1907 Lightship

Here and here are previous posts that feature this vessel, LV-87 Ambrose.  The first two photos below come from Birk Thomas in late winter 2012, as Ambrose was finishing up some yard work and then

in March headed back to South Street Seaport Museum. 

I took the remaining photos, the one below as the lightship was bathed in fireworks light on July 4 this year.

The next two photos I took last week, trying to highlight Christmas red.

By the way, next week I plan a post of any work vessel–or replica thereof–decorated for Christmas in some way.  I have a few already, but if you have such a photo to share, send it along soon.  Click here for some Christmas-related workboat photos from two years ago.

Two older sister ships of Ambrose are Barnegat, LV 79, ex-Cape Lookout Shoal,  and delivered on 1 December 1904, now languishing in Pyne Point NJ; and

Swiftsure, LV-83, ex-Relief, and delivered on 22 December 1904.  I’m wondering if there’s a photo showing both vessels in Camden at the shipyard in –say–October 1904, just prior to delivery.    I took both photos in summer 2010.

Going back to this record of New York Shipbuilding history, does anyone know what became of LV 88 Columbia River, supposedly sold to Japan in 1988?

This post shows a photo of LV 84 Brunswick and tells of its demise.  Click here for other posts on lightships.  One lightship I’d really like to see is this one from 1911 in Surinam.

The top two photos credit to Birk Thomas;  all the others to Will Van Dorp.

 

Summer Solstice

About to appear on stage it’s the summer solstice 2007 and . . . Ambrose. This one’s for Tana for her tour of  Vancouver’s water space.

 

Ambrose‘s gongs are silent; she doesn’t sing, dance, or play music . . . although those mushroom anchors resemble “bells” of brass instruments . . . right behind one of the four stages for the River-to-River festival that goes all summer.

 

Monday as Pioneer crew returned from Clearwater at four in the morning on this dock shared with Ambrose, we saw four tango dancers gliding off to the port side of the red ship, possibly kept awake by midsummer and memories of the light beams from the ship and moving to the music in their heads. Never in their wildest hallucinations could a lightship crew on station back 50 years ago imagine a future where tangoistas would move off the port of their feuerschiff.

 

Some disparate New York area activities around solstice approach . . .

Mermaid Parade and Ball on Coney Island!!!

All photos by Will Van Dorp.

And a little later, Great Hudson River Paddle!!! If you haven’t registered, you can still attend the festivals.

Any good solstice and water events elsewhere? Daylight hours get shorter in the northern hemisphere after this weekend, so use those hours before they darken.