Thanks to Matt for correcting a fact in yesterday’s post, in which I reported hearing that 12 lightships remain. In fact, the number is 18, of which 2 are “endangered.” Can you find the lightship in the foto below, which I’m re-posting from 11 months ago? (Click here for the original context.)
Back last February, Jeff S commented as follows: “vessel [behind small tug Jay Bee V] is Lake St. Clair…. Lake St. Clair was built as LV-75 at Ferrysburg, Mi. in 1902. Converted to a lighter at some point and came to N Y in early 1982.” More info at link later in post.
I took the foto last January focusing on Jay Bee V and have never gotten back to properly foto Lake St. Clair.
Can you find the lightship below in this foto from less than three years ago?
Here’s another chance to spot it.
Well, those white masts belonged to Lightship #84 aka St. Johns, hidden beneath it at that time. What ocean depths now entertain Lightship #84 is just as well known as . . . where Jimmy Hoffa lies. Did any Red Hook reader see the lightship scooped aboard a barge and taken out to be reefed? If so, willing to share fotos?
Find the lightship here? It’s LV-115 aka Frying Pan, of course, just off the stern of art-project tug Hackensack, which I’ll follow up on later this week.
Matt included this link on the eighteen remaining lightships. To summarize the info on whereabouts, a total of six are in the “sixth boro” (including LV-107 in Jersey City and one in Oyster Bay), two are in New Jersey (I’m counting LV-107 again), two in Massachusetts, and one in each of the following locations: Alaska, British Columbia, California, Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington.
All fotos by Will Van Dorp, in 2006 and 2008. Check out Matt’s blog, soundbounder.
Tangentially related . . . a new travel update from Henry Hudson appears here. Enjoy and pass it along to friends.
3 comments
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January 15, 2009 at 8:51 am
jeff s
methinks its just plain SAINT CLAIR….no ”lake”
Weeks lifted the one at Revere Sugar but it disappeared….i’d guess it more likely got chopped up in the backwaters of Jersey….to be reefed there would have to be a prolonged cleaning process, not that it couldn’t happen , but it would hardly go unnoticed.
January 15, 2009 at 8:59 am
jeff
tugster-
i think i may have some photos of the lightship Portsmouth…lemme dig around a bit.
J
March 11, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Keith M. Steffke
Regarding the old Great Lakes light vessel “No. 75″…..
This steel barge was originally designated as the “Grosse Pointe” light ship from her launching at the Johnson Brosthers Shipyard/Boiler Works at Ferrysburg Michigan in 1902, and retained that station name until the 1911 season. She replaced an earlier wooden light ship, of the same name.
Her station name was then changed to “St. Clair” for ease of indentifcation at a distance. I have made a number of models of her from her earliest configuration, to her last as an unmanned, fully automated light ship on the Inland Seas.
She was converted to a gas propelled lighter by C. D. Stewart of Saginaw Michigan in 1952, then her rig was changed to diesel in 1964. She was finally sold off lakes in 1977.
I do have some photos of the models, if their posting is desired.
Cordially,
Keith