MARQUETTE -- Michigan has more than 120 lighthouses, and just less than half of those are in the U.P.  That makes Upper Michigan the area with the most in the entire country, and they're highly regarded by many.

"People see it as a guiding light, as a way to safety and shelter," says maritime historian Frederick Stonehouse.  "When you find the lighthouse, you know you will be safe."

But are they still a "technical" guiding light for ships out on our lakes?  The U.S. Coast Guard says yes.

"If they weren't there, there could be the major possibility of a ship running aground, like one of those iron ore boats or a big tanker boat," says Marquette Coast Guard Petty Officer Jacob Marshall.

They say that's because the big ships are typically navigating at night offshore and need to know where the hazards of navigation or rocky areas are.

However, times are changing; electronic navigation, satellites and GPS are the tools of choice for most boaters.

"Lighthouses today have really more of an emotional attachment," Stonehouse says.  "That real function died a very long time ago."

Many lighthouses are currently being sold by the U.S. Coast Guard to private entities with the purpose of protecting and preserving the structures for historical reasons. Even then, they still might save the day.

"When all else fails, when the batteries die and the satellites fall from the sky, the navigator on a ship is still responsible for the safe operation of that vessel," Stonehouse says.  "Trying to figure out where he is, and certainly, if he can find the light tower, that would be a great aid to saving that ship."

For more information on Michigan's lighthouses, click here.