Fourteen Foot Shoal Lighthouse - Lake Huron, MI - Coastal Lighthouses on Waymarking.com

Around the turn of the twentieth century, there was an increase in both the size and number of ships passing through the Straits of Mackinac. Upgrading the navigational aids in this area, especially in the waters south of Bois Blanc Island, became an imperative. One of these was a buoy marking Fourteen Foot Shoal, located a mile northwest of the Cheboygan Point Lighthouse. As its name implies, the shoal lies fourteen feet below the waterline and represents a significant hazard to ships, especially during storms.

In the late 1920s, there was a flurry of new lighthouse construction in and around the Straits of Mackinac. The construction of Fourteen Foot Shoal lighthouse followed right on the heels of the Poe Reef lighthouse, and in fact, utilized the same construction crew. The finished product was built to withstand the harsh winters of northern Michigan and featured a lantern with a fourth order Fresnel lens that stood 51 ft. above the water. The light station was also equipped with a foghorn.

Fourteen Foot Shoal lighthouse was unusual in that from the get-go, it was intended to be operated remotely from the nearby Poe Reef light station. Nevertheless, a keeper was stationed at the lighthouse just to make sure the remote operations worked correctly. After about five years of successful remote control, the keeper was finally removed. Today, fully automated, the light is still an active navigational aid.

Coastal Lighthouse: Lighthouse Range Lights: Not listed LIGHTHOUSE CHALLENGE VISIT: Not listed

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