avery_ross•3mo ago

Bought a $200 underwater flashlight that only works in fresh water, guess where my next job was?

It died on my first saltwater inspection in Galveston. Anyone know a good brand for real marine work?

4 comments

4 Comments

angela5873mo ago

What depth rating did that Galveston light have?

the_simon1mo ago

The 1873 Galveston light actually had a cast iron tower lined with brick, so waterproofing wasn't the main issue. The real problem was it sat on a sandy island that shifted like crazy. By the 1880s the foundation was sinking unevenly and the whole thing started tilting a few degrees. Then the 1900 hurricane came along and basically treated it like a battering ram against the waves. Depth rating didn't matter when your whole base is trying to become a sand dune.

william_garcia3mo ago

Depth rating" is a funny way to ask if it was waterproof. Probably not very.

skyler_jackson273mo ago

Yeah, "depth rating" is just fancy talk for how deep it can go before it fills up like a fishbowl. That Galveston light probably had a rating of "don't even think about rain." Like, a heavy dew would have been a major problem. They called it a lighthouse because it was good at catching water, not keeping it out.