Coconut Point Lighthouse in Hilo, Hawaii

     Our first stop on our cruise to Hawaii is in Hilo on the island of Hawaii.  Like many of the in the Pacific, the Coconut Point Lighthouse is quite nondescript.  It is a simple, quite small tower with a small beacon on top.  Many of them are equipped with a green light as shown in the second photo below.

      The first beacon at Coconut Point was built by the Hawaiian government on the southwest shore of Hilo Bay and was tied to the city's electric lines. In 1904, when the Lighthouse Board assumed control of the navigational aids in Hawaii, a new lens lantern was installed at Coconut Point. The Board reported, "The present small fixed red lens lantern light, located on the old and dilapidated government wharf at the foot of Waianuenue Street, is entirely inadequate for the requirement of the growing trade of Hilo," and recommended that a new structure be built, as Hilo was deemed the second port of importance in the islands.

     The original tower was replaced by a concrete one in 1915, and the present thirty-four-foot pyramidal tower was erected in 1975. The signature of the Coconut Point Light is flashing green.

     A live shot of the Coconut Point Light can be seen in the video stream from the webcam mounted on top of the Pacific Tsunami Museum.

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