MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – For the past year and a half, boaters have had to rely more on GPS to navigate their way into the Manitowoc Harbor.
That’s how long its been since 50 mile per hour winds and 15-foot waves swept away a navigational light and tower off the south pier.
Photographer Ann Barbeau was at the right place at the right time on January 7th of 2019 to capture the moment the beacon disappeared.
“I was photographing the waves crashing on the light tower, and I was just about to pack it up, and just on my last set of shots, the wave cleared and the light tower was gone,” Barbeau said.
Barbeau tells FOX 11 the blustery day on the water made it perfect for pictures and surfers, but little else.
“I’ve seen the waves higher, but I think it was just the intensity of them that they one after another just barreling in.”
The South Pier light had marked the end of the breakwater for decades. It was originally constructed of steel and fiberglass set on a concrete base standing 20 feet tall.
The new structure being put into place, at the direction of the U-S Coast Guard, is sturdier. It’s all steel and sits about two feet higher to make it more visible to boaters on Lake Michigan.
“It went really smooth,” Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Cameron Mayasich said.
“All the drawings made it match up perfectly; just a little adjustment to get it lined up and dropped right into place.”
The light will feature a solar electrical system to make sure it lights up in all weather conditions.
“We’re hoping it’s going to stay out here a little longer than the last one did,” Mayasich said.
Barbeau visits the lakefront often and looks forward to the new beacon being a part of her pictures.
“Hopefully it’s secure otherwise I’ll be here just in case it’s not ha ha.”
Construction crews hope to wrap up the installation of the new beacon today.
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