Navigation on the St. Lawrence River is some of the most perilous in the world. Over the years, numerous aids to navigation (lighthouses, buoys, landmarks) have been added to help pilots ensure safe maritime transit.
Nonetheless, in order to keep expenses in tow, some of these aids to navigation have disappeared over the years. Even with the advent of new technologies (radar, depth finder and GPS), these more traditional aids still prove to be very useful to pilots. Pilots have had to identify other landmarks along their route to continue to safely navigate in situation such as an electronic equipment breakdown!
Lighthouses
A lighthouse is a tower designed to emit a powerful source of light used to guide ships. Lighthouses were one of the first aids to navigation, having been used in ancient times by the Greeks and the Romans.
For security reasons which were deemed of greater importance, the first lighthouse on the St. Lawrence River only saw the day in 1809 on Île Verte offshore from Tadoussac. It would be followed by many others. The number of lighthouses reached its peak around 1867 with a total of 23.
Lighthouses have also incurred the cost of reducing expenditures. During the 1960s, lighthouse automation made the profession of lighthouse keeper disappear, as well as many of the structures that had been abandoned or destroyed. Today, most remaining structures serve as tourist attractions.
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Buoys and Beacons
A buoy is a floating device held by a fixed post anchored to the sea-bed. It is used to mark a route or channel that is hazardous or closed to navigation for certain types of ships and can also indicate which side to take to circumvent an obstacle. According to their location and use, their colours and dimensions vary corresponding to a standardized code.
Beacons consist of a body, a topmark and lastly a light that helps identify the beacon at night. A beacon’s signification is determined by its colour, its shape and the type of signal it emits. At night, the light, generally visible for many miles, helps identify the beacon by the duration of illumination.
Some beacons are equipped with fog signals operated by swells or an external energy source.
Winter Navigation
Navigating the river in winter and operating a ship in the ice can prove to be a time-consuming and tricky task for a navigator who is not adequately prepared. During their training, pilots learn how to operate in these ever-changing winter conditions.
Pilot changes are always a tricky operation, sometimes even dangerous when poor weather conditions come into play. In winter, the formation of ice and frazil ice (a mixture of ice and water) can sometimes make winter navigation heavy going.
Extreme cold can also create many other problems. Aids to navigation are also less present in winter.
Navigating in the ice requires particular care and a special expertise. Expert training by licensed pilots and the practical experience that pilots acquire can prove to be indispensable when navigating in these conditions!
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