A Lightship on Station faces many daily challenges. Some life threatening, some exciting and others like the following “True Story”,  just plain different.

The date was somewhere around April 1958.

Location: AMBROSE Channel Lightship Station, relieving AMBROSE Lightship WLV 613

I was standing the 04:00-08:00 Watch

Weather: Cool, calm seas and ½ mile visibility with early morning haze

Vessel in Status “Alfa”

06:00 Called duty cook

06:50 Secured Main and Anchor lights

07:00 Reveille, called all hands

07:35 Approaching out of the early morning haze on the Port Side, with a heading that would take her into New York Harbor, was the U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Theodore Roosevelt.

Shortly after observing her, she began signaling us with her signal light.

As I couldn’t read her message (too fast), I tried to reach the Roosevelt on the radio, but was unsuccessful.

I notified  XO, Louis C. Carter, BMCM,  as  OinC, Mr. Brower, CHBOSN W-1, was on leave.

Chief Carter and the rest of the ships crew came up on deck.  By now the Roosevelt had stopped all engines and was dead in the water, about ¼ mile off our port side.

Now, there are many things we on lightships can do, however, if there was one thing on the “Old Relief 78/505” that we had difficulty with, it was reading a message from a fast and fully experienced Signalman. Chief Carter didn’t have to ask if anyone could read the message, as the blank look on our faces told him we “didn’t have a clue” as to it’s content.

Chief Carter went below and came back up with a signal manual. He then climbed on top of the Wheelhouse and using the manual and the signal light, attempted to signal the Roosevelt back.  Obviously the Navy Signalman, being used to “blinding speed” was unable to read the “slower” message Chief Carter was sending, or perhaps, not all of the dots and dashes we sent were in the proper order.

Whatever the reason, and unable to reach the Roosevelt by radio, an exasperated Chief Carter, gave the order to “lower the small boat”. In the finest tradition of a USCG Chief Boatswain Mate (I shall leave out, a large portion of the actual words used), Chief Carter ordered the small boat crew to go over to the Carrier and ask them what we could do to help them. He also gave instructions to tell them our “Signalman” had an appendicitis attack, was hospitalized ashore, and we had not received a replacement. In reality, there are NO billets on Lightships for a Signalman.

“Away the small boat”!  The Roosevelt had a gangway lowered; an officer and several enlisted men climbed down to greet our small boat. After a short discussion, the small boat returned.

What did the Roosevelt want, everyone was shouting at the small boat crew?

They’re looking for the Pilot Boat and wanted our help to locate it, was the reply!

The Pilot Boat!  We were incredulous, and couldn’t believe it. All that, for the Pilot Boat!

With out any further hesitation, we contacted the Pilot Boat. A short time later, a Pilot boarded the Roosevelt; she got underway again and headed into New York Harbor.

And that, is the story of how;

A Little Red Lightship brought a Big Aircraft Carrier to a Stop.

USCG RELIEF Lightship LV 78 / WAL 505

Year Built 1904 … Rammed and Sunk on Ambrose Channel Lightship Station, 24 June 1960

Copyright © 2003  U.S.C.G.  Lightship Sailors Assoc. Inc. All rights reserved.
Revised: 10/23/06.