When we dismantled the old pier, we saved this big light and two big, but slightly smaller light fixtures. This is a high pressure sodium lamp that has been around for about eight years. We took it down when a tropical storm was coming ashore just a year after we put it up. It was then reinstalled until this summer. The large 30 foot 8 by 8 post was the one that Rob installed at the end of the old pier. It weighs just under 500 pounds. We had planned to put it back up at the intersection of the bulkhead and the old pier to allow fishing opportunities closer to the condos in that part of the complex. We may mount the two big metal halide fixtures at a later date.
We contracted with Bill Burk to bring in his big truck. Here he backs in down between the cabana and the condos.
He parked it in position, put out the outriggers, swung the boom around to pick up the light and pole.
He used the auger to drill an eight foot deep hole, but he hit the water table and the last 18 inches started to cave in.
To clean the auger he used a shovel and put the auger in reverse to allow him to scrape the removed sand free
Bill had to climb out on the boom to position and then to remove the lifting chain and rope.
The claws were used to straighten the pole.
A level was used to be sure the pole was vertical.
The final height is about 23 feet. This should light up this corner pretty well and also provide a beacon for boats returning to our marina after dark.
The only problem now is to get it lighted. We plan to use the electrical access point that the old pier used. We might be able to retrieve enough 8 gauge wire from the old pier. We need about 140 feet and the abandoned wire on the pier is 500 feet, but may not be in usable pieces depending on how it was first installed. You might notice I had to walk out on the concrete wall to take these, bu that is what a photojournalist does.