I was recently in Tallahassee for the FLA board meeting and member's meeting the following day. Of note was the progress of the proposed Florida Lighthouse license plate currently in committee in the state legislature. It was championed by our own Representative William L. "Bill" Proctor and with the support Senator Mike Fesano, Rep. Matt Hudson and many others in the legislature, has been passing with flying colors. One reason it has not met with much opposition is that the FLA is an all volunteer organization and so $0.90 out of every dollar spent on the plate will go to preserving our Florida lighthouses. We are also very honored to be the featured lighthouse on the plate when so many of our friends have lighthouses in the state too. We love them all!

Continue reading "Florida Lighthouse Assoc. at St. Marks Lighthouse" »

Most folks know that one of the most exciting new projects at the Lighthouse is our wooden boatbuilding program. Part of LAMP's First Coast Maritime Archaeology Project, the LAMP Boatworks is dedicated to keeping traditional maritime craftsmanship alive, while providing experimental archaeological and public outreach avenues to help us better interpret boat and ship remains preserved in the archaeological record. Our first build was a Bevin's skiff, a traditional skiff design available as a kit build through the Alexandria Seaport Foundation. While this inaugural and beautiful little boat was an undisputed fantastic success, many of us were eagerly awaiting our first boat to be built from scratch. This was to be the barca chata.

Continue reading "Sea Trials for the Barca Chata" »