The Mission
The International Lighthouse / Lightship Weekend is an effort to bring attention to the role lighthouses, lightships, the Coast Guard and amateur radio have played in our maritime past. However, this ILLW event has taken on special meaning for several Richmonders.
The group hopes to raise public awareness about the threats that face New Point Comfort Lighthouse, the third oldest structure of this type on the Chesapeake Bay. Similar to the threats that brought national attention to North Carolina's Cape Hatteras Light, New Point Comfort Lighthouse, once nested on a five acre tract, now has only a small pile of rip-rap to prevent it from succumbing to the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.
The Richmond Group will contact lighthouses and amateur radio operators across the globe, hoping to raise funds along with drawing attention to the lighthouse. The ham operators will operate from New Point Island, situated just north of the lighthouse itself on, or near, 28.363, 21.363, and 14.263 MHz USB, and 7.263 & 3.863 MHZ LSB under the call sign K4L.
QSL routing is through Guy Carlsen KC7AIW.