By Jonathan L'Ecuyer, Staff writer
ROCKPORT - If you've ever wondered what's it like to live in isolation on a windswept island, here's your chance.
The Thacher Island Town Committee and the Thacher Island Association are looking for volunteer lighthouse keepers to help care for Rockport's iconic twin lights.
But first you'll have to try out for the job, serving a one-week apprenticeship next summer.
"We are often asked 'How can I become a keeper on Thacher?'" said Paul St. Germain, association president. "So we thought we could give people a way to see if they really want to do it by offering (an) apprenticeship program,"
Pairs of interns are being recruited - any two people who will get along. They'll work alongside experienced keepers to learn the ropes.
The apprenticeships are unpaid but come with lodging in one of the island's two keeper's houses.
A lot is expected in return.
Keepers must have the ability to function in an isolated environment, identify problems in equipment and make minor repairs, with instruction from ashore if necessary. Skills in carpentry, mechanical aptitude and landscaping are also preferred, organizers said.
St. Germain said a keeper's role is "part Department of Public Works worker and part Chamber of Commerce employee," with wide and varied responsibilities.
Keepers welcome guests to the island, offer tours and perform basic maintenance and landscaping. They must be able to operate a boat and tractor equipment as well as possess a basic knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
"An awful lot of people are interested in trying it, but once they get out there and see how much work is involved it almost scares everyone away," St. Germain said. "It's not a vacation, you're a working volunteer."
The job is a little easier these days, thanks to the recent addition of solar panels that keep the north tower's 40-watt fluorescent light lit. Occasionally, keepers have to clean the solar panels, which are located near the base of the south tower, but that's about it. The south tower is operated by the Coast Guard - if it goes dark, it's the keeper's job to tell the Coast Guard.
The chairman of the Thacher Island Town Committee, Syd Wedmore, said the lights have had several loyal keepers in recent years but those keepers can't do it forever.
ROCKPORT - If you've ever wondered what's it like to live in isolation on a windswept island, here's your chance.
The Thacher Island Town Committee and the Thacher Island Association are looking for volunteer lighthouse keepers to help care for Rockport's iconic twin lights.
But first you'll have to try out for the job, serving a one-week apprenticeship next summer.
"We are often asked 'How can I become a keeper on Thacher?'" said Paul St. Germain, association president. "So we thought we could give people a way to see if they really want to do it by offering (an) apprenticeship program,"
Pairs of interns are being recruited - any two people who will get along. They'll work alongside experienced keepers to learn the ropes.
The apprenticeships are unpaid but come with lodging in one of the island's two keeper's houses.
A lot is expected in return.
Keepers must have the ability to function in an isolated environment, identify problems in equipment and make minor repairs, with instruction from ashore if necessary. Skills in carpentry, mechanical aptitude and landscaping are also preferred, organizers said.
St. Germain said a keeper's role is "part Department of Public Works worker and part Chamber of Commerce employee," with wide and varied responsibilities.
Keepers welcome guests to the island, offer tours and perform basic maintenance and landscaping. They must be able to operate a boat and tractor equipment as well as possess a basic knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
"An awful lot of people are interested in trying it, but once they get out there and see how much work is involved it almost scares everyone away," St. Germain said. "It's not a vacation, you're a working volunteer."
The job is a little easier these days, thanks to the recent addition of solar panels that keep the north tower's 40-watt fluorescent light lit. Occasionally, keepers have to clean the solar panels, which are located near the base of the south tower, but that's about it. The south tower is operated by the Coast Guard - if it goes dark, it's the keeper's job to tell the Coast Guard.
The chairman of the Thacher Island Town Committee, Syd Wedmore, said the lights have had several loyal keepers in recent years but those keepers can't do it forever.
"It will be good to have some back-ups," Wedmore said. "The other aspect is, when it's really busy in July and August, the keepers are tied up with tourists without getting much of a break. So by having another set of intern keepers, it gives the primary keepers a break."
Wedmore said the week-long commitment will also allow members of the committee time to size up the candidates.
"Some think it would be great to go out there and watch the clouds go by," Wedmore offered. "But it's a lot more than that."
Thacher's lighthouses, designated a National Historic Landmark in 2002, are America's last operating twin lights.
The original lights were built in 1771, the first constructed to mark a dangerous spot along the Atlantic coast. Before that, lighthouses were built only to mark port entrances, according to the United States Lighthouse Society.
The original twin lights were razed in 1860 and replaced with the towers completed on the original footprints in 1861. Fishermen have used the beacons as guides ever since.
"The fishermen and lobstermen who go by it all the time like to see the lights lit," St. Germain said. "So we do it for old times' sake and as a memorial for past mariners who have sailed there."
More information is available from Wedmore via e-mail at suellenwedmore@comcast.net or by calling 617-335-1799. Resumes and rationales for interest in the position can be sent to him at 155 South St., Rockport, MA 01966.
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