The Juxtaposed Lighthouse Life of Keeper Charles Gott
It was normal for lightkeepers to experience both the best and worst of lighthouse life. This could periodically run the gamut of existence between that which was agreeable to what was deemed an ordeal – be it at a single light station or through encounters obtained at more than one light station during their career.
For keeper Charles Gott, the stark contrasts of lighthouse duty could not have been more profound. There is simply no way to compare daily life at offshore Saddleback Ledge versus reposeful Dyce Head on the mainland. Elusive as the comparisons are, Keeper Gott lived the lighthouse life at both stations – surviving one and basking in the other.
Ah, Saddleback Ledge! To know the place is to understand how bleak and forlorn the aura is that grips this wave-swept location in Penobscot Bay. For even on a good day, the sea is not to be tamed here.