June 2026

‘Kids in Boating Day’ — June 7

A day of learning and Fun!

At "Kids in Boating Day" on June 7, young visitors can take a turn at ringing the 1,200-pound fog bell on Nantucket Lightship/LV-112. Visitors also will be offered a tour of the historic lightship and learn about maritime history and nautical crafts, such as tying various boating knots. In addition to Nantucket Lightship, commercial and first-responder vessels such as the Massport fireboat, MA State Police patrol and rescue boat, and Sea Tow will be on hand.

Jim Keating shows two youngsters how to craft a sailor-knot rope bracelet. Jim is a USLM volunteer and master marlinspike sailor, someone who has achieved a high level of proficiency in marlinespike seamanship — the art of handling and working with ropes ("lines" in nautical terms), including knot tying, splicing and other techniques for joining, securing, and manipulating ropes and wires. In the photo, Jim’s marlinespike crafts are displayed on the table. At the event, Jim will demonstrate to attendees some of his marlinespike talents and crafted sailor-knot rope bracelets for the youngsters.

During the “Kids in Boating” event aboard Nantucket/LV-112, volunteer Kurt Hasselbalch will offer instructional nautical knot-tying techniques to visitors. Kurt serves on the Board of Directors of the Tugboat Luna Preservation Society. The Luna is a unique 1930 historic wood-constructed Boston Harbor tugboat and a National Historic Landmark, as is Nantucket/LV-112. In 1990, he became curator of the Hart Nautical Collection at the MIT Museum, from which he retired in 2019.

Nantucket Lightship/LV-112, berthed on the East Boston waterfront, 2026.

The origins of the State Police Marine Unit emerged in the late 19th century, when state troopers were referred to as state detectives. In February 1897, District Police Commissioner Wade pushed forward legislation to allow the “district police” (predecessor of the State Police) concurrent jurisdiction with the fish commissioners in regard to fisheries laws. Under this measure, the vessel Ocean Gem would be transferred to the authority of the District Police, as reported in the Boston Daily Globe in 1897. Photo credit: Flickr

The State Police’s prominence on the waters of the Commonwealth was bolstered by the commissioning of the vessel Lexington. On July 27, 1898, the steamer was commissioned out of the Story Shipyard in Essex, MA. The Lexington was 122 feet long and operated with a crew of 10 personnel. It was built for seasonal (summer) ocean work and had a maximum speed of approximately 13 knots. The vessel had a “rapid fire” gun, designed for fisheries enforcement. The Boston Sunday Post praised her capabilities to deter “pirates.” information credit: Coastal Angler Magazine, Massachusetts State Police Marine Unit

A youngster receives instruction from a Massport Fire Rescue fireman on how to use the water cannon on board the Fire Rescue boat.

Capt. Ethan Maas, owner of Boston Sea Tow, tows on the hip, one of the two only known remaining lifeboats from the SS Andrea Doria in Boston Harbor, during the 68th Anniversary of the sinking of the Andrea Doria. The anniversary event titled “Celebrating Lifesavers at Sea,” was organized and sponsored in 2024 by the U.S. Lightship Museum. Photo credit: John Rogers

Survivors from the Andrea Doria’s, July 26, 1956, sinking and other attendees at the U.S. Lightship Museum’s event “Celebrating Lifesavers at Sea” took a harbor excursion in the only remaining restored SS Andrea Doria Lifeboat No. 1. It is one of only two known remaining lifeboats (No. 1 and No. 13) that survived from the sinking of the Italian ocean liner after being rammed and by the MS Stockholm in heavy fog off Nantucket Shoals, 18 miles from Nantucket Lightship Station. Sea Tow generously donated towing services in Boston Harbor from Nantucket/LV-112’s berth at the Boston Harbor Shipyard & Marina in East Boston. As a safety measure, USLM volunteer John Rogers was on standby, following the No.1 lifeboat in his 38-foot sailboat. This is the first time in 68 years that Nantucket/LV-112 and Lifeboat No. 1 have been in relative proximity to each other.

Both Nantucket Lightship/LV-112

and CWO4 Peter Brunk, USCG Retired,

turn 90 this year

Peter Brunk (left), Commanding Officer of LV-112 (1970-71), holds a plus-size lobster on board LV-112 while on station at sea, 1970. The contemporary color photo shows Peter holding a macramé lampshade that he crafted while serving on LV-112. During his off-duty time at sea, he also made porthole curtains for the crew’s quarters. Peter gifted his macramé lampshade to the U.S. Lightship Museum.

Nantucket Lightship LV-112, steaming out of the Pusey and Jones Shipyard for sea trials in 1936 before heading to her new homeport of Boston. Photo credit: Hagley Digital Archives

On November 10, 1975 the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a massive American Great Lakes freighter, sank in a violent storm on Lake Superior, claiming the lives of all 29 crew members. On assignment, as the Atlantic Strike Team executive officer, during a search for the missing ship, Peter Brunk was instrumental in helping locate the underwater wreckage.

Both Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 and Peter Brunk share a 90th anniversary this year, beginning their lives in 1936. Happy Birthday to them both! Peter was the commanding officer of the Nantucket from 1970-71. Also, he presently serves on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Lightship Museum and is still an active volunteer in his community. Living on the waterfront in Portsmouth, VA, in his spare time, he still goes crabbing from his boat. 

Living in Portsmouth, VA, Peter Brunk occasionally volunteers with the Portsmouth Lightship Museum. As a former USCG lightship Commanding Officer, he is seen here as a guest speaker on Portsmouth Lightship, open to the public for tours. Note: There was never a “Portsmouth Lightship,” as this ship actually served on several different lightship stations, two of which were Stonehorse and Cross Rip Lightships off the Massachusetts coast. The City of Portsmouth renamed the lightship.

During his service on LV-112, Peter recalls: “The worst thing that happened was going through a bad storm the first week of March 1971. My father died on March 7, and they couldn't get me off the ship for over a week. We left Boston on the 6th and storm warnings were up. When we got to station, the Relief Lightship didn't leave for almost a week, so we had two lightships on Nantucket Shoals Station. The wind blew at over 100 mph for a week. Another interesting event happened in April / May 1970. An American submarine hit the ship with what we think was a dummy torpedo. We were on the corner of the New London sub-testing area, and they were around us a lot.” – Peter Brunk, Commanding Officer, LV-112, 1970–71 For more about Peter Brunk’s background, click here.

Portsmouth Lightship Museum, Portsmouth, VA. The lightship is designated LV-101 and is one of the smaller U.S. lightships built. 

Built in 1915, the Lightship PORTSMOUTH served for 48 years off the coasts of Virginia, Delaware, and Massachusetts remaining at strategic locations for months at a time. Now a museum, the ship’s quarters are fitted out realistically and filled with fascinating artifacts, uniforms, photographs, models and other curious items. In 1989, the Lightship PORTSMOUTH was designated a National Historic Landmark.



Lightship stations served:

Charles, Cape Charles, Virginia (1916–1924)

Relief, Relief 5th District (1925–1926)

Overfalls, Overfalls, Delaware (1926–1951)

Stonehorse, Stonehorse Shoal, Massachusetts (1951–1963)

CrossRip, Cross Rip Shoal, Massachusetts (1963–1964)

On 3 September 1964, LV-101 was donated to the city to become part of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum.

Museum Ships Weekend

HAM Radio event – June 6, 12pm-3pm, 

on Nantucket LV-112

Nantucket Lightship LV-112 Radio Officer sending and receiving messages in 1936 when the U.S. Lighthouse Service managed the lighthouses and lightships. When the Coast Guard fully absorbed the U.S. Lighthouse Service in 1939 and took over lightship operations, the civilian "Radio Officer" positions were phased out and replaced by enlisted Coast Guard Radiomen.

The Museum Ships Weekend Event (June 6-7) is sponsored by The Battleship New Jersey Amateur Radio Station. Over 100 ships, mostly Naval ships, lightships and merchant vessels will be participating internationally, including the RMS Queen Mary, formally guided by Nantucket Lightship/LV-112, to and from the U.S. and Europe. LV-112 will only be participating June 6.

Nantucket LV-112 Radio Room, was operational until 1975, when LV-112 was decommissioned after serving her 39-year career on Nantucket Shoals Lightship Station including four years during WWII (1942-45) as a converted armed examination vessel, USS Nantucket, in Portland, Maine Harbor.

USLM presents the

‘History of the U.S. Lightship Service’

and Nantucket/LV-112

at Thirwood Place, Cape Cod

USLM President Bob Mannino and former LV-112 USCG crew member (1972-73) and volunteer Paul Sabo presented the history of the U.S. Lightship Service and LV-112, at Thirwood Place – Senior Living Community, South Yarmouth, MA, with the general public invited. Paul Sabo (photo below) shared his breathtaking and challenging experiences at sea while assigned to Nantucket Lightship/LV-112. Nantucket Lightship artifacts and publications were brought to the presentation. Thirwood Place also had its own large-scale model of Nantucket/LV-112.

Paul also talked about his USCG experience while assigned to a LORAN station. He was asked by a member of the audience, “Why did you choose the Nantucket Lightship assignment?” Paul said, “Because my previous assignment was considered ‘most desirable’ (Bermuda), my next duty assignment had to be ‘most undesirable.’ The choice I was given was: LORAN Station Attu, Alaska – cited by the Coast Guard as the most isolated and remote of its restricted-duty stations, or Nantucket Lightship — noted as the most dangerous duty assignment in the Coast Guard. I chose the Nantucket because it was closest to my home in Rhode Island”.

Paul Sabo sharing his USCG and Nantucket Lightship LV-112 experience.

Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary 

with Boston Harbor Fireworks

from the decks of Nantucket Lightship/LV-112

Thursday, July 2, Independence Day Week and 
July 15, during the eve of the Tall Ships departure

City of Boston skyline as seen from Nantucket Lightship/LV-112.

The USCGC Eagle will be one of many international tall ships coming to Boston Harbor from July 11-16, for the Tall Ships Parade / Sail Boston 250. Photo credit: U.S. Coast Guard.

WHAT TO BRING: Picnic supper, your favorite beverages, beach/lawn chairs to sit on the decks of Nantucket/LV-112, which will remain at the dock. We'll supply the ship, panoramic views and lively music. The ship's powerful rotating light beacon will be activated just before the fireworks begin.

WHY: This is a fundraising event for LV-112, for which we still have much work to do; visit our Facebook page. The ship's restoration solely depends on the generous contributions of corporations, private foundations, federal, state and municipal grants, maritime enthusiasts and individuals such as you.

RESERVATIONS JULY 2: We request a $35 donation per person. Tickets for the July 2 fireworks can be purchased on EventBrite by clicking here.

RESERVATIONS JULY 15: We request a $35 donation per person. Tickets for the Tall Ships–Sail Boston 250 fireworks can be purchased on EventBrite by clicking here.

WHERE: LV-112 is berthed at the Boston Harbor Shipyard & Marina, 256 Marginal St., East Boston, MA; directions. There's free street parking next to the shipyard, but it's limited due to holiday weekend volume.

Best option is public transportation. Approximately a 15-minute walk from the MBTA Subway Blue Line, Maverick Station, or from Lewis Mall Park (MBTA ferry to East Boston); view walking route. A water taxi service is also available (Boston Water Taxi: Phone: 617.261.6620).

For more information, contact: 617.797.0135 or email.

USLM to offer historic decorative arts classes on board Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 in 2026

Shown above are various styles and sizes of newly hand-crafted lightship baskets. Nantucket lightship baskets evolved from utilitarian splint baskets, becoming iconic folk art after lightship crewmen began weaving them to pass away the time in the mid-1800s while off duty. They used rattan, cane and wood molds crafted from discarded ship wood. Key developments include the introduction of the purse-style basket by Captain Charles Ray and the popularization of lidded versions by José Formoso Reyes in the 1940s, transforming them from shipboard crafts to collectible island souvenirs and art, marked by their wooden bases, cane weaving and distinct molds. Photo credit: Nantucket Historical Association

Abby Fisher conducts one of her Lightship Basket Jewelry craft classes on board Nantucket/LV-112 in the wardroom.

Abby introduces the class to students and distributes the individual jewelry craft materials before proceeding to the wardroom for the instruction. Students also enjoyed refreshments and snacks in the galley. After the class was completed, students were given a tour of the Nantucket. As one student said after the class, "There’s something pretty special about creating a piece of history while floating on it.” 

The tradition of basket weaving began aboard the lightships anchored off the shores of Nantucket. Nantucket New South Shoals No.1, serving on Nantucket Shoals Lightship Station from 1856-92, was the lightship most noted for its sailors on board who created the famed Nantucket lightship baskets. These floating lighthouses protected and guided ships away from the treacherous Nantucket Shoals as they approached the island and other major ports of call along the North Atlantic. Keepers of the lightships spent much of their off-duty time weaving, and the result is a tradition still practiced today. The Nantucket lightship basket has become an art form, with makers exploring new shapes, functions, materials and decoration. It is a practice that has fueled the island economy and is recognized the world over.

Signature Basket Bracelet – one of several types of Signature Lightship Basket bracelets and necklaces offered by Fisher Nantuckets.

Jose Reyes at work in his studio on Nantucket Island, c. 1940. Courtesy of the Nantucket Historical Association.

Above is a hand-woven basket that was crafted on No.1 Nantucket New South Shoal Lightship during the 1800s. This lightship basket is part of the Nantucket Historical Association's (NHA) collection, on display at the NHA museum.

No.1 Nantucket New South Shoal Lightship served on Nantucket Shoals Lightship Station, 1856-92.

During 2026, the U.S. Lightship Museum, in conjunction with the Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) and Fisher Nantuckets, will offer several unique classes on board the historic Nantucket Lightship/LV-112, berthed in Boston Harbor. In the spring, Fisher Nantuckets will offer signature lightship basket jewelry classes; for more information, contact Abby Fisher at Fisher Nantuckets. In late summer, the NHA will offer Nantucket lightship basket-weaving classes; inquiries can be directed to the NHA (Nantucket Historical Association). More information about these classes will be forthcoming in the next eNews.

The U.S. Lightship Museum is a member of 'Museums for All'

The U.S. Lightship Museum (USLM) has joined Museums for All, a signature access program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), administered by the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), to encourage people of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum-going habits. The program supports those receiving food assistance (SNAP) benefits, who can visit Nantucket/LV-112 for free, up to four people, with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. Similar free and reduced admission is available to eligible members of the public at more than 850 museums across the country. Museums for All is part of the USLM’s broad commitment to seek, include and welcome all audiences. For more information about Museums for All, click here.

Capt. Robertson P. Dinsmore Fund

Donahue, Tucker &

Ciandella, PLLC 

East Boston Foundation

Eastern Bank Charitable

Foundation

Eastern Salt Co.

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

SR Johnson Fund

Kelly Automotive Group  

H.F. Lenfest Fund

The Lightship Group, LLC

Marine Systems Corp.

Massachusetts Historical Commission

McAllister Towing &

Transportation Co.

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)

Melvin's Welding

Joe and Pepette Mongrain

Fund

National Park Service

Save America's Treasures 

National Trust for   

Historic Preservation

New England 

Lighthouse Lovers 

New London Maritime Society and Custom House Maritime Museum

Patriot Marine, LLC

The Sail Loft, LLC, Nantucket

Sherwin-Williams

Industrial Marine Coatings Division

State Street Corporation

T & M Services

Town of Oyster Bay, 

Long Island, NY

U.S. Coast Guard Lightship Sailors Association 

U.S. Lighthouse Society

West Marine   

Westerbeke Company

Verizon Foundation

Zuni Maritime Foundation

USS Zuni / USCG Tamaroa  

Individual Donors

USLM Members 

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.

Preserving America's Lighthouses: The Memoirs of a Coast Guard Ocean Engineer

By Rear Admiral Daniel May (author), a 1979 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, is the recipient of a Distinguished Service Medal and many other awards. During his career, he served as the engineer for major lighthouse projects, including the relocation of Block Island Southeast Light in Rhode Island (the first move of a major lighthouse in the United States), the relocation of Highland Light on Cape Cod, and the design and construction of a revetment to protect Montauk Light on Long Island, New York. This book tells the story of RADM May’s decades of working to preserve America's lighthouses and other aids to navigation. Dan May has been a valuable adviser to the USLM. The book may be purchased on Amazon.

Wreckhunter.net

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 numerous shipwrecks located in New England waters. For more information, click here.

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 the 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.

Book description: "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"

"The Finest Hours—" Book and Movie

"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)

The full-length movie "The Finest Hours' is available on DVD.

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.

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

Nantucket/LV-112

Ambrose/LV-87

Overfalls/LV-118

Chesapeake.LV-116

Portsmouth/LV-101

Huron/LV-103

Swiftsure/LV-83

Columbia/WLV-604

Relief/WLV-605

At left, students visit LV-112's pilot house and pretend they are steering the lightship. At right, a crew member rings the bell on the foredeck of Nantucket New South Shoal No. 1 during low-visibility storm conditions. The illustration is from "Life on the South Shoal Lightship" by Gustov Kobbe, Century Magazine, August 1891.

Kenrick A. Claflin & Son 
Nautical Antiques

Lighthouseantiques.net 

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.