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Lightship
Nantucket moored in EB Shipyard Marina
by Robert Strelitz
SPECIAL TO EASTBOSTON.COM
She's handsome, in a hulking sort of way, this largest of the
lightship vessels that once stood guard at locations deemed too
rough and treacherous to build a permanent lighthouse structure.
She sits moored at the end of the East Boston Shipyard Marina, the
word "Nantucket" emblazoned boldly along her 148'10" long hull.
Otherwise known as
LV(lightship
vessel)-112, she was the longest-serving ship in the once
numerous lightship fleet of the US Coast Guard.
She served proudly from 1936 until 1983, when she was retired, the
last of a honored line
From her station at
Nantucket
Shoals, she was the last sight Europe-bound ships saw as they
headed east.
When she was built, in 1936, she was state of the art, no expense
spared, and this itself is an interesting side story.
You see, the LV-112 was herself the successor to a previous
Nantucket lightship which was driven under in a collision by the
Olympic, which , itself, was the sister ship of the HMS Titanic of
movie fame.
As compensation, the White Star Line of Britain paid for the
construction of the present LV-112, and the double-hulled powerhouse
at the shipyard was the result.
She was built to battleship! specifications, and , eventually,
powered by 900horsepower diesel engines.
She's quite a sight, with her soaring twin 75' masts atop which rode
the light beacons which are her feature and her function
As I said, she's at the end of the marina at the
East Boston Shipyard on Marginal Street.
Call Ron at 978.836.9708 and a visit can be arranged for a tour of
LV-112.
The tour is a freebie, but , be advised, the ship need funds for her
restoration, which is presently ongoing.
A donation pitch is definitely to be expected. To anyone interested
in maritime history, LV-112 is a good take. For more on this piece
of history, go to uscglightshipsailors.org, and click on the LV-112
link there.
Oh, statistics say that these maritime history sites are over 95% a
male interest, but father's day is upon us.
Bon voyage!
Photo courtesy Robert Strelitz
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