Tourists on Vlieland during autumn vacation may be surprised to discover the island’s iconic red lighthouse covered in scaffolding.
Translation by Traci White
The lighthouse’s current red paint will be steamed away and replaced with a new coat over the coming months. In order to avoid air pollution with paint fumes, Omrop Fryslân reports that the refurbishment works will be a painstaking operating that will take months. The current paint will gradually be removed with two steamers and then repainted.
The paint job is expected to be finished around Christmas, but strong winds over the past week have blown away a portion of the fabric on the scaffolding around the lighthouse, causing delays to the project almost before it has begun.
The light inside the lighthouse will continue operating as normal during the restoration, but the light will be less visible because the windows at the top of the tower are partially covered up. The shipping industry coming and going in nearby waters will be informed about the lighthouse’s dimmer lights on a daily basis.
Although the lighthouse is now automated and no longer manned by a lighthouse keeper, the tall structure still serves an important purpose on the island: 4G antennae are position on the lighthouse. The iron lighthouse was built in 1909 and is 9.5 meters tall, but it is situated on top of a 42-meter-high dune, the Vuurboetsduin, on the island.
Photo source: Wikipedia
