WLV 79
Barnegat Lightship located at Pyne Pointe Marine
Services
Camden , NJ
Built by NY Shipbuilding 1904
sister to LV 83
The LV 79 lies rotting in the mud in
Camden on a creek off the Intracoastal waterway , across the river from
Philadelphia , Pa.
Once operated by the Historic
Philadelphia Seaport at Penns Landing . It was transferred to a private
interest , and is endangered by changing tides which necessitates the use of
pumps during times of high tides to keep the seawater out .
The Hull of LV 79 is patched with
plywood and concrete to keep her afloat .
The Lightship required 2 weeks of
intense labor to winch it into its berth at Pyne Pointe Marina .
LV 79 still retains its original deck
equipment and fittings in its wheelhouse , and its steam propulsion
equipment is still aboard .
___________________________________________________________________________________
Lake Union
Seattle ,Washington
Owned and preserved by the
Northwest Seaport
LV 83 was launched in 1904 at Camden
, NJ. It is one of the oldest known US Lightship still afloat . ( LV #
79 Barnegat is of the same class and age.
The machinery is in working condition but the
boilers are not. They have not been fired in 42 years. The engine has been
disconnected to the shift but it can be turned over by air for
demonstration purposes.
Contact : Maritime Heritage Center
1002 Valley Street
Seattle , Washington 98109-4332
206-447-9800
LV 83 ( Swiftsure - Relief ) is in a
remarkable state of preservation , it is undergoing continual restoration .
The 83 still retains its wooden superstructures , wooden decks , and riveted
steel hull . The
Lightship also retains its deck equipment and mechanical fittings .
________________________________________________________________________________
Built 1907 at Camden , NJ by NY
Shipbuilding
sister to LV 85 , 86 , 87 , 88
Located at a former sugar pier in
the Erie Basin , Yonkers , NY .
Served at ST JOHNS STATION, FLORIDA
This lightship was destined to be a
floating restaurant but suffered due to neglect and lack of interest by its
owners .Rain, snow and the elements led to its decline and it was last seen
sunken at its berth . The LV 84 had wooden decks , wooden deckhouses and a
riveted steel hull . The Lightship was said to have been gutted some years
ago .
Its previous owner was the Harry
Lundberg School of Seamanship at Piney Point , Maryland where I first saw it
in August of 1979 . The LV 84 then was named BIG RED .
_____________________________________________________________
Built 1907 at Camden , NJ by NY
Shipbuilding
Ambrose Lightship
Scotland Lightship
Vineyard Sound
Relief
berthed at South Street Seaport , New
York
207 South street
New York City , NY
Completely restored with assistance
from volunteers .
One of the crown jewels of the silent
fleet at South Street Seaport , this Lightship is a major attraction to tens
of thousands who visit the seaport each year.
The LV 87 was donated to the Seaport
, and is lovingly attended to by volunteers from all walks of life .There
are several displays in its interior spaces .
The old Ambrose Lightship retains its
wooden decks , wooden deckhouses and most of its fittings above and below
decks .
____________________________________________________________________
WLV 101 / WAL 524
Portsmouth Lightship
Located at the junction of London
Blvd and Water Street in Portsmouth , Va.
tel# 757-393-8591
Built 1916 at Pusey and Jones ,
Wilmington, Delaware
This Lightship is permanently berthed
in a concrete bed , and is open to visitors .
Stations served were :
Stonehorse Shoal , Cape Cod , Mass.
Cape Charles , Va.
Overfalls , Delaware
Relief (Va) Retired in 1964 , it was
given to its current owners as a Museum . It is in need of attention , and a
USCG Aux. Group donates much time to its upkeep . The outer decks are off
limits due to deterioration . The interior spaces are said to be in
excellent condition . The time represented is said to be the 1930s when it
was in its best condition , and on station .
Dry berthed in a concrete bed at a
condominium complex in Portsmouth , Virginia , it is overseen by the Dept of
Museums , City of Portsmouth , Va.
Alice Hanes , Curator
_____________________________________________________________
Huron Lightship
Built 1920 at Morris Heights , NY by
Consolidated shipbuilding Co.
Served at :
Relief
Grays Reef
North Manitou Shoal
Lake Huron
"Moored" in a dry bed adjacent to the
St Clair River in Port Huron , Michigan , this wonderful Lightship seems to
be almost alive .Its interior spaces are crammed with artifacts and lots of
great signage explaining most every facet of the Lightships operations .
Mr Wayne Arnold , Curator for the
City of Port Huron Lightship Museum , is doing a great job overseeing the
ongoing restoration of the Lightship . The Ward Room is filled with models
of many of the now extinct Lightships that once were anchored around the
Great Lakes , and that once protected their shipping lanes .Most , if not
all of the Lightships mechanical systems are capable of operating ,
including its mighty fog signal .
City of Port Huron
Huron Lightship Museum
1115 Sixth Street
Port Huron , Michigan
___________________________________________________________________
WinterQuarter Shoal
sister vessels 108,109,110,111
located at Liberty State Park ,
Liberty Landing Marina
Jersey City , NJ
Built 1923 Bath , Maine , Bath Iron
Works
Served at :
Cape Lookout Shoals , (NC)
WinterQuarter Shoals (Va)
Examination Vessel ( WW2)
WinterQuarter Shoals (VA)
Delaware (DE)
Relief ( 3rd District ) based at Cape
May , NJ .
This old Lightship has been gutted
and serves as an office and classroom for a Marina at Liberty Landing .
It was reported to the USCG/LSA that it may be in trouble , which is
undetermined at this time .
Just a few short years ago , LV 107
was located at another marina in South Jersey and was completely intact .
The Lightship was sold and was stripped of all its interior equipment , its
wheel house was also stripped and was converted into an office . There is an
amazing view of the New York City skyline from the Marina .I was told by an
employee of the Marina that all the Lightships equipment is in storage .The
exterior of the Lightship has been maintained to appear as it should .The
Stbd anchor is still aboard as are a danforth anchor and most of the deck
equipment .
___________________________________________________________________________
Nantucket Lightship
Built 1935-36 at Pusey and Jones ,
Wilmington, Delaware
This Lightship was financed and built
to British specifications as compensation for the loss of WLV 117 Nantucket
on May 15 , 1934 . LV 117 was rammed and sunk with 7 of its crew when the
RMS Olympic , sister to RMS Titanic was en route to New York City at near
full speed in light fog when it veered too close to the moored LV 117 48
miles South of Nantucket Island .
The LV 112 was built as the largest
American Lightship , with a double hull , designed to withstand an impact by
a passing ship .
LV 112 is 148 ' 10" in length with a
beam of 32' . The Lightship was christened on March 21 , 1936 by Miss Edith
King ( now 91 years of age ) , the only daughter of former USLHS
Commissioner , Mr. Harold King Mr. King delivered the main speech at its
launching .
Stations served :
Nantucket ( 54 miles S of the Island
)
Relief ( First District )
Exam Vessel ( WW2 )
Owned and preserved by Captains Cove
Marina , Bridgeport , Ct . It is said to be in a state of transition , with
a new home to be announced .
Located at Capt's Cove , Exit 26 ,
off Interstate hiway 95 , in Ct.
The old Nantucket Lightship is in
very good condition , most of its equipment is workable. A small core of
volunteers is frequently aboard performing maintenance on its mechanical
systems . to keep them operational .
Nantucket Lightship Museum
One Bostwick Ave.
Bridgeport , Ct
tel # 203-335-1433
__________________________________________________________________
Pollock Rip Lightship
Diamond Shoals
Fire Island
Portland (Maine)
Built 1930 at Portland , Oregon by
Albina Iron works
sister vessels : LV
100,113,115,116,117
This Lightship is owned by the City
of New Bedford , Mass.
LV 114 has suffered a great deal of
neglect which we hope is about to come to an end .
The Lightship 114 has received a
commitment from the Office of the Mayor of New Bedford to restore her and
make it into a viable attraction for the many visitors to the City .
LV 114 retains its diesel electric
power system and has most of its artifacts missing or in storage .
LV 114 is currently tied to a secure
pier at a former electrical power plant on the waterfront . The Lightship
was given to New Bedford after a failure of a Bi-Centennial exhibition in
1975 . There is also another historic USCG Boat in storage at New Bedford ,
the CG36501 motor lifeboat , sister to the famous CG36500 lifeboat.
Ah yes those of us that believe what a city says are truly dreamers!
CLICK ON LIGHTSHIP PICTURE (ABOVE) TO READ ABOUT THE DEATH OF THIS LIGHTSHIP
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Frying Pan Shoals
Built 1930 at Charleston , SC by
Charleston Dry-dock & Machine Co.
sister to LV 116 , 117 , 100 , 113 ,
114
served at :
Frying Pan Shoals
Relief (4th district )
Exam Vessel ( WW2 ) Canal Zone
This Lightship is tied up to a Pier
at 23rd St. and the Hudson River .Owned by John and Angela Krevey .
The Lightship is missing its Main
Mast and most of its propulsion equipment . LV 115 is used as a floating
entertainment complex .
______________________________________________________________________
Chesapeake
built 1930 at Charleston, SC by
Charleston Dry-dock and Machinery Co.
sister to LV : 100 , 113 , 114, 115 ,
117
Lightship Chesapeake is in a
remarkable state of preservation . It is owned by The City of Baltimore
Maritime Museum and is lovingly maintained by a system of volunteers from
many different walks of life , including the Long Island Lighthouse Society
, Chesapeake Lighthouse Society , etc .
The Chesapeake Lightship retains much
of its original equipment for propulsion , steering , etc . Its deck
equipment is intact , including the 1,000 lb fog signal bell on its
forepeak , and its 5,000 lb starboard anchor .
Mr John Kellett is the chief Curator
for the Baltimore Maritime Museum which also includes the CG Taney , 7 Foot
Knoll Lighthouse and a submarine .
There is also a USLHS era
brass Chelsea clock in the crews mess aboard the Lightship .
Baltimore Maritime Museum
802 South Caroline Street
Baltimore , Maryland 21231
_______________________________________________________________________________
Cornfield ( Overfalls ) Lightship
served at : Boston ( Mass)
Cornfield Point ( CT)
Cross Rip ( Mass)
Built 1938 at Boothbay Harbor , Maine
by Rice Brothers
LV 118 has been on the Doomsday List
in Lighthouse Digest Magazine for several years because of the neglect it
was suffering . The old Lightship has been sitting in the mud in a shallow
canal near the Ferry docks at Lewes , Delaware .
The ship was taken over in December 2001 by
the Overfalls Maritime Museum Foundation, Gary Stabley, Chairman.
International Chimney Corp. noted for
moving such Lighthouses as Hatteras , Nauset and Highland Light proposed
lifting the Lightship and placing it in a dry cradle to preserve it , rather
than restoring it and resituating it back into the water .
A volunteer group is hard at work maintaining
the ship and a fund raising effort is being made for the needed relocation.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Built 1939 at Bay City , Michigan by
Defoe shipbuilding Co.
sister to WLV 189
served as : Nantucket
Umatilla Reef
Pollock Rip
Location - Ketchikan , Alaska
Being used as berthing quarters for a
logging camp .
Located by former CO of Nantucket 1 ,
WLV 612 , Mr. Dana Lewis .
Afloat and in very good condition .
Owner -unknown
Click on picture above, for a 2005 report
___________________________________________________________________________
Built at Bay City , Michigan in 1946
sister to : LV 605 , 612 , 613 , 196
Columbia River Maritime Museum
Astoria , Washington
Owned by the Museum and in excellent
condition , and is reported to be capable of operating under its own power .
The Lightships Radio Beacon Room has
been lovingly restored and has all the necessary equipment .
Its F2T Diaphone is also operational
.
Tel # 503-325-2323
_______________________________________________________________________________
Relief
Built 1950 at Boothbay , Maine by
Rice Bros.
served as Relief , West Coast .
Blunts Reef
Overfalls
sister to LV 604,612,613, 196
owned by US Lighthouse Society , San
Francisco , Ca.
Wayne Wheeler , Pres.
In very good condition , was recently
vandalized at an un secure pier . Thieves stole all the phosphor bronze life
lines .
The Lightship is equipped with a
wonderful display of lenses and varied artifacts of the USCG Aids to
Navigation history .
The Lightship has an Atlas Imperial
engine which is fully restored .
LV 605 recently underwent an overhaul
other bottom plates .The Lightship has its Fog Signal Bell , an older type
windlass , completely equipped wheelhouse , and most , if not all its
mechanical systems are workable .
________________________________________________________________________
WLV 612
Built 1950 at Curtis Bay , Maryland for the USCG
Price - $500,000
propelled by a quad of Detroit Diesel engines
steel hulled , all welded construction
steel deck houses (2)
Stations served at :
San Francisco
Blunts Reef (Ca)
Portland , Maine
Nantucket Shoals (MA)
Nantucket 1 was its designation in 1979 , in conjunction with Nantucket 2 ,
WLV 613 , its sister vessel providing duty as Relief .
rotation of duty on Nantucket Shoals was approx 21 days .
Nan-1 had a long colorful career , having served on both East and West Coasts
.
It made the transit of the Panama Canal twice , first from East Coast to West
Coast in 1950 and again from West Coast to East Coast in 1971 .
WLV 612 was the "Last Lightship " , having closed all 4 of the last Stations ,
2 on the West Coast and 2 on the East Coast . The 612 was the ultimate
Lightship , with escape hatches in all compartments , as a submarine would
have .
Heavy seas were fended off by a large wave breaker installed on its upper Bow
area . This innovation came into use after its predecessor , LV 112 suffered a
large wave which severely damaged its wheel house in the mid 1950s .
LV 612 was the most high tech Lightship of its time .
LV 612 it was designed with safety and stability in mind . Its rolling was
dampened by a system of Bilge Keels below the waterline .
The 612 had a main Light with 4 banks of intense locomotive headlamps
producing a "spot" light or , beam that was visible about 14 miles on a clear
night .The Lightships backup Lighting system was ( 2 ) 375 mm lights which
flashed on and off .
Its F2T diaphone produced a roar that was said to be heard at a 11-14 mile
distance .
The Nan-1 was decommissioned in 1983 as a Lightship , followed by security
duty for then Vice Pres. George Bush offshore from his home at Kennebunk ,
Maine .
VP Bush visited Nan-1 during its time as a security vessel to use its radio
facilities for National security purposes .
The 612 also saw duty off Florida's shores as a drug interdiction ship ,
providing a refueling station for DEA and USCG drug interdiction vessels . The
Lightship was painted white with the USCG racing stripe in 1983 , primarily to
ward off the intense heat of the Florida summers .
Nantucket 1 was decommissioned in March , 1985 along with its sister vessel
WLV 613 , ending the history of the American Lightships .
As former CO of Nan-1 Mr Dana Lewis stated , "Now we must look elsewhere for
the stuff that sea stories are made of . "
It was transferred to the GSA in March of 1985 , and was sold to the Boston
Marine Exchange as an educational enterprise which failed . The 612 was
returned to the GSA which again sold it to the Metropolitan District
Commission (MDC ) State of Massachusetts , for $1500 dollars as a floating
Museum under the auspices of a Not for Profit organization Friends of
Nantucket 1 .
The Museum worked until 1999 when the MDC abandoned its custody of the
Lightship and placed it on EBay , an online auction site which sold it for
$126,100 to a private party .
Former Mass. State Senator Wm Golden of Falmouth , Mass. is restoring the
Lightship at New Bedford , Mass. as a Charter vessel for hire .
Go to this page to view the 612 NOW!http://www.monocleyachts.com/fleet/128nantucket/128slides.shtml
______________________________________________________________
WLV 613
Built 1952 for the US Coast Guard at Curtis Bay Shipyard
Baltimore , Maryland
Contract price $500,000
Its keel was laid on August 4 , 1952
Designated as WLV 613 , This is the last Lightship to be built in American
History . The 613 was the most unique Lightship to have seen duty at both
Ambrose Station and at Nantucket Shoals .
LV 613 was constructed with 2 masts which lasted only 1 year . 613 saw a
re fitting period in 1953 during which both masts were replaced with a tripod
which supported a Lantern room that stood about 56 ft. above sea level . The
lantern atop the tripod consisted of four parabolic mirrors which rotated
around (2) 1,000 watt lamps . Its backup lantern was a 500mm lens atop the
lantern room .
The Lantern room on LV 613 was the most powerful system ever used on an
American Lightship , it was capable of emitting a beam of light that could
be seen in excess of 14 miles with a Candlepower rating which varied from
250,000 - 5 million CP .
The hull of the 613 was of all welded construction with internal spaces that
were separated by watertight doors . as a submarine would be built .
The LV 613 was also equipped with RACON , the only American Lightship to be so
equipped .
The LV 613 was at Ambrose Station , New York Harbor until August 24 , 1967
after a Texas Tower replaced it . The 613 then served as RELIEF for the First
USCG District until it was designated as Nantucket 2 , in conjunction with its
sister vessel , Nantucket 1 ( LV 612 ) . Both Lightships stood at Nantucket
Shoals on a 21 day rotation until the LV 613 left the Shoals for the last
time on Dec 20 , 1983 when an LNB replaced both Lightships .
WLV 613 is now privately owned , and has been fully restored . It now stands
at a pier in Wareham , Mass. at Onset Creek , awaiting its next homeport .
Nantucket Lightship
bound for new museum
While October's Oyster
Festival is now just a memory, its standout
attraction - the bright red
historic Nantucket Lightship - remains at the
dock in Oyster Bay Harbor.
The 150-foot-long
floating lighthouse, owned by the National Lighthouse
Museum being established on
Staten Island, hasn't been abandoned. It is
staying at The Waterfront
Center until February so a group of local
volunteers can restore the
vessel, built in 1936.
Then it will return to a
newly restored pier adjacent to the Staten Island
Ferry Terminal where the
lighthouse museum hopes to open an exhibit building
The museum brought the
lightship to the oyster festival and left it in
Oyster Bay because of the
presence of volunteers who worked on the
restoration of the historic
oyster sloop Christeen in 1998-1999 and were
looking for a new project.
The
lightship was built after its predecessor was rammed and sunk by the
RMS Olympic, sister ship of
the Titanic, marking the shoals off Nantucket,
Mass. The British paid for the
replacement, the world's largest lightship.
During World War II, the
vessel was painted gray and outfitted with guns
before being assigned to guard
the harbor at Portland, Maine. Retired in
1975, the ship was designated
a National Historic Landmark in 1989. It was
docked at the Intrepid
Sea-Air- Space Museum in Manhattan before being
acquired by the HMS Rose
Foundation in Bridgeport, Conn., which sold it to
the lighthouse museum in 2002
for $1.
After the sale, Butler
asked the Rose organization about volunteers who
had worked on the vessel in
Connecticut. They mentioned Bill Shephard Sr. of
Plainview and his son Bill Jr.
The elder Shephard suggested bringing the
ship to Oyster Bay because he
had worked on Christeen. Now he's heading the
volunteer effort for the
Nantucket.
One of the volunteers,
Bob Gubatosi, comes all the way from Pennsylvania.
His
dedication is explained by a special connection with
the lightship: he was a seaman
aboard when it was on station in
Massachusetts.
A retired Grumman engineer,
Shephard, 73, first got involved in marine
restoration by working on
the tall ship Wavertree at South Street Seaport in
Manhattan. "I was in the
Navy for four years and I've always had a boat," he
said. "I just love the
water. And it keeps me out of trouble."
Shephard, who worked
on the lightship in Bridgeport every Saturday, has
been joined by more than 20
volunteers, including midshipmen from the U.S.
Merchant Marine Academy at
Kings Point. The museum expects to spend about
$25,000 for materials to
make the ship seaworthy.
While the Nantucket
remains in Oyster Bay, Rob Crafa, director of The
Waterfront Center, plans to
capitalize on its presence. "It's an amazing
educational tool," he said.
"People understand the purpose of a lighthouse,
but a lightship is foreign
to many people."
After the ship leaves,
Butler plans to use it for dockside display,
fund-raising events and
school tours in Staten Island and take it to
maritime festivals in
Greenport, Nantucket and Oyster Bay.
And he hopes the Oyster Bay
volunteers will stay involved with others
recruited in Staten Island.
"It's a national treasure, and I want to keep it
2006 Again everything was hopeful. Only Problem is the town of Oyster Bay wants no part of the ship and has ordered it to move. Where? They don't care, just get it out of our town they say.
I wonder if anyone of the stiffs that run that town had anyone, in their past, who was saved because they got lost in a fog and found the lightship?
2007, May be headed to the scrap heap.
