New London Maritime Society's Lighthouse Summer Starts Saturday

Residents are invited to tour the lighthouses of southeastern Connecticut starting this weekend as the New London Maritime Society renews its “Sentinels on the Sound” event.

The “regional celebration of all things lighthouse” will run in partnership with the Henry L. Ferguson Museum and Ledge Light Foundation. Boat tours, lectures, concerts, and other events will take place for 10 Saturdays, starting July 6 and running through Sept. 7.

One-hour boat tours will leave the Custom House Pier every Saturday except July 13 due to the Sailfest weekend. One tour lands on the beach outside New London Harbor Light for visits to the top of the 89-foot beacon, while another makes a circuit of the harbor for outer views of the Harbor Light, Ledge Light, and Avery Point Light. Project Oceanology will provide special tours to Ledge Light  on July 20, Aug. 17, and Sept. 7.

Harbor Light tours will depart at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. while harbor tours will leave at noon and 2 p.m. Tickets are $35 for adults and $25 for children ages 14 and under, with tours limited to six people per boat. All proceeds will benefit the Lighthouse Restoration Fund. Reservations may be made by calling 860-912-6814 or e-mailing nlharborlight@gmail.com.

Ledge Light tours depart at 4 p.m. Reservations may be made by contacting 860-445-9007 or 800-364-8472. The cost of the trip is $25.

A lighthouse cruise aboard the Sunbeam Fleet will leave the Custom House Pier at 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 20. This two-and-a-half hour tour will visit seven area lighthouses and includes lunch. Tickets are $75, and reservations may be made by calling 860-447-2501.

Two special tours will also take place to Fishers Island and Plum Island. The trips to Fishers Island leave at 10 a.m. on July 6 and July 27 and include lunch at the Pequot Inn. The Plum Island tour on Aug. 30 will leave the Old Saybrook One Harbor at 7 a.m. and tour the entire island.

The Fishers Island trip will depart on the Fishers Island Ferry; the cost is $60, and residents may reserve a spot by calling 860-912-6814 or 860-447-2501. The Plum Island tour is $25 and requires a federal background check at least 30 days in advance; reservations may be made by contacting nlharborlight@gmail.com.

The opening weekend on July 6 also includes a visit to the Custom House Pier by the schooner Amistad and a 7 p.m. piano concert by Martin Berkofsky at the Custom House Maritime Museum to benefit both the Lighthouse Restoration Fund and Amistad America. Tickets to the concert are $35, or $25 for members of the New London Maritime Society. The United States Coast Guard Dixieland Jazz Band will play a free concert at Waterfront Park at 3 p.m.

In lieu of tours during Sailfest, the New London Maritime Society will celebrate the official launch of a New London Harbor Light postage stamp. The site is featured on a stamp set featuring five New England lighthouses, and the release will take place at 10 a.m. on July 13 at the Custom House Maritime Museum tent. During the event, residents may purchase a launch day cachet designed by Alan Bentz for $5.

Other events include:

• A “Be Part of Something Big” gala at 6 p.m. on July 25 at Ocean Beach Park. The fundraiser toward the repainting of the New London Harbor Light includes live music, a lighthouse-themed mixed drink contest, chowder, and lighthouse cakes; admission is $35.
• A lighthouse lecture by Todd Gipstein, president of the Ledge Light Foundation, at 5 p.m. on July 27 at the Custom House Maritime Museum; an $8 donation supports the Lighthouse Restoration Fund and Ledge Light
• A multimedia maritime concert “From The Shoreline” by John Mock at 5 p.m. on Aug. 3 at the Custom House Maritime Museum; admission is $25, or $20 for New London Maritime Society members
• Performances by the Nimble Arts Circus, starting with a 2 p.m. juggling workshop, on Aug. 10 at Waterfront Park. Performances will follow at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Registration for the juggling workshop is $15
• A lighthouse lecture by Doug Allen, a former Coast Guard lighthouse keeper, at 5 p.m. on Aug. 24 at the Custom House Maritime Museum; an $8 donation supports the Lighthouse Restoration Fund and Ledge Light
• A lighthouse lecture by Pierce Rafferty, curator of the Henry L. Ferguson Museum, at 5 p.m. on Sept. 7 at the Custom House Maritime Museum; discussion topics will include an exhibit at the Henry L. Ferguson Museum on the Race Rock Light, which was recently acquired by the New London Maritime Society. The Race Rock exhibit will open on June 30. An $8 donation supports the Lighthouse Restoration Fund and Ledge Light

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