prize8-8, Exercise 2: Causes of shipwreck

Model answer (check the details):

1. Storms and heavy seas. A lighthouse cannot stop a gale, though it can warn ships off a lee shore. Partly.
2. Ignorance of position (poor charts, lack of marks, no way to fix longitude). A lighthouse addresses the lack of marks, and a light with a known characteristic gives a fixed position. Yes, in part, together with better charts and chronometers.
3. Fog and darkness. A light helps in darkness and clear air; a fog signal helps in fog, but both have limited range. Partly.
4. Unseaworthy or overloaded ships. A lighthouse cannot help. This was addressed by Lloyd's Register, the Plimsoll line and inspections. No.
5. Poor seamanship or inadequate crew. A lighthouse cannot help. Training, pilots and regulation addressed this. No.

Conclusion: lighthouses help with the problems of position and visibility, which were serious, but not with the construction, loading or handling of ships. The fall in the number of wrecks owes as much to the other reforms as to the lights.

Care: contemporary inquiries often disagreed on the cause of a single wreck. Check each case against the Board of Trade inquiry.