What about the fog horn?

Goose Rocks is a working aid to navigation, and if fog becomes so dense that there is less than a mile of visability, a fog horn on the outer catwalk of the lighthouse will be activated to warn mariners away from the ledge if they can't see the beacon through the fog. This is most likely to happen early in the morning in the spring months as the fog rolls in and the sun rises, but it should not activate at night while you're sleeping. The sound of the horn is pleasant to some, annoying to others; it activates every six seconds until visibility clears beyond one mile, and is much louder outside the lighthouse than if you're hearing it from the inside. We cannot control the fog horn or the conditions that set it off, so we provide foam earplugs and effective sound-canceling headphones to deaden the sound of the horn. You may feel silly wearing them, but they will give reprieve from the noise until the fog clears.

For those who cannot abide the sound of the horn, think carefully if a keeper's experience is right for you, as your stay cannot be rescheduled due to fog conditions. We can always try to rescue keepers for a day of island activities if the fog rolls in and the horn activates, but this isn't always possible. We encourage you to use the head-phones and earplugs and remember that true lighthouse keepers acclimated to the sound of the lighthouse bell or horn for nearly 200 years, all in an effort to warn mariners and save lives. We encourage you to do the same.