil supply, slowly climbing the tower to clean his lenses, have passed forever. Yet the lighthouse he so faithfully attended remains on duty. Built of bricks noted by seaman and landlubber alike, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse stand on a spot still dreaded by mariners.
Lighthouses have a long and colorful history.
By the 18th century, open fires on the platforms at or near dangerous points protected the coasts of Europe. Today, light probes more than 20 miles out to sea, still warning of hidden reefs and treacherous shoals that menace the navigator. A warm offshore current, the Gulf Stream, flows north at about 4 knots and veers eastward north to Cape Hatteras. Spanish treasure fleets returning from the mines of Mexico and Central America made good use of this northbound current on their voyages to Spain. Southbound vessels followed an inshore counter-current of colder water, the Virginia Coastal Drift.