New London - For several dozen local lighthouse enthusiasts this weekend will be memorable. The remote, and normally inaccessible, Little Gull Island Lighthouse was open for tours to a limited group through the Little Gull Light Foundation in partnership with the New London Maritime Society.

Foundation Director David Henry, who acts as caretaker for the Plumb family that owns the island, and lighthouse, met the tour groups and offered historical information, and a guided tour of the 81-foot granite tower.

“There is something magical about lighthouses,” said tour member David Lewis, of Waterford, who has visited a number of other local beacons, but is still waiting for a chance to land on the maritime society’s Race Rock Light.

Barbara Claire, also of Waterford, commented “Love it! Made my day,” of the trip.

Maritime Society director Susan Tamulevich checked in the guests on shore before the group, 18 spots were available for each of the three trips Saturday, and one Sunday, before boarding the Fishers Island Ferry District’s high speed passenger-only ferry Silver Eel for the 40-minute trip out to Little Gull Island.

The group was afforded about 40-minutes on the island, with a chance to walk the approximately one-acre, climb the 107-steps to the lantern room and take in the view of nearby Great Gull, home to a rookery of terns, as well as Plum Island, Gardiners Island, and Orient Point despite a summer haze.

Henry explained to the group that the lantern room used to house a Second Order Fresnel Lens, able to flash its light out 24-miles, but has been replaced now with an LED light with the same range, but requiring only solar power, and the space not much bigger than a basketball.

The light was staffed by the U.S. Coast Guard into the 1980’s when it was automated. The original lense is now housed at the East End Seaport Maritime Museum in Greenport. The lighthouse was declared surplus in 2009, and then when no qualified organization was found to take it and auction was held and the island was purchased by Fred Plumb, who created the foundation that still owns in today, several years after his death.

Tamulevich says the New London Maritime Society would be interested in taking on stewardship of the light, but the heirs of Plumb are instead looking for a private buyer with an asking price beyond their means.

As of Saturday afternoon two spots remained on the Sunday morning trip. With the ownership of the island in question, Tamulevich is unsure if future visits will be possible.