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Versão portuguesa aqui.
GPS 33.05470141388886, -16.279264714973827
The 1883 General Plan for Lighting and Beaconing contemplated the construction of a lighthouse in Porto Santo, located at the tip of Ilhéu Branco, which should be equipped with a 2nd order apparatus, producing groups of two white flashes and one red, with 24 .5 miles range in medium condition.
It was only in 1896 that this subject came to be the object of a more in-depth study. The then Director of Public Works, João H. Hafe and the captain of the port of Funchal, José Vianna Bastos, after having collected information on the Island of Porto Santo, from some local authorities and other people with experience on the coast, about the usual routes of the vessels that pass by and also on the place mentioned in the Lighting Plan, they concluded that there was a mistake in the designation of the point indicated for the lighthouse, since there was no islet with the referred name. Based on this study, the lighthouse project was elaborated.

The lighthouse on Ilhéu de Cima would come into operation on May 11, 1901. It is located on Ilhéu de Cima, SE point of Porto Santo Island. It was equipped with a provisional 6th order apparatus, dioptric catadioptric and a petroleum lamp with fixed white light. The tower is 15 meters high and 124 meters high.
In 1923 the lighthouse building was expanded in order to have rooms for five lighthouse keepers, an oil and spare parts deposit; two years later (1925), the 6th order apparatus would be replaced by a 2nd order apparatus (700 mm focal length), rotating, maritime air. The optics rotation was produced through the watchmaking machine and the light source continued to be the oil lamp. In the year 1935 the lamp was replaced by incandescence with oil vapour.
The lighthouse was electrified in 1956 through the assembly of generator sets, turning the light source into a 3000W lamp.
In 1982 the illuminating system was completely refurbished, replacing the old Fresnel lenticular optics with more modern equipment (PRB – 21) that incorporates all the alternative systems and guarantees its entry into operation in case of failure. The removed optical device is mounted in the Museum of the Direction of Lighthouses. The lighthouse is no longer manned by lighthouse keepers.

In 1992 the lighthouse was turned off by four Moroccan citizens to make them aware of their presence on the islet. Later it became known that they had clandestinely embarked in Casablanca, on a Panamanian ship, which had dropped them into the sea near the Ilhéu de Cima.
The PRB – 21 system was removed in September 2003 and the BGA 850 - ODA 360 system was installed in its place. The lighthouse started to use solar energy.
In October 2008, the Natural Park of Madeira requested the transfer of a house in the lighthouse for use in an education and environmental awareness project.
LOCATION: ILHÉU DE CIMA, PONTA SE DA ILHA DE PORTO SANTO
ESTABLISHMENT: MAY 11, 1901
LATITUDE: 33º 03.06' N – 33º 03.28' N (WGS 84)
LONGITUDE: 16º 16.51' W – 16º 16.75' W (WGS 84)
HEIGHT: 15M
ALTITUDE: 124 M
RANGE: 21 MILES (38.9Km)
FEATURE: FI (3) W 15s (Lt 0.2s;Ec 2.3s;Lt 0.2s;Ec 2.3s; Lt 0.2s; Ec 9.8).
Versão portuguesa aqui.
GPS 33.05470141388886, -16.279264714973827
The 1883 General Plan for Lighting and Beaconing contemplated the construction of a lighthouse in Porto Santo, located at the tip of Ilhéu Branco, which should be equipped with a 2nd order apparatus, producing groups of two white flashes and one red, with 24 .5 miles range in medium condition.
It was only in 1896 that this subject came to be the object of a more in-depth study. The then Director of Public Works, João H. Hafe and the captain of the port of Funchal, José Vianna Bastos, after having collected information on the Island of Porto Santo, from some local authorities and other people with experience on the coast, about the usual routes of the vessels that pass by and also on the place mentioned in the Lighting Plan, they concluded that there was a mistake in the designation of the point indicated for the lighthouse, since there was no islet with the referred name. Based on this study, the lighthouse project was elaborated.

The lighthouse on Ilhéu de Cima would come into operation on May 11, 1901. It is located on Ilhéu de Cima, SE point of Porto Santo Island. It was equipped with a provisional 6th order apparatus, dioptric catadioptric and a petroleum lamp with fixed white light. The tower is 15 meters high and 124 meters high.
In 1923 the lighthouse building was expanded in order to have rooms for five lighthouse keepers, an oil and spare parts deposit; two years later (1925), the 6th order apparatus would be replaced by a 2nd order apparatus (700 mm focal length), rotating, maritime air. The optics rotation was produced through the watchmaking machine and the light source continued to be the oil lamp. In the year 1935 the lamp was replaced by incandescence with oil vapour.
The lighthouse was electrified in 1956 through the assembly of generator sets, turning the light source into a 3000W lamp.
In 1982 the illuminating system was completely refurbished, replacing the old Fresnel lenticular optics with more modern equipment (PRB – 21) that incorporates all the alternative systems and guarantees its entry into operation in case of failure. The removed optical device is mounted in the Museum of the Direction of Lighthouses. The lighthouse is no longer manned by lighthouse keepers.

In 1992 the lighthouse was turned off by four Moroccan citizens to make them aware of their presence on the islet. Later it became known that they had clandestinely embarked in Casablanca, on a Panamanian ship, which had dropped them into the sea near the Ilhéu de Cima.
The PRB – 21 system was removed in September 2003 and the BGA 850 - ODA 360 system was installed in its place. The lighthouse started to use solar energy.
In October 2008, the Natural Park of Madeira requested the transfer of a house in the lighthouse for use in an education and environmental awareness project.
LOCATION: ILHÉU DE CIMA, PONTA SE DA ILHA DE PORTO SANTO
ESTABLISHMENT: MAY 11, 1901
LATITUDE: 33º 03.06' N – 33º 03.28' N (WGS 84)
LONGITUDE: 16º 16.51' W – 16º 16.75' W (WGS 84)
HEIGHT: 15M
ALTITUDE: 124 M
RANGE: 21 MILES (38.9Km)
FEATURE: FI (3) W 15s (Lt 0.2s;Ec 2.3s;Lt 0.2s;Ec 2.3s; Lt 0.2s; Ec 9.8).


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