The lighthouse at Fourteen Foot Shoal was named because the lake is only 14 feet (4.3 m) deep at this location, which creates a danger for ships and sailors. This light is located at the northern end of Lake Huron in Michigan, United States. Boats traveling to Chicago must pass through a narrow water passage and avoid shallow areas. The most common route is to travel south of Bois Blanc Island, Michigan. In this path, the Poe Reef Light marks the northern end of the safe route, and the Fourteen Foot Shoal Light marks the southern side of the channel.
History
The United States Lighthouse Service planned from the start for this light to operate automatically, possibly the first lighthouse to do so, and to be controlled by radio signals from the Poe Reef Light, which is 3.5 miles (5.6 km) away. The keeper’s house was never meant to be a home. In 1925, a temporary acetylene buoy was placed there, and work on the permanent lighthouse began in 1929. The lighthouse started operating in 1930.
The original light used a fourth-order Fresnel lens. The height of the light’s focal plane is 56 feet (17 meters). Today, it uses a 9.8-inch (250 mm) acrylic Fresnel lens. If properly installed and adjusted, the light can be seen up to 9 nautical miles (17 km) away. A diaphone fog horn is also attached to the lighthouse.
Current status and getting there
This lighthouse is located in U.S. Coast Guard District 9 and continues to help ships navigate safely. In 2002, the crew of the ship USCGC Mackinaw (WAGB-83) painted and fixed the lighthouse. The lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places but not on the state registry. However, Michigan's Historic Preservation Office said it meets the criteria for inclusion.
The best way to see the lighthouse up close is by using a private boat. If that is not possible, Nautical North Family Adventures in Cheboygan includes it on their daily shipwreck tours. Sheplers Ferry Service in Mackinaw City offers lighthouse cruises during the summer. Their "Eastbound Tour" passes by several other lighthouses, including Round Island Light, Bois Blanc Island Light, Poe Reef Light, and Fourteen Foot Shoal. Schedules and prices are available from Sheplers. The Great Lakes Lightkeepers Association provides narration during the tours.
From the Cheboygan Crib Light and Cheboygan State Park, visitors can see the lighthouse from a distance.
On May 15, 2012, the National Park Service allowed the lighthouse to be transferred to a new owner under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. On September 30, 2017, the General Services Administration ended its public auction and transferred ownership to the Lake Huron Lighthouse Preservation Society Inc., a nonprofit group in Michigan led by Jerry Persons and Joseph Niewiek.