Cape Cod Lighthouse & Canal Cruise
The American Lighthouse Foundation is inviting you for an exciting narrated cruise aboard the Portuguese Princess Excursions to view eight lighthouses on Cape Cod and Buzzards Bay, plus the unique opportunity to cruise through the 17-mile Cape Cod Canal. Some of the lighthouses that will be viewed from the water include, Wings Neck, Bird Island, Cleveland Ledge, Ned's Point, Sandy Neck, and others. The September 20th cruise departs at 10am from MacMillan Wharf in Provincetown, MA. Advance reservations are required and tickets can be purchased on-line at www.LighthouseFoundation.org. For driving directions visit www.provincetownwhalewatch.com/directions.php

Boats Donated to Lighthouse - Insurance Needed
The Friends of Little River Lighthouse have received a number of recent donations that include, antique braided rugs, a handmade bed quilt, furniture, lumber, gasoline, and now, two new boats have been donated, for a total of three boats, to transport people back and forth to the restored island lighthouse. However restoration projects at the lighthouse, which was once declared one of Maine's Ten Most Endangered Historic Properties, have drained much of the group's funds.
The group now needs some immediate donations to help pay for the $2,300 insurance fee for the new boats. "After eight long years of back-breaking restoration, we finally have good reliable boats to safely transport people, but we now need the public's help to pay for the insurance," said Hal Biering, co-chairman of the nonprofit group. 
Biering also pointed out that the group is also raising money for a permanent pier at the lighthouse, to accommodate boats. The new and larger boats offer a greater opportunity for more public access to the island for overnight stays and public events, "But the boats can't be used without insurance and this would be a shame after all the years of restoration that had gone into this lighthouse," said the 81-year old Biering, who has volunteered five summers working on the lighthouse.
This is the first time in quite some time that the group has made an actual appeal for cash donations. Another way to help is through the purchase of Little River Lighthouse merchandise, such as clothing, hats and replicas.
If you can help in any way, donations or the purchase of merchandise, can be made on-line at www.LittleRiverLight.org or by mailing to Friends of Little River Lighthouse, P.O. Box 671, East Machias, ME 04630. Donations by credit card can also be made by calling 207-259-3833.

Cove Point Makeover
Maryland's Cove Point Lighthouse will start getting a makeover this fall thanks to a matching grant from the Maryland Heritage Area Authority. The project will cost $127,000.00. The project will remove years of paint and concrete from the tower, which are causing the bricks to self-destruct. To allow the brick to breath while also allowing moisture to seep out, a lime mortar coating will be installed. The Calvert Marine Museum has also applied for grants to restore the keeper's house at the site.

Princess Anne To Visit Every Scottish Lighthouse
Princess Anne, also referred to as the The Princess Royal, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, is on a quest to visit every one of Scotland's 209 lighthouses. Her first visit to a lighthouse was in 1956 at the age of five when she visited Tiumpan Head Lighthouse on the Isle of Lewis. However, the quest to visit every lighthouse just started in recent years. She has now visited most of the primary lighthouses in Scotland, but she has a long way to go to reach the goal of visiting each one. In 1974 she was the target of a kidnapping attempt in which four of her would-be rescuers were shot. According to British newspaper reports, Princess Anne considers herself a pharologist, which is a person who studies lighthouses.

Alaska Restoration
The volunteers of Alaska's Five Finger Light Station would like to open the lighthouse as a bed and breakfast. But before that can be done, a tremendous amount of restoration work needs to be accomplished. In order to accomplish their goal they need a lot more volunteers who can come and camp on the island to help. They also have a short season and will need to close up the station in September for the winter months. Transportation also needs to be coordinated by volunteer boat owners from Petersburg, Alaska, which is about 40 miles away. To learn more you can visit their web site at www.5fingerlighthouse.com.

Looking For Book
For the Lighthouse Digest Library we are looking for a copy of the book, "His Window on the World - The Piscataqua and the Days of Hopley Yeaton," by Barbara L. DiFrancesco. If anyone can help us find a copy of the book that could either be donated or purchased, please email .

National Lighthouse Day
A number of lighthouses across the United States will be holding celebrations in honor of National Lighthouse Day, which is August 7, in honor of that date in 1789 when all lighthouses in the United States were federalized. If you attend one of these celebrations and have high-resolution photos of the event that you'd like to share for possible publication in Lighthouse Digest they can be emailed to .

Fresnel Lens Available
Fresnel lenses are considered the "Jewel of Lighthouses."  There are only a few Fresnel lenses still in lighthouses. Many of the priceless lenses, which are considered rare artifacts, are now in museums. Controversy now surrounds a west coast Fresnel lens and the story will appear in the August issue of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. To subscribe go to www.LighthouseDigest.net.

Harbour Lights replicas of Fresnel lens are available from Lighthouse Depot and include Boston Light's 2nd order lens #42665; New Jersey's Hereford Inlet Light's 4th order lens # 42673; and California's Point Vincent's 3rd order lens #42678.

Lights Across the Border
It's still not too late to sign up for the First International Lighthouse Challenge, "Lights Across the Border," which will be held in Maine and New Brunswick Canada. Registration is $15.00 and can be done on-line at www.LittleRiverLight.org or by calling 207-259-3833.

New Lighthouse Stories
The August issue of Lighthouse Digest, among its many interesting stories, will have a story about a Maine lighthouse keeper who also became a famous painter. Another story is about the amazing Great Lakes family lighthouse legacy started by Ambrose Davenport back in the 1800s that amazingly continues to this day. If you are not yet a subscriber you can sign up today at www.LighthouseDigest.net.

Summer Vacations
Lighthouses are located in all coastal areas of the world. Visiting them are great family adventures that are inexpensive as well as educational. Most are located in beautiful locations and some have their own museums. Often, other interesting museums and historic sites are located near lighthouses.
If visiting Maine, be sure to visit the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland, the largest lighthouse museum in the United States. Also, while in Maine, you're invited to visit the Lighthouse Depot stores in Rockland and Wells, Maine where you'll have fun viewing all the amazing lighthouse products that are available.

Clearance Central - See what's new - New discounts added
The Lighthouse Depot Clearance Central has an ever-changing array of discontinued and nearly sold out items so be sure to visit the site on a regular basis.

Learn More about Lighthouses
The Lighthouse Depot Explorer Data base is loaded with historical information on lighthouses from all over the world. As the largest lighthouse database in the world, new information is being added on a regular basis. Admission is free, so browse through the site and have some fun or use it to learn more about lighthouses.

We support the efforts of The American Lighthouse Foundation. You can too!

Lighthouse Depot
P.O. Box 427
Wells, ME 04090
1-800-758-1444