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 Nantucket/LV-112 Proudly made in USA
Attention
Lighthouse Lovers!
If you love lighthouses and want to learn about these guiding lights and navigational aids all over the world, then
The Lighthouse Directory is the website for you. It provides an astounding amount of information, linking to more than 17,200 of the world's lighthouses. Russ Rowlett, Adjunct Professor of Mathematics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, compiled the directory with the assistance of hundreds of lighthouse fans around the world who have enriched this site with their own information and suggestions. For a long time, Rowlett tried to maintain a list of lighthouses from his many friends and contacts, but it had grown too long (and too out of date) to display on the comprehensive site. Rowlett offers special thanks to
Michel Forand for his suggestions and editing, touching essentially every page of the directory, and Jeremy D'Entremont, Ted Sarah and Klaus Huelse, each contributing in vital ways.
The Maine
Lighthouse Museum
Another unique educational resource for U.S. Lighthouse history, Lifesaving and Lightship Services is the Maine Lighthouse Museum (MLM), located in Rockland, Maine, the heart of the Midcoast. Last October, the U.S. Lightship Museum presented a PowerPoint presentation at the MLM about U.S. lightships and
Nantucket/LV-112.
The mission of the Maine Lighthouse Museum is to educate the public regarding the longstanding traditions, heroism and progress of America's Lighthouse and Lifesaving Services and the U.S. Coast Guard through the conservation and interpretation of the nation's most significant collection of lighthouse and lifesaving artifacts. From sparkling lenses to heartwarming stories of the keepers and their families, the Maine Lighthouse Museum is truly America's lighthouse museum. For more information, log on to the
Maine Lighthouse Museum or call 207.594.3301.
American Express
Amex Industrial Services, Inc.
Association of Public Safety Communications Officials - Atlantic Chapter
BAE Systems
Bluefin Robotics
Boston Forge & Welding Corp.
Boston Harbor
Shipyard & Marina
The Boston Foundation
ThreeBees Fund
California Public Safety Radio Association
Cameron International Corporation
Charitable Adult Rides and Services, Inc. Claflin & Son Nautical Antiques Crandall Dry Dock Engineers
Capt. Robertson P. Dinsmore Fund
Donahue, Tucker & Ciandella, PLLC
East Boston Foundation
Eastern Bank Charitable
Foundation
Egan Maritime Institute,
Nantucket Shipwreck &
Lifesaving Museum
Fitzgerald Shipyard
Foss Maritime
Friends of the
Boston Harbor Islands
H&H Propeller, Inc.
J. Hewitt Marine
Electrical Services
Kelly Automotive Group
H.F. Lenfest Fund
The Lightship Group, LLC
McAllister Towing &
Transportation Co.
Joe and Pepette Mongrain
Fund
National Trust for
Historic Preservation
New England
Lighthouse Lovers
New London Maritime Society and Custom House Maritime Museum The Sail Loft, LLC, Nantucket Sherwin-Williams
Industrial Marine Coatings Division
T & M Services
Town of Oyster Bay,
Long Island, NY
U.S. Coast Guard Lightship Sailors Association
West Marine
U.S. Lighthouse Society
USLM Members
Verizon Foundation
Zuni Maritime Foundation USS Zuni / USCG Tamaroa
Individual Donors
USLM is a Member
of the Following Organizations 
The flag of the United States Lighthouse Service
Teach children about lightships with the book,
Lightship
Editorial From School
Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2: Lightships were anchored where lighthouses could not be built. They protected our ocean harbors as well as points along the Great Lakes. The last one (
Nantucket/LV-613
) was decommissioned in 1983, so this fascinating picture book is a piece of nautical history. Brian Floca's watercolor drawings depict daily life aboard one of these vessels, cooking, sleeping, working, all the while rolling with the rhythm of the waves. Many hazards were involved. Big ships came too close, anchors lost their mooring, and weather caused many problems. But when the fog rolled in, the lightship sprang into action. Lights flashed and horns sounded, allowing ship traffic to make it "through fog and night, past rocks and shoals, past reefs and wrecks, past danger." The drawings are very detailed. Some pages are collages of small scenes. Many are full spreads. The sailors' facial expressions are amusing to watch, and the resident cat appears on almost every page. The front and back endpapers show a cutaway view of one of the vessels. This fascinating, little-known slice of history should prove interesting to every child who loves big boats.
-- Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI
(review originally published by Reed Business Information, Inc.)
The book
Lightship
, by Brian Floca, can be purchased on
Amazon.com
. For more information about lightships, click on Brian Floca's
blog
.
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For more information about the U.S. Coast Guard Lightship Sailors Association and the U.S. Lightship Service, click on logo
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Lead, Kindly Light
By John Henry Newman
(1801-1890)
"Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th'encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.
I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!
So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on.
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile!
Meantime, along the narrow rugged path,
Thyself hast trod,
Lead, Saviour, lead me home in childlike faith,
Home to my God.
To rest forever after earthly strife
In the calm light of everlasting life."
Note: "Lead Kindly Light" was a poem originally written by John Henry Newman (1801-1890), who was 33 years old when he found himself on a boat from the Sicilian city of Palermo to Marseille, France. Newman, who was recovering after being dangerously ill with a fever, was on the boat to return to his native England when he penned the lyrics to "Lead, Kindly Light." The context that Newman was recovering from a frightening illness in the middle of the sea gives insight to the lyrics.
Photo above: Pigeon Point Lighthouse in California, by Darvin Atkeson
Poem posted on LV-112 while in service on Nantucket Shoals Lightship Station
"When a sailor gets to thinking
He is one of the best
Let him ship out on a lightship
And take the acid test.
And if he feels like bragging
I don't think that all of his tales
Will be of deep sea sailing
But of the ship that never
Poem provided by Peter Brunk,
USCG-Ret., Commanding Officer,
Nantucket/LV-112, 1970-71
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2016 is the 300th anniversary of Boston Light
To learn more about
Boston Light Ticentennial planning and special events, click on the Boston Light.
The U.S. Lightship Museum is a member of the Tricentennial Committee.
The Sinking of the U-853
by Capt. William Palmer
When the German enemy submarine
U-853 entered U.S. waters off Portland, Maine in 1945, it torpedoed and sank the
USS Eagle-56.
Nantucket/LV-112, converted to an Examination vessel,
USS Nantucket (1942-45) during WWII, helped save the crew of the
USS Eagle-56.
This is a book about the U-853 story, researched, experienced and written by Capt. Bill Palmer, a long time shipwreck researcher, diver and preservationist.
Out in the cold Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Rhode Island, lies the remains of what was once a feared and mighty hunter. It's not a fish or shark, for that matter it is not even a marine creature. It's what men feared the most when they went to sea aboard their vessel back during the World War II years. It's a German Submarine called a U-Boat. The
U-853 was the last German submarine sunk in World War II. She was sunk with all hands just minutes before World War II ended. The once mighty hunter feared by all who put to sea, now lies in 130 feet of water off the coast of Block Island, Rhode Island, her grave marked only by a circle on the nautical charts, DANGER Unexploded Depth Charges, May 1945.
Palmer has been running a charter boat for wreck diving and shark fishing & shark cage diving off the Coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut for 40 years.
A story about a German U-Boat attack off Portland Maine, during WWII, involving LV-112 (USS Nantucket)
It is the story of a small U.S. sub-chaser, the
Eagle 56, caught in the crosshairs of a German U-boat, the
U-853, whose brazen commander doomed his own crew in a desperate, last-ditch attempt to record final kills before his country's imminent defeat a few weeks later in May. And it is the account of how one man, Paul M. Lawton, embarked on an unrelenting quest for the truth and changed naval history.
For more information, log onto: "
Due to Enemy Action"
"In February of 1952, one of the worst storms to ever hit the East Coast struck New England, damaging an oil tanker off the coast of Cape Cod and literally ripping it in half. On a small lifeboat faced with frigid temperatures and 70-foot high waves, four members of the U.S. Coast Guard (Bernie Webber and three other crewmen) set out to rescue the more than 30 stranded sailors trapped aboard the rapidly sinking vessel. 'The Finest Hours' is the story of their heroic mission, which is still considered the greatest small boat rescue in Coast Guard history."
(Michelle McCue, 9/9/14)
Bernie Webber (later served on
Nantucket/LV-112, 1958-60) and the three other crewmen were awarded the coveted USCG Gold Lifesaving Medal for their heroism in what is considered by maritime historians to be "the greatest small boat rescue in Coast Guard history." You can listen to the historic radio broadcast interview of Bernie's harrowing rescue experience at sea. Mr. Webber, who was a member of the USCG Lightship Sailors Association, was extremely helpful in assisting the
USLM-Nantucket/LV-112 compile research information and historic documents about
LV-112. He was a pleasure and honor to work with. Bernie passed away in January 2009. He was considered "A Real American Hero" and is dearly missed.
To learn more about
lighthouse news, click on Lighthouse Digest
Explore the oceans in depth and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution with Oceanus magazine
Oceanus
explores the oceans in depth, highlighting the research and researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in news, features and interviews written by magazine staff, with full-color photographs and illustrations. Each issue covers a wide spectrum of oceanography, spanning coastal research, marine life, deep-ocean exploration and the ocean's role in climate, as well as ocean technology and policy. To learn more, click on magazine cover above.
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Nantucket Lightship/LV-112's guiding light shines brightly again
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LV-112 light beacon shines on National Lighthouse Day at Nantucket/LV-112 event on August 7, 2015
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On August 7, National Lighthouse Day, more than 200 supporters of
Nantucket/LV-112 celebrated as the ship's 500,000-candlepower main light beacon and powerful foghorn were reactivated. It was the first time in 40 years since the U.S. Coast Guard's decommissioning of
LV-112 that the main light beacon was turned on. Because
LV-112 is berthed near Logan Airport, we were required to notify the airport's control tower, which alerted departing and arriving aircraft of
LV-112's powerful rotating light beacon. To view a video clip of
LV-112's light beacon and hear its foghorn,
click here (allow a few seconds for the video to launch).
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Spectators, wearing orange earplugs in anticipation of the activation of LV-112's foghorn, included former 1959 LV-112 USCG crewmember, Bob Burbank (foreground)
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National Lighthouse Day attendees had the opportunity to board and tour LV-112
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We thanked our sponsors, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express, which had funded the restoration of the light, foghorn and radio antennae towers. Many visitors attended, including former U.S. Coast Guard LV-112 crewmembers who had served on the historic lightship as far back as 1954. The event also featured exhibits and representatives of historic lighthouses in Boston Harbor including Sally Snowman, the first woman and current light keeper of Boston Light, Dave Waller, the owner of Graves Light, and members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
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Bill Shephard (85 years young) enjoying the view from the top of LV-112's foremast light beacon. Bill, who visited us from the Oyster Bay, Long Island, NY area, is one of our original volunteers
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Also on hand was the restored CG36500 rescue lifeboat used in the famous 1952 SS Pendleton shipwreck incident, with its crew from the Orleans Historical Society hosting tours. Capt. Bill Palmer, author of "The Last Battle of the Atlantic," brought artifacts he recovered from the German U-Boat, U-853, sunk off Port Judith, RI. On display were Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) research instruments, formerly used on U.S. East Coast lightships. The instruments were on loan to the USLM from WHOI.
We were entertained with live music by "The Jazz Allstars" from East Boston's Zumix and satisfied our thirst with New England craft cider from Downeast Cider House and our appetites with delicious fare from KO Pies and fresh oysters on the half shell from East Boston Oysters. It was a great celebration, which we will commemorate again on the next National Lighthouse Day, August 7, 2016.
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LV-112's
exterior restoration is virtually completed
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Nantucket/LV-112 at her berth on the East Boston waterfront after the recently completed restoration of radio beacon antenna structures and light beacons
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Workers gaining access with an 85-foot aerial lift, high up on LV-112's masts, rebuilding the main light beacon and radio beacon structures
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The majority of
LV-112's exterior is now fully restored, so we are shifting our primary focus to the ship's interior, mechanical and electrical systems. In addition, as included in the original restoration schedule, a number of structural issues need attention such as the forward ballast tanks and lower forward hold-floor frames. We also need to do a lot of cleaning, prep and painting of the ship's interior. The bilges especially need substantial cleaning to remove decades of residue/sludge. After the bilge areas are cleaned, a protective corrosion-resistant solution will be applied.
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LV-112's partially disassembled 500,000-candlepower main light beacon lamp enclosure was removed from the top of its main mast base for restoration; much of the light beacon's operating components had to be rebuilt and replaced
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Peter Starr, from the contractor, the Lightship Group, on an aerial lift, installing new halyards and antenna wires/insulators on LV-112's foremast yardarm
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Pressurizing device used for greasing LV-112's heavy steel cable mast stays, important for maintenance and helping to prevent corrosion
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Most of the ship's main electrical distribution panel has been restored, and the diesel electrical and air compressor engines have been reactivated after sitting dormant for decades. Presently, the ship's on-board plumbing is still being restored, which includes the ship's bilge pumping system. In probing further into the ship's piping systems, we have encountered more repair work than originally anticipated. Fortunately, we have not had to pump the ship's bilges of rain or seawater since 2009, when
LV-112 was berthed in Oyster Bay, Long Island. However, we do have portable pumps on board.
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Steps being welded on restored LV-112 radio beacon mast
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Harry Andersen and his assistant Ben, helping to restore LV-112's captain's cabin
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Looking back at Hurricane Edna and Nantucket/LV-112
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Dick Arnold (left) and two Nantucket/LV-112 officers stand next to the ship's wheel in the pilot house, damaged in Hurricane Edna, 1954
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September 11 was the 61st anniversary date of Hurricane Edna, which hit LV-112 in 1954. Although LV-112 was built to be virtually unsinkable, this was the closest during her 39 years of service that she came to foundering. On that day, LV-112 was on station when Edna's destructive 110-mph winds
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LV-112, at USCG Base Boston, after being towed back from Nantucket Shoals station in 1954. Notice the buckled upper bow hull plates, damaged by Hurricane Edna
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swept over Nantucket Shoals Lightship Station, creating mountainous 70-foot seas. At that time, LV-112 was a steam-powered vessel. During the height of the storm, the ship's anchor chain broke, and the force and height of the pounding seas engulfed LV-112, breaking through its pilot house and heavily reinforced portholes, breaking off and smashing the ship's two wheels, located in the pilot house and flying bridge helm stations. The rushing seawater flooded the pilot house and smoke stack, shorting out electrical systems and extinguishing the ship's steam engine boilers. Because the crew was unable to navigate or point the ship correctly into the oncoming seas, the ship was in danger of broaching, causing the vessel to roll and capsize, which could have been devastating for the lightship and its crew.
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LV-112 crewmember Jim Sheehan holds piece of broken port hole glass, caused by Edna in 1954
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Finally the brave crew was able to restart the ship's steam engines. However, the crew still could not steer the imperiled vessel, as the ship's rudder was severely damaged and would not respond. To save the ship, the only alternative was for the crew to go outside onto the ship's foredeck and release the 7,500-pound auxiliary mushroom anchor, which was mounted and secured on LV-112's forward starboard quarter, executing this maneuver during the height of the storm while battling furious seas crashing over the ship. After the anchor was successfully released, LV-112 rode out the remainder of the storm and finally was towed back to Boston for repairs. It was discovered that some of LV-112's hull plating on its bow had buckled from the pounding waves. Although the crew survived, many suffered injuries. Two former crewmembers, Dick Arnold from Gloucester, MA, and Jim Sheehan from Wellfleet, MA, who were on LV-112 during Edna, are presently USLM volunteers. Dick Arnold was one of the crewmembers who assisted in releasing LV-112's auxiliary anchor during the storm. Jim Sheehan was LV-112's on-board radio operator.
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Left to right, Dick Arnold and Jim Sheehan recently were reunited on LV-112 for the first time since 1954
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A floating time machine and time capsule
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Bring back any memories? Beach Boys, Grateful Dead, Led Zepplin, Brylcreem, tooth powder and safety razors. Record collection donated by Dana Stetsen, who served on Nantucket/LV-613, the last lightship to serve in the United States.
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Nantucket/LV-112 is much more than a historic structure. It also represents a period of time during our nation's evolving culture, an era that holds and represents cherished memories for many of us. This was a time when the U.S. was an industrial powerhouse. Made in the USA was the rule, not the exception, and tradesman and artisans took pride in their highly skilled professions and the quality of their craftsmanship. When you board LV-112, you will be stepping back in time (1936-75). LV-112 was refitted in 1960, so the historic ship is a combination of its original 1936 structure and period modifications made between 1960 and 1975. As a result, we decided that representing the 60s and early 70s would be an appropriate time to depict how the crew lived and performed their duties.
Not only will you be witnessing a vessel that is a testament to state-of-the-art construction and design when built in 1936, but you also will experience the culture of the 1960s and early 1970s, the period of time represented on LV-112 as a USCG commissioned lightship. We are replicating what lightship life was like: fashion styles, entertainment, music, TV, movies, news publications, personal hygiene, etc. (no iPhones or computers). Our restoration of this cultural time period is still underway, but we're off to a good start. So, come aboard and take a trip back to yesterday.
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LV-112 crewman operating a 16mm movie projector in crew's quarters, "movie time" in 1967
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Disney's The Finest Hours is in theaters January 29!
A heroic action-thriller, "The Finest Hours" is the remarkable true story of the greatest small-boat rescue in Coast Guard history. The hero in the story is Bernie Webber, who later served on
Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 (1958-60).
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Click on poster for the movie trailer.
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Bernie Webber (center) is shown on the stern of Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 (1958-60). Webber previously served as the coxswain of motor lifeboat CG36500, from Station Chatham, MA, who with his crew of three, rescued the crew of the stricken tanker Pendleton, which had broken in half during a horrific winter storm on Feb. 18, 1952, off the coast of Massachusetts.
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Become a USLM member today
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For a gift of $1,000 or more, donors will receive a limited-edition, fine-art print of the SS United States passing Nantucket/LV-112, signed by marine artist Gerald Levey
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When you become a member of the U.S. Lightship Museum (USLM), you will be helping rescue and preserve Nantucket Lightship/LV-112, a National Historic Landmark and National Treasure that is an important part of our nation's maritime heritage. Plus you will have the satisfaction of knowing you are a contributing partner in the legacy of the world's most famous and largest U.S. lightship ever built. The USLM is a member of the Council of Maritime Museums (CAMM) and the Historic Naval Ships Association (HNSA). All USLM members will be granted reciprocal privileges (free admission) at participating CAMM institutions. For more information about the benefits and the USLM Membership program, click on USLM Membership.
All electronic donations will be processed by PayPal.
We thank everyone for their ongoing
contributions
and support
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