Supply by Tender

Fuel oil, coal, and other supplies reached Piedras Blancas Light Station by small ships called tenders, which anchored near shore while smaller boats known as lighters carried the cargo to a wharf on rocks near the edge of the bluff, where a derrick and hoist transferred items to the wharf. At first, tenders made deliveries 3-4 times a year, but as roads were built, supplies came by land and the tenders were gradually phased out. In the 1930's, the Sequoia was among the vessels that delivered supplies, and moving cargo between tender and wharf could be dangerous.

California · United States