The Adamastor Rock [????- ]

Submitted by tung lin on Thu, 07/28/2016 - 13:51
Current condition
In use

Hello folk, The Adamastor Rock, if without any man-made structure on it, is slightly below the sea level. It is quite visible through the shallow water during sunny day when you are close enough to it. It can stir up white ocean waves during tide times. A lamp beacon stand of concrete about 3 or 4 m tall has been built to alert the shipping traffic. The location is about 500 m east of the loose rocks at the east-end of the Chi Ma Wan Peninsula and about 900 m north of the nearest coast of Cheung Chau. By the way, this waterway along the south Lantau is called as the Adamastor Channel. A Portuguese location name again in the former British colony. isn't it a bit strange? Tung

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Photos that show this Place

Navigational Aids in the Waters of the Colony 1963
1963
1970s
The Adamastor Rock
2023
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Comments

From List of Lights 2006 on the navigational beacon:

Chang Chow Passage, on Adamastor Rock between Lan Tau Shan and Cheung Chau Island. White concrete Tower.

Location: 22°13.0 N  / 114° 01.1 E

From Lighthouses in Hong Kong pre-1941- revised

Before WW2 there were also significant navigational beacons –[....]and Adamastor Rock (first beacon 1899, first lit 1920 but repaired or replaced after typhoons in 1923 and 1937).

The beacon would have been painted in the isolated danger mark colours (red white and black band) of the old lateral system before being repainted white. In 2014, the beacon was repainted in red and black and a double black sphere topmark was installed. The light was converted from acetylene to battery operation in December 1968 and a radar reflector was installed later.

My comments on the naming of the Rock have been transferred from here

An explanation is given here Another variation of the naming of the rock as viewed here The 'rock' was named after the Portuguese cruiser, Adamastor The accident occurred on 11 May 1913. The cruiser was patched up, re-floated and towed to the Hong Kong Whampoa Dockyard for repairs. The Adamastor was out of dock in mid-July and expected to sail the following month. The papers of the day have accounts of the accident.

As mentioned above, the position of the marker needs to be moved further south, nearer to Cheung Chau.