THE GRAND TURK LIGHTHOUSE STORY
Grand Turk Lightouse Before Restoration
By David Newlands Photographs courtesy of Shutterstock
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Turks and Caicos Islands are one of the many destinations serviced by Bahamasair. Visit Bahamasair.com to book your next flight.
he shores of Grand Turk have always been treacherous for mariners throughout history—whether it was from ships meeting their untimely end, when colliding with the shallow reefs on the northern shores, or through predatory salvaging operations that deliberately misused guiding lights to lure ships to their demise just to plunder their wares; sailors knew to give the island a wide berth on voyages in the area. There was one tragedy, however, that resulted in the construction of a now-iconic Turks and Caicos historical building—the Grand Turk Lighthouse.
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up and away
While the amassing shipwrecks were not going unnoticed, as shipping companies began complaining, it was not until the R.M.S. Medina—a massive Royal Mail steamboat, which measured at an impressive 247 feet in length and some 1,800 tons in weight—struck the reef in 1842, that the issue was finally addressed. This was the first Royal Mail Vessel to be lost at sea and was only the second voyage made by the ship. As such, the dangers of the shore could be ignored no longer. At the time, Grand Turk had acted as a gateway for Royal Mail service to the entire Bahamas, giving the island an extremely high value. However, after the incident, this terminus was moved to St. Thomas, of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
