A new offshore comparison

American Lighthouse Foundation volunteer Sam Lawrence recorded Chatham Light from offshore in May 2026, before the beacon change, and again in September under similar clear nighttime conditions.

The contrast is pronounced. The former rotating beacon produces a broad, powerful and recognizable sweep. In the September recording, the replacement LED appears as a small, faint point without comparable presence across the scene.

The recordings are not a controlled photometric test, and they do not show the light in fog or heavy weather. They do show why mariners are asking an important safety question: if the replacement light is already difficult to distinguish in clear conditions, what margin remains when visibility deteriorates?

Watch the offshore video comparison in the Gallery.

Video courtesy of Sam Lawrence / American Lighthouse Foundation.

Face-to-face Coast Guard meeting planned for October 27

The Chatham Harbormaster has been working directly with the U.S. Coast Guard to arrange a face-to-face discussion. The Coast Guard has agreed to meet with the group on the afternoon of October 27, 2026; the exact time and location are still being finalized.

The meeting is an opportunity to open a constructive dialogue so local mariner and community concerns can be heard, review the visual and navigational issues raised since the beacon change, share the growing record of on-water experience, and discuss an appropriate evaluation and path forward. The goal is not to arrive with a predetermined technical solution, but to keep the discussion focused on the questions and concerns mariners are raising about Chatham Light.

We will report back to subscribers after the meeting.

Mariners: please update the record as fall conditions worsen

We are receiving a growing number of questions and concerns about how the replacement light will perform as fall weather worsens, daylight hours decrease, and visibility becomes more variable. Current on-water observations are therefore especially useful. We want to hear from commercial fishermen, captains, crew, charter and passenger operators, recreational boaters, and others navigating around Chatham.

Whether your experience is positive, neutral or critical, please tell us how the replacement light is performing—particularly in fog, rain, haze, rough weather, or other degraded-visibility conditions. Updated observations before the October 27 meeting will help ensure the discussion is grounded in current experience from the water.

Share a mariner observation or join Working Mariner Updates.