The Baltic Sea Waterways and Shipping Authority reported on the successful completion of the work in a Message for sailors (NfS). The repairs were therefore completed within the planned time frame.
Second highest beacon on the coast
The Buk lighthouse towers 78.8 metres above sea level on the Bastorfer Signalberg. It marks the western boundary of the Kühlung, a landscape formed by the ice age. At 95.3 metres, this lighthouse, built in 1878, is the second highest signal light on the German coasts of the North and Baltic Seas.
Only the orientation beacon in Travemünde, on the roof of the Maritim Hotel, surpasses it with a fire height of 114.7 metres. The lighthouse stands over two kilometres inland. On a clear day, you can see as far as the island of Fehmarn from the gallery of the lantern house.
Warning for shoals in the Bay of Wismar
The Buk lighthouse not only serves as an orientation light for the western Baltic Sea, but also warns of the Hannibal sandbank at the entrance to Wismar Bay. It shows four flashes, in white or red depending on the direction, with a repetition every 45 seconds (LFl (4) W.R.45s 2.1+(6.9)+2.1+(6.9)+2.1+(6.9)+2.1+(15.9)). Visibility in the white sector is 20 nautical miles.
Technical failures at German lighthouses
The Buk lighthouse is not the only sea mark in Germany that is currently switched off due to technical problems. The Kalkgrund lighthouse at the exit of the Flensburg Fjord is also is currently out of service. The entire electrical system of this tower, which is positioned at sea, has failed.
