Steaming ahead into spring…
Gladly, leaving behind the cold & snow
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Our first spring season group tour was hosting a group of local East Boston Spanish and Portuguese-speaking residents who are learning English. The group was organized by Magdalena Ayed-La Battaglia and Elsa Flores, from the Harborkeepers, who were the Spanish/Portuguese translators. Two USLM volunteers, Boston school teacher John Rogers and Cindy Baxter, also assisted with language translation. |
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Snow and subfreezing temps, or not, tours of Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 carried on through the winter, during the off-season. Throughout the current restoration project, Nantucket LV-112 will now be open to the general public for 2022 seasonal tours from April 30 through October 29, on Saturdays, 10am – 4pm. Reservations may be scheduled for all other days throughout the year to accommodate individuals, group tours and private functions. For more information, email rmmjr2@comcast.net
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Good-bye winter — a recap |
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Good-bye winter! This is a typical winter scene on Nantucket/LV-112, berthed on the Boston Harbor waterfront, with volunteers boarding to clear snow.
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In this historic photo of Nantucket/LV-112, a crew member chops away a severe buildup of heavy seawater ice from the ship’s superstructure. LV-112 had just arrived back to Boston Harbor for servicing from Nantucket Shoals Lightship Station in 1964. While anchored on station (100 miles off the mainland in more than 200 feet of water), the seawater spray during windy subfreezing days in rough seas would cause a dangerous buildup of ice on the lightship’s superstructure. This heavy thick ice would make the lightship top-heavy and more vulnerable to capsizing in stormy seas. So crew members would have to go outside on deck in hazardous sea conditions and chop the ice off with axes and sledge hammers, which was extremely dangerous duty. Imagine being stationed and isolated on the most remote and treacherous lightship station in the world during a winter storm at sea with no land in sight, in the dark of night. Lightships and their crews had to stay on station, regardless of the weather. This is one reason that Nantucket Lightship was considered the most dangerous assignment in the U.S. Coast Guard. In general, all lightship duty was considered very dangerous.
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Volunteers help get the job done in the
aftermath of the Blizzard of 2022
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Volunteer Rob Nickologianis gets a good workout, helping to clear the decks of Nantucket/LV-112 after a powerful Blizzard that hit New England on Jan. 29, 2022. The nor’easter dumped over a foot of snow, packed gusts up to 80 mph, and caused coastal flooding and widespread power outages.
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USLM President Bob Mannino gobbles up the deep snow with an electric-powered snowblower on LV-112’s foredeck.
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Volunteers (left to right) Dave Puett, John Rogers and Rob Nickologianis are pleased and relieved after a job well done of clearing snow off the decks of the Nantucket.
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Students tour the Nantucket on a chilly day and get a lesson in maritime history
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Fourth-grade students from the Curtis Guild School in East Boston arrive for a winter tour on the Nantucket, toughing it out during a chilly subfreezing day.
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The students are fascinated with the odd formation of the seawater icicles attached to LV-112’s hull, close to the waterline, that form during windy long periods of deep subfreezing temperatures. This past winter was particularly cold, with many days in the single digits.
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During the tour, the fourth-graders took turns at ringing LV-112’s 1,200-pound fog bell, mounted on LV-112’s foredeck.
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Trying out the sound-powered telephone, Ira talks to a fellow classmate at the opposite end of the Nantucket.
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Illustration of a WWII U.S. Navy submarine crewman in 1944, using a sound-powered telephone headset during battle conditions. Identical headsets were also used on Nantucket/LV-112. Credit: Western Electric
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Sound powered telephones — no electricity required
Sound-powered phones are designed to operate without ship power. They are communication devices that allows users to talk to each other with the use of a handset, similar to a conventional telephone, but without the use of external power. This technology has been used since at least 1944, during WWII, for both routine and emergency communication on ships to allow communication between key locations on a vessel if power is unavailable. A sound-powered phone circuit can have two or more stations on the same circuit. The circuit is always live and allows a user to begin speaking, rather than dialing another station. Sound-powered telephones are not normally connected to a telephone exchange. The system was adopted by the U.S. military and proved to be virtually indestructible. Many different types of equipment have attempted to replace sound-powered telephones on ships. Due to the rugged, reliable and power-free nature of this equipment, to this day, they remain in use on all U.S. military vessels, commercial vessels and work boats. Click here to see how a sound-powered telephone works.
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John Rogers, a fourth-grade teacher at East Boston’s Curtis Guild School, shows his students the layout of Nantucket Lightship’s compartments on a set of technical drawings in the ship’s galley while enjoying a welcomed cup of hot chocolate. He explains that Nantucket/LV-112 has a double hull and many (43) watertight compartments. By comparison, the RMS Titanic only had 16 watertight compartments. The Titanic and its sister ship, the RMS Olympic, which in 1934 rammed LV-117 (predecessor to LV-112), was 52,310 displacement tons, and Nantucket/LV-112 was 1,050 displacement tons.
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Volunteer John Rogers explains to students how the radio receivers, transmitters and navigational radio beacon transmitter were used in LV-112’s radio room.
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Students have some fun with shark jaws from sharks caught on LV-112. While LV-112 was anchored on Nantucket Shoals Lightship Station, crew members would fish for sharks with hand lines during their off-duty time. Sharks were plentiful on Nantucket Shoals Lightship Station. As reported by former LV-112 crew members, sometimes the crew would catch up to 15 large sharks a day and “accidents did happen—not always good.” Several years ago, an old Navy sea-bag was found on LV-112 that contained moldy shark jaws (which we cleaned) from blue and mako sharks among the tons of old material, new old-stock parts and equipment dating back to 1946, left behind on LV-112 from when it was a commissioned USCG lightship. We assumed the shark jaws were from sharks caught on board LV-112.
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An LV-112 crew member hauls up a large shark with a hand line off the port quarter of the lightship on Nantucket Shoals Lightship Station, October 1959. Photo Credit: Bob Gubitosi, Sr.
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John Rogers shows students LV-112’s main engine room and its massive 8-cylinder 900 HP Cooper-Bessemer Diesel engine, which replaced LV-112’s original compound reciprocal steam engine in 1960.
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City of Boston awards USLM a $250,000 CPA grant towards Nantucket/LV-112’s restoration and preservation
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On April 5, East Boston fourth-grade teacher John Rogers and two of his students, Ira and Allison, gave supportive testimony at the Boston City Council Community Preservation Act hearing for grant applicants, including Nantucket Lightship/LV-112. Experiencing a lesson in civics, Ira is standing at the podium, addressing the Boston City Council giving his testimony, expressing his enjoyment and learning experience during his tour of LV-112. Magdalena Ayed-Labattaglia, executive director of Harborkeepers, and East Boston resident Cindy Baxter also gave supportive testimony at the hearing.
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Teacher John Rogers and his fourth-grade students, Allison and Ira, pose in front of Boston City Hall. |
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In 2016, Boston voters approved the Community Preservation Act (CPA) by voting “yes” on ballot question 5. By adopting the CPA, the City of Boston has created a Community Preservation Fund. The city finances this fund in part by a 1% property tax-based surcharge on residential and business property tax bills, beginning in July 2017. The city uses this revenue to fund the following types of initiatives consistent with CPA guidelines: affordable housing, historic preservation, open space and public recreation. |
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Nantucket/LV-112 underwent restoration in dry-dock last year at the Fitzgerald Shipyard in Boston Harbor, a project largely funded by a Community Preservation Act grant from the City of Boston.
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The U.S. Lightship Museum is sincerely grateful to the City of Boston’s residents, Mayor Wu, the City Council, our volunteers, and everyone else who has supported our historic cause through the CPA application process. The CPA-Boston grant program has been transformational towards Nantucket/LV-112’s costly restoration and preservation.
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Boston Marine Society headquarters is located in the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston Harbor. |
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The U.S. Lightship Museum offers its appreciation to the Boston Marine Society (BMS) for its generous donation of $3,000, directed towards the development of its Candlepower educational program for children. The BMS has been instrumental in improving navigation and mariner welfare since its origin in 1742. In addition, the society's operation has been continuous, starting before America won its independence, and remains the oldest association of its kind in the world. |
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Over the centuries, the BMS has delivered leadership to achieve significant accomplishments in maritime safety. Charting of regional waters, the construction of lighthouses, and placement of buoys and markers has often been accomplished with the advice of the BMS. Two former members of the society were U.S. Presidents: John Adams and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
The BMS location includes an impressive exhibit area with historic artifacts, superbly built ship models and marine paintings from prestigious maritime artists, such as Antonio Jacobson. Also, the BMS has a library that includes a collection of historical items dating as far back as the late 1700s.
The BMS is open to the public by appointment for research study and just viewing the gallery and exhibits. For more information and to view the BMS website, click here.
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The SS Texaco North Dakota is one of many superbly built ship models on display at the Boston Marine Society. The model was built by Boucher-Lewis, nationally renowned as the premier builder of fine-scale ship models, with a reputation for detail, authenticity and workmanship. A finely crafted model of the SS United States is also on display.
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A cargo of salt is being off-loaded from a bulk-carrier ship at Eastern Salt’s storage terminal in Chelsea, MA. This is the former location of the U.S. Lighthouse Service and U.S. Coast Guard’s Chelsea Depot, where lightships, buoy tenders and navigational aids were serviced and stored. From 1936-75, Nantucket/LV-112 was routinely serviced at the Chelsea Depot (shown in the 1936 photo below), in addition to the USCG base, located on the North End waterfront.
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The U.S. Lightship Museum extends its gratitude to the Eastern Salt Company, Inc., headquartered in Lowell, MA and its owner and CEO, Shelagh E. Mahoney, for a generous grant of $3,000, directed towards the restoration and preservation of Nantucket Lightship/LV-112. The Eastern Salt Co. is a family-owned and operated business established in the mid-1950s that distributes quality road salt to communities along the U.S. east coast.
Approximately 20 percent of the salt that piles up along Marginal Street near the Andrew McArdle Bridge is shipped to Chelsea from Ireland and Mexico. The vast majority actually comes from one mine in South America, located in the Atacama Desert about 25 miles from the northern coast of Chile. This area, which is all salt as far as you can see, is known as the driest place on earth, virtually devoid of vegetation, and it may be the oldest desert on earth.
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Chelsea Depot (photo c. 1936) was established by the U.S. Lighthouse Service (USLHS) in 1919. It was a district service depot that consisted of a repair shop, lampist shop, buoy storage, coal storage, berths for lighthouse, buoy tenders, and berths for lightships. Before Eastern Salt established a terminal at this location in Chelsea, it was originally part of the Second District, United States Lighthouse Service (USLHS), Chelsea Depot. In 1939 ,when the USLHS merged with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), it became the USCG First District— Base Boston. From 1936-75, Nantucket/LV-112 (shown in photo) was routinely serviced at the Chelsea Depot in addition to the USCG base, located in Boston's North End.
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Westerbeke Fishing Gear Company |
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Westerbeke owner, Chris Halligan, stands in front of a 50-person inflatable life-raft in the shop, being inspected and serviced for one of the whale-watch boats. |
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The U.S. Lightship Museum (USLM) is sincerely thankful to the ongoing support of the Westerbeke Fishing Gear Company, which has generously donated funding, splicing services, block-and-tackle gear for our interactive exhibit booth used at public events, and recently, custom-sewn safety netting for Nantucket/LV-112’s visitor gangway. Originally located on the Boston Fish Pier, Westerbake has been in business since 1924, as a family-owned and operated business that offers expert service, knowledge and quality marine products. Westerbeke provides marine and industrial, safety and survival, nets and netting products and service.
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Westerbeke donated all the block-and- tackle rigging for the interactive USLM exhibit titled “Working Smarter Not Harder,” which teaches children in a fun way, about the applied physics of lifting weights and the advantages or comparisons of using 1-, 2- and 3-part block-and-tackle systems. |
Westerbeke is a supplier of ship chandlery, winches, rope, chain, buoys, swaging, splicing, foul weather, safety and survival gear, block-and-tackle equipment, flotation products, life-rafts, inflatable boat repair and much more. Westerbeke is also a USCG-approved life-raft service and inspection station and offers commercial custom safety netting systems for sports venues and industrial applications. They welcome you to stop by their location in East Boston at 400 Border St. If they don’t have it in stock, they will order it for you. For more information, click here. |
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Zampitella Family honors LV-112 crew member
Richard Zampitella, Sr.
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Former USCG Nantucket/LV-112 crew member, Richard Zampitella, Sr., while visiting the lightship, stands next to his former bunk on board LV-112. The photo was taken in the early 2000s when LV-112 was berthed in New York City at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. Richard served on LV-112 from 1958-60. Photo credit: Zampitella Family
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The U.S. Lightship Museum is sincerely grateful to the Zampitella Family for their ongoing support towards the restoration and preservation of Nantucket LV-112 in honor of their father and grandfather, Richard Zampitella, Sr., who died 10 years ago. He was especially proud of three things in his life: his family, his business and his time serving in the Coast Guard and on the Nantucket Lightship/LV-112. Dick served in the Coast Guard for six years from September 1956 until September 1962. Three of his four children were born while he was in the service. He joined the Coast Guard at 18 years of age. Following boot camp, his first assignment was aboard the USCGC Castlerock.
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Dick Zampitella while serving in the USCG, c. 1960
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As a Seaman, Dick was transferred to the Nantucket/LV-112 on July 1, 1958. He was transferred to USCG Base Boston from the Nantucket in January 1960. At that time, he was a Boatswains Mate – Petty Officer Second Class. In May of 1961, Dick was promoted to Petty Officer First Class and was authorized to wear the USCG Good Conduct Medal. He was honorably discharged in August 1962.
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The Zampitella Family held a reunion on board Nantucket/LV-112 in 2012. Photo credit: Zampitella Family
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Several years after leaving the service, Dick started a business, the Gloria Foods delicatessen in Malden Square, which was family owned for 30 years. Following his retirement from his business, Dick enjoyed traveling. One of his favorite trips took him to New York in the early 2000s. During this trip, he was able to visit and board Nantucket/LV-112 while it was docked. He enjoyed seeing the ship after so many years and often spoke with fondness about seeing his bunk and other aspects of the lightship while there. Richard Sr., sadly passed away in April 2012. In August of the same year, the Zampitella Family held a reunion on LV-112 in honor of Richard Sr.
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This scale model of Nantucket/LV-112 was built by Dick’s brother, Stevie Zampitella
Recently Dick's brother, Stevie Zampitella, presented the family with a miniature replica of the Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 that he had spent nine months building by hand from wood and plastic. He did it as a tribute to his brother's love of his time in the Coast Guard and as a treasure for the family to pass down through the generations. Dick would always say that he made great friends, learned a lot about himself and what he was capable of, and grew as a man during his time in the Coast Guard; one of his great sources of personal pride. The photo above is the Nantucket/LV-112 replica built by Stevie Zampitella in 2022.
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Michael G. Walling — LV-112 volunteer and donor
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Former U.S. Coast Guard veteran and author Mike Walling recently donated the two 5’ x 8’ USCG Ensigns (flags), being held by volunteers (left to right) Rob Nickologianis, Magdalena Ayed-LaBattaglia, Cindy Baxter, Tim McCarthy, Jim Hewitt and Ken Kubic (USCG LV-112, 1973-74). In addition, Mike donated several other vintage U.S. and signal flags, marlinspike tools, and rigging blocks and tackle.
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Mike served in the U.S. Coast Guard for six years as a commissioned officer and senior petty officer. Most of his seagoing experience was in the North Atlantic and included trips to the Arctic. His assignments included buoy tending, search-and-rescue missions, drug and fisheries law enforcement, and oceanographic operations. Mike also served on the buoy tender USCGC Spar from 1970-71. While assigned to the Spar, he serviced Nantucket/LV-112 on Nantucket Shoals Lightship Station and Boston Lightship.
Mike Walling is an author of several historic maritime and military-related books. In addition, he is an internationally recognized WWII expert, a contributing author to the U.S. Naval Institute’s Naval History magazine. and has appeared on the History Channel and PBS as an aviation and naval expert. For more information about Mike’s publications, click here. The USLM is sincerely grateful for Mike’s contributions and volunteer efforts.
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Mike has offered to teach marlinspike seamanship on board Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 on Saturdays, 11am – 3pm, with the first workshop scheduled Saturday, April 30. These workshops will teach basic nautical knots, rope splicing and marlinspike seamanship. So, if you own a boat or just want to learn the art of making safe secure knots and splicing rope, this is the workshop for you.
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Thank you to all our volunteers and donors! |
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The commitment and support of our volunteers is imperative in helping to keep Nantucket/LV-112 afloat and open to the public for all to learn from and enjoy!
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How you can
help Nantucket/LV-112's
light beacon keep shining
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All electronic donations will be securely processed by PayPal |
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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.
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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 lighthouse 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.
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Support LV-112's restoration!
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 Lightship/LV-112 by marine artist Gerald Levey.
Discover the value-added membership benefits when you become a member of the U.S. Lightship Museum (USLM). The USLM is a member of the Council of American Maritime Museums (CAMM). 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.
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ACK Marine & General Contracting, LLC
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
Boston Marine Society
Burnham Associates, Inc.
Burnham Marine
California Public Safety Radio Association
Cameron International Corporation
Charitable Adult Rides and
Services, Inc.
City of Boston
Community Preservation Act
C/J Towing & Recovery
Claflin & Son
Nautical Antiques
Crandall Dry Dock Engineers
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Capt. Robertson P. Dinsmore Fund
Donahue, Tucker &
Ciandella, PLLC
East Boston Foundation
Eastern Bank Charitable
Foundation
Eastern Salt Company
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
Massachusetts Historical Commission
McAllister Towing &
Transportation Co.
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)
Joe and Pepette Mongrain
Fund
National Park Service
Save America's Treasures
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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
West Marine
U.S. Lighthouse Society
Westerbeke Company
USLM Members
Verizon Foundation
Zuni Maritime Foundation
USS Zuni / USCG Tamaroa
Individual Donors
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Nantucket/LV-112
Proudly made in USA
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USLM is a member
of the following organizations
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Teach children about lightships
with the book Lightship
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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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Poem posted on LV-112 while in service on Nantucket Shoals Lightship Station
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"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
Sails!"
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 numerous shipwrecks located in New England waters. For more information, click here.
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The Sinking of the U-853 by Capt. William Palmer
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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.
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German U-boat attack off Portland, Maine, during WWII, involving LV-112 (USS Nantucket)
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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.
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"The Finest Hours—" Book and Movie |
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"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)
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Bernie Webber, who 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.
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The full-length movie "The Finest Hours' is available on DVD. |
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To learn more about
lighthouse news, click on Lighthouse Digest
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Explore the oceans in depth and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution with
Oceanus magazine
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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.
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Lightships, Lighthouses & Lifeboat Stations: A memoir and history
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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).
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Help support the restoration of LV-112 by donating your old car and receive a tax deduction
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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.
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The Lightships of Cape Cod |
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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 |
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Massachusetts Lighthouses and Lightships |
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"Massachusetts Lighthouses and Lightships" by Arthur P. Richmond is an indispensable addition to the lighthouse enthusiast's library, required reading for those interested in New England maritime history, and a delight for anyone who enjoys coastal Massachusetts. More than 800 images, many never before published, include historic plans that describe the details of these aids to navigation, and archival and contemporary photos that trace through their history. The book covers all the lighthouses and lightships that marked the shores (exclusive of Cape Cod and the Islands) and guided mariners through the challenging waters surrounding Massachusetts. This volume also explores the interiors of towers, shows the lantern rooms of rarely-visited lighthouses, and gives fascinating facts about these beacons through their 200-year history. U.S. Lightship Museum (USLM): Excellent book-one of the better books published, about lighthouses and lightships. Credit: Review-Amazon Books/USLM |
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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 illustration is from "Life on the South Shoal Lightship" by Gustov Kobbe, Century Magazine, August 1891.
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Kenrick A. Claflin & Son Nautical Antiques
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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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The United States Lightship Museum
The U.S. Lightship Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the rescue and preservation of Nantucket Lightship/LV-112, a National Historic Landmark and a National Treasure. LV-112 is a museum and floating learning center, open to the general public -- a place for people of all ages to learn about our nation's seafaring history and the technologies that advanced the nautical and marine sciences.
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