To anyone who doesn't know what a lighthouse is used for, comparing them with a GPS wrongly alludes that they are used to directly convey the ship's position. T

To anyone who doesn't know what a lighthouse is used for, comparing them with a GPS wrongly alludes that they are used to directly convey the ship's position. This isn't true, though you can sometimes deduce your position if there are enough lighthouses on your horizon. The main function of a lighthouse is to let the crew know that the vessel is inside a safe fairway when calling port or for example when navigating an archipelago or a coastline. It's been over a decade since I last did any sailing, but I believe it's still mandatory to verify safe bearing with the lighthouse (when present).