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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Rowlett tried to maintain a list of lighthouses from his many friends and contacts, but it had grown too long (and too out of date) to display on the comprehensive site.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
Burnham Associates, Inc.
Burnham Marine
California Public Safety Radio Association
Cameron International Corporation
Charitable Adult Rides and Services, Inc. C/J Towing & Recovery 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, who serves on the USLM Board of Directors
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This comprehensive New England shipwreck website is a helpful resource for SCUBA divers, maritime history researchers and enthusiasts. The site includes many photographs, charts, reference documents and history about many shipwrecks located in New England waters. For more information,
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 and written by
Capt. Bill Palmer
, a long-time shipwreck researcher, diver and preservationist.
Description of book: "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."
Capt. Palmer has been running a charter boat for wreck-diving, shark-fishing and shark-cage-diving off the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut for 40 years.
German U-boat attack off Portland, Maine, during WWII, involving
LV-112 (USS Nantucket)
This book 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." 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.
Lightships, Lighthouses & Lifeboat Stations:
A Memoir and History
Lightships, Lighthouses & Lifeboat Stations is part history book, part memoir, written by Bernie Webber, recipient of the Coast Guard's highest award, the Gold Life-saving Medal, and hero of the Disney movie The Finest Hours. While the public will recognize Webber's name from the movie and the bestselling book by the same name, few people know that during his lengthy Coast Guard career he served on lightships (ships anchored in dangerous areas to warn other vessels of hazards) in addition to lifeboat stations (small boat rescue stations) and lighthouses. Webber poses the following question: "How did the lightship men cope with the isolation, constant loneliness, boredom, fear, or just sheer terror? All were part of life on board a lightship. Rough seas tossed the ship about, rearing up and down on the anchor chain. This was a world of isolation, noise from operating machinery, and blasts from the powerful foghorn that went on for hours, sometimes days, at a time." Webber answers that question in this book, drawing on a combination of personal experience and meticulous historical research. Discussions of men going mad, lightships being run down by larger ships, anchor chains breaking, and lightships cast upon shoals are offset by humorous stories and the author's reflections on his best days at sea. Fourteen historic photos are included, as well as a foreword by Michael Tougias.(reprinted from Amazon).
Help support the restoration of LV-112 by donating your old car and receive a tax deduction
How it works
We have teamed with Charitable Auto Resources, Inc. (CARS), to accept vehicle donations across the United States. Once
you contact our customer service representative about making a donation, everything will be taken care of, including a receipt for your tax records. Sale proceeds will be donated to the USLM in your name. Donating your vehicle to the U.S. Lightship Museum is as easy as calling our representative toll-free at 855-500-7433.
For more information,
click here
.
The Lightships
of Cape Cod
Authored by Frederic L. Thompson, 1996, 2nd printing, 112 pages, soft wrap. Signed by the author. Illustrated with over 93 beautifully detailed photographs. Much sought-after, this scarce volume chronicles the history of the lightships in this vital area. Wonderfully detailed black-and-white photographs enhance the author's vivid description of the history and life aboard these vessels. One of the only volumes ever written exclusively on this subject, this fine work will make a fine addition to any library. Price: $14.95 plus shipping ($5.95), total: $20.90. May be purchased online
from the USLM; just click on "Donate" button in this newsletter and add a notation in the area provided. Or mail a check or money order addressed to: U.S. Lightship Museum, PO Box 454, Amesbury, MA 10913
U.S. Lightship Museums
Relief/WLV-605
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A crew member rings the bell on the foredeck of Nantucket New South Shoal No. 1 during low-visibility storm conditions. The i
llustration is from "Life on the South Shoal Lightship" by Gustov Kobbe, Century Magazine, August 1891
Kenrick A. Claflin & Son Nautical Antiques
Click on the website link above to see nautical artifacts available at Kenrick A. Claflin & Son Nautical Antiques, which has donated publications to the USLM.
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[Note: To see entire eNews, click link above newsletter]
Season's Greetings!
Celebrating and appreciating the gift of giving
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Blanketed with ice, Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 comes home to port after steaming approximately 180 miles back to Boston for maintenance, during subfreezing temperatures, from the remote Nantucket Shoals Lightship Station, 100 miles from the U.S. mainland, 1964. Photo: Courtesy of U.S. Lighthouse Society
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Please donate today:
Donors and volunteers are critical to saving historic sites from being just a memory
Volunteers give their time and efforts and donors give their funds to help save and preserve Nantucket Lightship/LV-112, as well as other cherished historic sites and artifacts. The U.S. Lightship Museum (USLM) is sincerely thankful and wants to express its gratitude to the many individuals, from youths to seasoned citizens, former U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) LV-112 crew members and other veteran lightship sailors, and many other committed volunteers who have shared their passion, expressed through volunteering their timeless efforts, as well as those who have contributed financially to our historic cause including private foundations, historic preservation organizations and corporations.
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| Visitors from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, based in Washington, D.C., were recently on board LV-112 for a tour. The National Trust has been very supportive and beneficial toward helping to promote awareness of Nantucket/LV-112, in addition to assisting the USLM in securing restoration funding. In 2012, the Trust selected LV-112 as a National Treasure. Photo: Steve Dunwell |
We also are especially grateful to the Boston Harbor Shipyard & Marina for generously donating Nantucket/LV-112's berth since 2010, when the USLM's timely rescue of LV-112 prevented the historic floating lighthouse from being destroyed by ship-breakers (who were literally knocking on the door). The newly formed USLM, brought it back to its original homeport of Boston, 40 years after the lightship was decommissioned by the USCG in Boston. Of more than 90,000 places listed on the country's National Register of Historic Places, only 2,500 are recognized as National Historic Landmarks. Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 is a National Historic Landmark.
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Capt. Tim Gover dropping off obsolete fire hose, donated by the Somerville, MA, Fire Dept. to be modified as chafing guards for dock lines. Tim is a USCG veteran who served on the USCGC Bibb. He also is a retired Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) firefighter, after serving for 28 years, including serving as a captain on Massport's former fireboat, the Howard W. Fitzpatrick. He now is a charter boat owner/operator of Navy Blue Cruise. His charter vessel is a 50-foot ex-U.S. Navy utility boat named the Patrick T. Kennedy UB88. He offers tours and cruises of Boston Harbor and its islands.
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We still have a lot of restoration work to do on
LV-112
However, we still have a long way to go to finish LV-112's restoration, which is 50 percent completed. At this point, the USLM needs to raise approximately $600,000 for the next phase of our restoration. During restoration, LV-112 is open for tours to the general public, throughout the year (April-Oct., Saturdays, 10am-4pm; other days by appointment). Virtually anyone can learn from and enjoy this National Historic Landmark, National Treasure and living time capsule. Once again, thank you all! If it were not for the generosity and ongoing commitment of our volunteers and donors, Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 would just be a memory. Which brings us to the following message...
A wake-up call! Indifference can result in demolition of our nation's historic sites
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The historic Chelsea Clock building in Chelsea, MA, was recently demolished by a real estate developer to make room for a residential and retail shopping complex. Visitors on their way for a tour of Nantucket/LV-112 used to be able to drive by and view the historic structure, a relatively short distance away from LV-112
. The Chelsea Clock Co., founded in 1897, is America's oldest continuously operating clock manufacturer. It occupied the building for 118 years, constructed in 1897. Unfortunately, the world-renowned clock company was forced to move to another location in Chelsea, as they did not own the building they had always occupied. Clocks produced by the Chelsea Clock Co. have been found in the White House, on U.S. Navy ships, and in homes and offices around the world. It also was a supplier of clocks for automobiles, including Rolls Royce, and a government contract supplier of clocks for the Navy and other branches of the military. In postwar 1946, the U.S. Air Force created its Strategic Air Command (SAC) and equipped each if its bombers and nuclear missile silos with Chelsea clocks. It's unfortunate that this historic building was not saved and re-purposed. Chelsea Clock photos: Cary Shuman.
A great of example of repurposing a historic structure is the former Fitchburg Yarn Company's building, built in Fitchburg, MA, in 1907. It was responsibly restored and developed by WinnCompanies, based in Boston. This two-year, $24.2 million project transformed the old yarn mill into 96 units of mixed-income housing. The building is on the U.S. Register of Historic Places. For more information about the Yarn Works Apartments project,
click here.
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A relatively recent photo of the Chelsea Clock Co. building prior to demolition. As you can see, the building appears to be in good condition. Photo: National Trust for Historic Preservation
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WWII-era U.S. Navy Bakelite Chelsea clocks are mounted throughout Nantucket/LV-112. The Captain's cabin actually has a USCG Chelsea Clock. Many U.S. Navy components were installed on U.S. lightships, especially during WWII when some lightships were converted to examination vessels, such as LV-112 (USS Nantucket, 1942-45). In fact, LV-112 still has U.S. Navy dinnerware on board left over from WWII. This Chelsea Clock is mounted in LV-112's pilothouse next to a U.S. Navy barometer.
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The "New Bedford Lightship" (LV-114) is pictured here after being cut up for scrap metal in 2007. There never was an official New Bedford lightship station, but in 1975, when the USCG donated LV-114 to the City of New Bedford, MA, the lightship was moved to a waterfront berth and NEW BEDFORD was painted in bright white letters on its hull. After the city failed to maintain the vessel, the historic lightship sank at its berth. The city paid $212,000 to raise the lightship and then sold it to a local scrap yard for $10,000. LV-114 was built in Portland, OR, in 1930 and served on five east coast lightship stations including three off the New England coast (Fire Island, Diamond Shoal, Relief-Fist District, Pollack Rip and Portland, ME). LV-114 also served as a WWII examination vessel. LV-114 was one of 6 diesel electric sister lightships, including Nantucket/LV-117. Presently, two sister vessels survive, one as an accurately restored lightship museum in Baltimore Harbor, MD, Chesapeake/LV-116. The other, Frying Pan/LV-115, is a private nightclub, severely modified, berthed in New York Harbor. Photo: Dennis Cosmos
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LV-114 after rolling over and sinking at its berth in New Bedford, MA. It was reported that the extraordinary amount of rainwater leaking inside the doomed lightship caused it to sink. Our ship, Nantucket/LV-112, was approaching this same fate, as it also was flooded with rainwater after being neglected for several years, prior to the USLM's timely rescue of the lightship in 2009. Initial donations to our organization were used to stabilize Nantucket/LV-112'S hull. Photo: Bill Collette
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LV-114 was originally Fire Island Lightship (1930-42), shown in this Norddeutscher Lloyd Line travel agency publicity print from a past era, featuring one of the finest passenger liners of the 1930s, the SS Bremen. Launched in 1929, Bremen and her sister ship Europa were the fastest ships in the world from 1929-33, both winning multiple Blue Ribbons in the 1930s. The illustration depicts the SS Bremen carrying the Nazi Flag at the stern, being guided into New York harbor by Fire Island Lightship prior to WWII. Fire Island Lightship Station was located off Long Island, NY, and guided vessels into New York Harbor after passing Nantucket Lightship.
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Historic preservation is about more than just preserving old bricks, mortar and steel structures; it also is a time capsule of our culture and society
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Nantucket/LV-112's recovered builder's plaque after missing for 40 years. The research efforts of volunteer Loren Peters helped recover the plaque.
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It is critically important to save and protect our nation's historic sites and artifacts, especially National Historic Landmarks and registered U.S. Historic Places. Presently, too many historic sites are endangered. Preservation is not just about saving old bricks, mortar and steel structures. They are a vital component of our nation's heritage, helping us learn from the past and instrumental in helping us to advance and prosper in the present and to pursue opportunities in the future.
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LV-112's stern section under construction at The Pusey and Jones Corp. shipyard, 1935. Photo: Hagley Museum
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Our nation's historic structures and sites are a true testament to ingenuity, the efforts of talented and extremely skilled engineers, mechanics, craftsmen and artisans (men and women) who took great pride in their professions and trades to build the many majestic state-of-the-art historic structures such as the great ocean liners, referred to as "floating palaces," that have become a major part of our maritime heritage. Although, most of the great ocean liners have met their fate due to war, accidents and the ship-breakers' cutting torch, there is one ocean liner in the United States that is well preserved and open to the public,
RMS Queen Mary, berthed in Long Beach, CA.
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| Grand stairway of the RMS Olympic (1911-35). The RMS Olympic rammed and sank Nantucket Lightship/LV-117 in 1934. As a result, the White Star Line and British government paid for the construction of our ship, the Nantucket/LV-112. To view a delightful 1920 RMS Olympic-White Star Line promotional tour film, click here. |
 The unique period architectural design, state-of-the art engineering (for its time), construction and quality of materials used in building these structures and objects is virtually unmatched to anything built today. Through the years, these historic structures, objects and artifacts represent an important slice of our culture and society (entertainment, fashion, art, etc.), representing the Victorian, Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and other periods. The many remaining ships and land-based structures that are approaching 100 years in age and older is evidence of how well they were designed and constructed, especially many merchant and Navy/Coast Guard ships that had to endure the harsh, corrosive and storm-plagued environment of the oceans. Protecting and preserving our nation's natural landscapes in our national parks is also imperative. Just reminiscing and reflecting about our own past can bring about such joyous thoughts and perspective, especially by "Baby Boomers" and the "Greatest Generation."
Volunteers make a big difference
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Dana Stetson volunteers as a LV-112 tour guide and is a USLM contributor. He also is a USCG veteran who served on Nantucket/LV-613, the last lightship to serve on Nantucket Shoals Lightship Station and the last U.S. lightship station to be discontinued in 1983, marking the end of the U.S. Lightship Service, 1820-1985 (the U.S. Lightship Service was administratively active for two years until final termination in 1985).
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Professional welder Melvin Calles volunteering his time, welding new replacement steel deck plate for LV-112 captain's cabin (top photo) and repairs deck railings (bottom photo).
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Volunteer Jim Hewitt restoring LV-112's pilot house electrical wiring. Jim is a retired shipyard electrician and formerly worked at General Dynamics on nuclear submarines, as well as for other shipbuilding contractors, working on fire-control systems for the Navy's fast attack and Polaris missile submarines. Jim has restored most of LV-112's electrical systems and has been a USLM volunteer since we acquired LV-112 in late 2009. Upon assuming ownership of LV-112, it was a "dead ship"; nothing on the ship was operational. Jim has been a major contributor in helping to bring LV-112 back to life.
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LV-112 in dry-dock at the Fitzgerald Shipyard, Chelsea, MA, 2012, after completing the first phase of restoration. Our current fundraising efforts are focused on the fact that LV-112 is due for another dry-docking to continue with the remainder of its critical restoration. Note the two mushroom anchors. This is the area of the hull shown in the photo of LV-114's cut-up hull section without the anchors (see story above).
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Appreciating the value of saving our nation's historic sites
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Peter Starr rigs new halyards and pulleys on LV-112's foremast yard arm from a travel lift. Peter is with The Lightship Group, LLC, one of the USLM's primary ship repair contractors, and he also donates time to our effort.
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Many of today's historic preservationists, including some of us, quite frankly, are in their final phases of life. If today's youths and young adults are not properly educated and trained to recognize the value for historic preservation, then many of our historic sites will unfortunately and needlessly vanish forever. Unlike us mortal humans, with the proper care, historic sites and artifacts can survive forever. But institutions such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and other vital preservation organizations will continue to need qualified scholars and professionals to carry on their missions.
The USLM's education initiative:
Initiating the recruiting process for tomorrow's historic preservationists
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The USLM actively creates interactive educational and historic preservation programming in conjunction with schools and youth groups such as the Eagle Scouts in this photo.
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The U.S. Lightship Museum's mission is two-fold:
(1) Restore and preserve Nantucket Lightship/LV-112, our floating schoolhouse and learning center, and
(2) Inspire and motivate today's youths about the importance of historic preservation through interactive cause-and-effect educational programs such as our Candlepower Program. One of our program goals is to make learning a fun experience. Moreover, group learning on LV-112 also becomes a rewarding team-building exercise that can foster fellowship and self-esteem.
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A student sitting in LV-112's on-board office, trying out the maritime rotary dial phone that has been on the ship since 1936. The early "word processor" (Royal typewriter) also is original to LV-112. In addition, students can communicate with each other throughout the ship on the restored and operational sound-powered telephones. Everyone who visits LV-112 can look, touch, climb and feel history.
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Another segment of our educational programing includes nautical, marine and environmental sciences. The efforts of historic restoration and preservation require adequate funding. Please help us preserve a vital piece of our nation's maritime heritage and inspire learning through interactive education. Your contribution to our historic cause would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your contribution!
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Help support the restoration of LV-112 by donating your old car, truck, boat, or camper and receive a tax deduction
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| Mark and Mary Ellen from Nantucket Island, MA recently, generously donated their 2006 Toyota Tundra truck to the U.S. Lightship Museum. For more information about the CARS donation program, click here. |
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Help support LV-112's restoration when you shop on Amazon with AmazonSmile
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support the efforts of the U.S. Lightship Museum and
Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at
smile.amazon.com, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to the U.S. Lightship Museum, among nearly 1 million organizations from which to choose. The U.S. Lightship Museum is a registered and approved AmazonSmile charity. For more information on how to participate
click here
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Chesapeake Lightship/LV-116,
a surviving sister ship of Nantucket/LV-117
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Chesapeake Lightship, berthed in Baltimore Harbor, MD
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Of the five diesel electric sister ships to Nantucket/LV-117, the predecessor to our ship (LV-112), Chesapeake Lightship/LV-116 is the only accurately preserved sister ship that survives. The six total ships in this class were LV-100, 113, 114, 115, 116 and 117. Berthed in New York Harbor, Frying Pan/LV-115 also exists, but it is privately owned and has been severely modified into a night-club-style restaurant. Chesapeake Lightship is owned by the National Park Service and is open to the general public. For more information, click here.
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LV-116 volunteer Greg Krawczyk stands in LV-116's engine room in front of the main 350 HP electric propulsion motor, which is powered by four diesel engine generators. Greg has been very helpful to the USLM, as a contributor of equipment and parts to assist in LV-112's restoration as well as a valuable resource for historic information.
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Peter Brunk, former USCG commanding officer of LV-112 (1970-71) and a USLM director (left), and Greg Krawczyk stand in front of one of LV-116's diesel engine generators.
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Seafarers' holiday trip,
January 1, 2018:
Tickets now available
For those of you who want to explore the beauty and fascinating history of the Boston Harbor Islands, Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands (FBHI) are sponsoring a New Years Day trip to Thompson Island. This annual boat trip is the best way to start the New Year! Participants will visit Thompson Island with its meadows, forests, beaches and 40-acre salt marsh. Click here for tickets.
Pack a picnic, explore on your own or take a tour with an FBHI volunteer. There will be a building open for warm-up space and a book and merchandise sales table. Park policy is no pets and no alcohol.
You will travel on MV Freedom, which holds 300 people and is heated. The trip will depart at 12:00 p.m. sharp and return to the dock at 4:00 p.m. MV Freedom departs from Rowes Wharf; board at Mass Bay Lines, behind the Boston Harbor Hotel. Tickets can be purchased on the day of the trip (cash, check and credit cards accepted), but it's best to reserve in advance.
The FBHI, a group of spirited volunteers, has worked on behalf of the islands for more than three decades. This nonprofit organization leads tours, provides visitor service, and hosts activities and educational programs that include Nantucket Lightship/LV-112.
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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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