Lighthouses in Chile
has a large and intricate coastline of 4000 km with myriads of islands, islets, straits, bays, and fjords.
Moreover, three waterways between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, namely the Strait of Magellan, the Beagle Channel and the Drake Passage, pass the Chilean coasts. In order to mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals, reefs, and safe entries to harbors, the Chilean authorities maintain 650 lighthouses from the border with Peru to the Atlantic Ocean.
History
On 18 September 1857, the first lighthouse in Chile, the "Faro Angeles", was inaugurated in Valparaíso.In 1867, the Dane Enrique Siemsen was appointed chief of the "Servicio de Faros". He built the Faro Corona in Ancud, Punta Caldera in Atacama, Punta Tortugas in Coquimbo, Isla Quiriquina in Quiriquina, Punta Galera and Punta Niebla in Corral.
The first lighthouses in Chile used colza oil as fuel, but in 1878 it was replaced by Bunsen burners.
George Slight designed and built in the 1890s more than 70 of today's historic lighthouses of Chile. He was a Scottish engineer who moved to Chile and eventually became the head of the Chilean Maritime Signaling Service.
Present
As of 2013, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency lists 650 lighthouses in Chile and according to Faros de Chile 18 of them were inhabited in 2009.Lightvessels
There are no lightvessels in Chile, but 2 shipwrecks are used as a basis for lighthouses: the County of Peebles is used as breakwater in the harbour of Punta Arenas, and the Capitán Leonidas is located in the Messier Channel.Official information and administration
The Chilean official list of lighthouses is the Lista de Faros de la costa de Chile, Costa Oriental de Tierra del Fuego y Territorio Antártico published by the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Chilean NavyNavigational aids in Chile are provided by the Servicio de Señalización Marítima , a department of the Dirección de Seguridad y Operaciones Marítimas , of the Dirección General del Territorio Marítimo y de Marina Mercante of the Chilean Navy.
Maintenance ships
In 1900, the ship Meteoro was built in Chile for the maintenance of lighthouses.Today, the Chilean Navy ship George Slight is in service to serve the lighthouses.