Thumbnail photo courtesy of the Del Norte County Historical Society; 2023 video by Aisling Bludworth
The weather in Del Norte County is notoriously fickle, which makes chartering helicopters a costly proposition for a nonprofit business.
With no local helicopter services willing to go to the St. George Reef Lighthouse on a touring schedule, perched six miles off the Del Norte coast. The preservation society that cares for the 134-year-old structure has to contract with agencies from Red Bluff, California or Molalla, Oregon to get there.
These agencies charge repositioning fees to fly the helicopter to Crescent City and back, which must be paid regardless of if a tour to the lighthouse occurs or not. Repositioning fees pay for fuel, crew hours, airport fees, and applicable taxes. Usually these fees are paid by the preservation society through ticket sale revenue, but it is always a gamble with the weather according to President John Zimmerman, of the St George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society. With lighthouse tours anticipated to start again in March of 2027, these fees come to the forefront of the budgeting process.
The Del Norte County Board of Supervisors unanimously decided at its Sept. 8 meeting to endow the St. George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society with a $20,000 grant to subsidize these fees, allowing the preservation society to expand tour opportunities throughout the year without worrying about losing money on bad weather days.
“[The repositioning fees] run between $6,000 and $8,000 each trip,” Zimmerman said. “Our concern has been if we are flying people out for a weekend and we have budgeted the money to do that, usually the tours will cover the expense but there is always the concern of covering [the repositioning fees] particularly if we for any reason we have bad weather or we get fogged in and no one can go out to the lighthouse, we’re stuck with that price.”
By easing the concerns regarding the repositioning fees, this funding will help to establish quarterly flights to the lighthouse starting next year, with one in the spring, one or two in the summer, one in the fall and possibly one in the winter assuming the weather is cooperative. A quarterly flight schedule allows more frequent guests to the lighthouse providing revenue. It also creates consistent access for volunteer work crews to continue their mission of preserving the lighthouse for future generations.
These work crews clean the structure, repair what they can, repaint, and assess conditions for the lighthouse’s continued existence as a living piece of Del Norte County history. This lighthouse is a historic piece of Del Norte County that is cherished by locals and used as a private navigational aid in the area. The St George Reef Lighthouse has inspired written works such as Sentinel of the Seas: Life and Death at the Most Dangerous Lighthouse Ever Built, which brings tourists to the area according to Liz Szabo’s public comment at the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors’ Sept. 8 meeting.
With more frequent flights to the lighthouse, the preservation society hopes their large renovation project will gain greater recognition and financial support from their visitors. Their goal is $10 million for their largest renovation project. This project will cover the aging interior walls, windows, doors, and wrought iron work at the top of the tower.
“Out of the $10 million, you could probably earmark close to 5 to 7% strictly transportation. On a shore-based lighthouse you don’t have that problem.” Zimmerman said.
The St. George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society is also seeking volunteers and donations. The volunteer opportunities don’t just involve traveling to the lighthouse, Zimmerman said, but also include onshore duties for those who aren’t interested in flying over such as providing lectures, radio spots, and assistance with social media.
For more information about volunteering with the St George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society and their upcoming tours, visit saintgeorgereeflight.org or call (707) 273-1905.
