12Faroes Lighthouses 2014
The first stanza of a poem in the newspaper “Føringatíðindi” which brought a short article about the lighthouses that were lit for the first time on October the 1st 1893. In addition to the large lighthouse on the southern tip of Nólsoy, several smaller beacons were placed on headlands and at fiords of the Faroe Islands.

Two lights were placed at the entrance to Trongisvágsfjørður on Suðuroy – two more further into the fjord, at Tvørábakki. On Nólsoy, lights were placed at Kápilsund and on Borðan. At the entrance to Skálafjørður (Eysturoy) a light was placed at Toftir. On Kunoy a light was placed on Kunoyarnes, a little south of the village Syðradalur .

Along with the large lighthouse on Skansin, Torshavn, which was built already in 1888, these large and smaller beacons were a great improvement of safety of navigation in the inland waters .

Toftir Lighthouse

State owned beacon No. 6670 – International No. L4406
Position: 62° 05.10330 N – 6° 44.35934 W

As already mentioned, a lighthouse was placed near the village of Toftir by the entrance of Skálafjørður on Eysturoy. The article in Føringatíðindi describes light as follows:
“By the outskirts of Toftir, 1 fixed light which shines white from Eystnes (Eysturoy) west to Flesjarnar (a treacherous skerry between Eysturoy and Streymoy) and towards the area south of Glyvursnes (Streymoy). Then red to the center of Flesjarnar, green north of Flesjarnar and then white towards Saltnes.
Toftir Lighthouse is a cylindrical beacon of cast iron, 7 meters high and with the lantern located 12.7 meters above sea level. The lighthouse is white with a red horizontal band painted just below the lantern. The lighthouse is a so-called sector-light which glows white, red or green, depending on the position in relation to the lighthouse. The lantern flashes every 5th second. The white light can be seen 12 nautical miles away , while the red and green lights are visible at 9 mile distance. The lighthouse is on from 15 July to 1 June.
Fully automatic .

Akraberg Lighthouse

State owned beacon No. 6500 – International No. L4342
Position: 61° 23.64125 N – 6° 40.75310 V

In 1909 the Lighthouse Service built the iconic Akraberg lighthouse on the southern tip of Suðuroy. The waters south of Sumba are notorious for their unpredictability. Here lies a series of rocky skerries below and above sea level, and the meeting of currents, together with wind and weather, create dangerous conditions for boats and ships. The situation became more hazardous in 1884 when the high cliff “Munkurin” on the southernmost rock, Sumbiarsteinur, crashed into the sea and the seafarers lost the fixed landmark of the rocks.

Akraberg Lighthouse is a cylindrical cast iron beacon boult on concrete foundation. The lighthouse is painted white with red top. The tower is 14 meters high and the focal plane 94 metres above sea level. Due to the sometimes extreme winds in the area, the tower is further secured with heavy guy wires.

Akraberg Lighthouse is both “hazard avoidance” light and sector light with white, red and green lights, depending on the sailor’s position. The lantern flashes 2 times 2 sec. every 20thsecond. The white light is visible at a distance of 20 nautical mile, while the red and green light can be seen 14 miles away. Akraberg Lighthouse is now fully automatic.

Besides the lighthouse itself, Akraberg station also includes a foghorn and radio-beacon.

During World War II all lighthouses in the Faroe Islands were turned off – and only occasionally lid, when necessary for allied shipping or warfare. The British military built a radar station on Akraberg for surveillance of the waters south of the Faroe Islands.

In 1957, an independent power-station was installed on Akraberg to supply the lighthouse and radio-beacon with power.

There is also a lighthouse keeper’s house on Akraberg. Here lived the shifting lighthouse keepers and their families until 1988, when the current lighthouse keeper moved after a violent hurricane. The house have since been used occasionally by maintenance-crews, but are right now about to be sold.

Dímun Lighthouse

State- beacon No. 6580 – International No. L4368
Position: 61° 40.96228 N – 6° 45.71721 V

In 1927, some lesser beacons were erected around the Faroe Islands – and among them was the lighthouse on the small island Stóra Dímun. The original lighthouse was a square tower, 2.5 meters high. The lighthouse was fueled with gas and was maintained by the only farmer on the island. After the World War II, the was in a poor condition and in danger of falling into the sea, due to a landslide.

The current beacon is a cylindrical tower, 5 meters high. The tower is white with a red ribbon right below the lantern. The focal plane is 116 meters above sea level. The lighthouse is a coastal beacon with white light that flashes every 5 seconds and can be seen at a distance of 6 nautical miles. The lighthouse is on from 15 July to 1 June.

Fully automatic.

Source: WOPA Stamps

Released May 26, 2014