YEAR BUILT: 1875
BUILT AT: Pelham (NY) (City Island)
BUILDER: David Carll
APPROPRIATION: $50,000
(Approp. "For building a relief light-ship for general service"
CONTRACT PRICE: $42,200
SISTER VESSELS: None
DESIGN: Wood- white oak & locust; copper & galvanized iron fastened; 2 masts, daymarks on both; smokestack forward of mainmast; 2 aux. steam boilers, steam pump and steam fog signal machinery
LENGTH: 1196" (loa); BEAM: 26'9"; DRAFT: 12'6"; TONNAGE: 387 gross
PROPULSION: Sail-schooner rig; fore and main carried on spencer masts
ILLUMINATING APPARATUS: 2 lanterns, each with 8 Argand fountain burner oil lamps
FOG SIGNAL: 12" steam whistle, hand operated bell
(First US lightship to be equipped with steam fog signal when built)
CONSTRUCTION NOTES - MODIFICATIONS - EQUIPMENT CHANGES & IMPROVEMENTS: LV 39-
1879: Recaulked and boilers overhauled-
1882: Hull and boiler repairs at New Bedford; extensive rot-
1887: Rotten timbers replaced at New Bedford; also repaired l889,189l,l893-
1897: Extensive repairs prior to being transferred to 3d District-
1899: Jul 25-Mar 8, 1900, extensive overhaul and refit-
1905: Brought in for repair, having been continuously on station since 1900-
1909: 6" fog whistle added; 12" whistle retained-
1911: Equipped with submarine bell signal-
1919: Equipped with radio; discontinued 1923-
1921: Lanterns & lantern houses removed, foremast replaced with tall steel
skeleton light structure with acetylene lamp, no light installed on mainmast
STATION ASSIGNMENTS: LV 39
1875-1876: Vineyard Sound (MA)
1876-1877: Five Fathom Bank (NJ)
1877-1897: Relief (MA)
1897: Relief (NY)
1897-1935: Brenton Reef (RI)
HISTORICAL NOTES: LV 39-
1875: Nov 16, stationed on Vineyard Sound (MA)-
1876: Jun 14, relieved Five Fathom Bank (NJ) (replacing LV 7 which returned to
Staten island for repair)-
1877: Jun 19, returned to 2d District, and assigned Relief duty-
1879-1882: Remained at Woods Hole Depot except while under repair-
1883: Nov-Feb, relieved Vineyard Sound-
1884/83: Remained at Woods Hole (apparently seldom used. due to rotten
condition)-
1886: Aug 28-Oct 16, relieved Vineyard Sound; Dec 30-Mar 11 1887, relieved
Pollock Rip-
1887: Extensive overhaul, rotten timbers and planking replaced-
1888: Sep 18-?, relieved Pollock Rip-
1889: Jul 25-Oct 3, relieved Vineyard Sound-
1890: May 26- Jun 30, relieved Vineyard Sound-
1891: Aur 9-Jun 28. relieved Vineyard Sound; Jul, boiler & machinery repairs-
1892/3: "supplied with new riding stopper prior to going on Nantucket. New South
Shoal" as relief-no dates given-
1894/95: Remained at Woods Hole during both years-
1895: Oct 1-Jan 15 1896, relieved Great Round Shoal
More notes: LV 39-
1896: Jan 15-Feb 18, relieved Pollock Rip; May, repaired: Jul 5ãJul 30, relieved
Boston; Aug 14-Jan 24 1897, relieved Vineyard Sound-
1897: Jun 12, transferred to 3d District, towed to Staten island by AZALEA;
relieved Fire Island LV 58 from Jul 15 to Sep 2U; then assigned to Brenton Reef
(RI) taking station Nov 4, 1897-
1905 Relieved for repair "having been continuously on station since 1899"-
1905 Aug, struck by battleship USS IOWA, carrying away part of lightship's stem
and causing damage to headstays-
Remained assigned to Brenton Reef station until 1935
RETIRED FROM LIGHTSHIP DUTY: 1935; AGE: 60
SUBSEQUENT DISPOSITION: Reported by Boston Globe to be in use as floating
restaurant at Gloucester (MA) in 1960's: observed in use as Coast Guard
Auxiliary clubhouse, Boston (MA) in 1967; sank in 1975 (age 100) while being
towed to a shipyard at Beverly (MA); not salvaged
COMMANDING OFFICERS: LV 39
1897: (Jun-Aug) Jacob C Flinkfelt, Master
1898-?: Edward Fogarty, Master
?-1917 Charles A Hawkins,Mate
1917-1919: Karl M Larsen, Mate
1919: Fred J Worth, Mate
1919-1922: Martin Berg, Mate
1922-1923: Harold White, Mate
1923-1927: Theodor Anderson, Mate
?-1927: Charles Steijen, Master
1927-?: Theodor Anderson, Master
1927: John B Kelley, Mate
1927-1929: Frederic Sundloff, Mate
1928-?: August E Gustafson, mate
Back to Vineyard Lightship Station
History
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Revised: 10/23/06.