Last Sunday after stopping to see Crossover Island I once again headed west on Rt. 12 and turned off the road heading down to the river when I saw the sign for Schermerhorn’s Landing. Now I had heard that this place rents boats to people who want to get up close and personal with some of the area’s lighthouses. I had no intention of renting a boat but merely wanted to ask the folks there if there was any place at all where I might be able to get a glimpse of Sisters Island.
The owner/manager? thought a bit and said, no that there wasn’t really any place as, pointing out the island on their nautical map, he showed me how there were just too many obstructing islands.
I explained the reason for my request and when I mentioned lighthouses, he said I should talk to his wife, also named Sue. Sue was a bit familiar with HL and told me that in around 15 minutes or so she had to run a few people out to another island. If I had time and could wait for her to return she’d run me out to see the lighthouse! Could I wait? Obviously!
She and her boatload of people took off and I was standing around chatting with a few folks and such when another boat pulled in. Her husband went up to the two young men in the boat and started talking to them. He pointed up my way and I heard one of the young men ask, “She’s a friend of yours?” Then Mr. Schermerhorn or whatever his name is motioned for me to come down to the dock. Meeting me half-way he told me I
was now his friend and that the boys would take me out to the lighthouse. Upon closer observation the one guy looked pretty scruffy. But Mr. S. said that I really wanted to go with them because Kurt (the scruffy one) was the son-in-law of the owner of Sisters Island! Thanking Mr. S. I grabbed the cameras and went down to meet Kurt and his buddy. Kurt is from NJ and he and three of his friends were up for a few days doing some work at the lighthouse.
Shortly after loading around 20 bags of cement we took off. (That's Kurt on the left.)
As we were riding out I told Kurt my reason for wanting to see the lighthouse. He didn’t know anything about HL or it’s model. I told him that I had talked previously with a man who said he was a brother-in-law of a woman who was a niece of the owner of the place, this sister-in-law an art teacher living in Pa. By now, I was too excited to recall any names. Kurt couldn’t figure out who that was. (He later mentioned something to the effect that there were some relations “with money” implying that he was not one of them!)
We approached the island from the front, then circled around to the back as that’s where
the dock is, towards the Canadian side, the opposite side from the channel. The land mass behind the Island is Grenadier Island, not mainland Canada.
Kurt introduced me to the rest of the crew and said to come on, he’d give me the 10 cent tour.
The entrance is at the end where the small deck is. The front and rear doors are not used
as there aren’t any steps. Kurt said it would be too much trouble to try to fasten any to the stone and they just always went in the other way. (I guess it doesn't really matter as I don't imagine they get many trick-or-treaters out here.) When I told him that the HL piece had a porch on the front he just shook his head saying he didn’t think that could be right. As far as he knew there had never been a porch there.
Before we went inside he showed me the small building which is not original to the lighthouse. One half of it houses the bathroom and they have a septic system. There is no bathroom in the lighthouse itself. The other half is sort of a storeroom and holds the generator which today is solar powered. He explained that all the lamps in the lighthouse are gas lamps. There is no telephone, cell phones only.
The current light is on the white 28’ pole a bit to the right of the shed. It flashes every 4
seconds.
I asked Kurt about how he’d feel if the light could be put back in the tower. He didn’t seem to think much of that idea, too much work! He did tell me that he wished that they could get the fireplaces going as he’d love to be able to spend some time out on the island in the winter. He said he usually spends about 10 days or so here summers with his family and seemed to really appreciate the place. He also said that if boaters have problems they always help them out, bring them over to the island. And if people
are really interested in the lighthouse he loves showing them around.
(Next, we go inside.)
I don't know about luck, I think some of this is destiny! 
