October 2021

Erin Urban and the Noble Crew are gearing up to begin repainting the exterior of Robbins Reef lighthouse. We’re shuttling equipment to the light and looking for volunteers who can help the pros while they're hanging from the gallery to paint when the weather is right.

Those pros are Luke Gayford and Angus Mcamy, who were introduced to us by the Lilac Preservation Project. Caddell Dry Dock and Repair Company and the Lilac Preservation Project loaned us rigging equipment so Angus and Luke can hang off the side of the lighthouse to do the hard to reach white paint.

Tony Cucurollo and his brother Fred recently cleaned and repaired our generator, which we returned to Robbins Reef along with a lot of other materials, including line (rope), staging planks, shackles; wire rope, cable clamps, chafing gear, another generator, one chipping hammer, clean rags, buckets, paint brushes, rollers and roller holders, and turpentine. On one recent trip it took 45 minutes to unload everything from the launch to the lighthouse caisson while Captain Santos Diaz patiently held the boat against the landing.

Regular repairs and restoration continue with work on the kitchen door lock and making the storm door fit better. Captain James Hyndman of Miller’s Launch noted that the wire ropes supporting our landing at the caisson need to be repaired.

There’s a real need for volunteers to assist Angus and Luke in the exterior work. The days they go out are during the workweek, determined by weather, with a 3pm departure and 6:30 return to Miller’s Launch.

— Stefan Dreisbach-Williams

Volunteers unload materials. Photo courtesy of Erin Urban — *Volunteers unload materials.* Photo courtesy of Erin Urban

A volunteer grinds off rust on the exterior door. Photo courtesy of Erin Urban — *A volunteer grinds off rust on the exterior door.* Photo courtesy of Erin Urban