Lightships

Lightships

The task of ensuring safe passage for mariners has always been a challenge. The lightvessels ofr lightshships began using as a means to warn mariners of dangerous shoals or mark shipping channels/entrances to major ports. The usefulness of lightships proved to suit a number of necessities. Lightships could be anchored in shallow waters where shoals often shift which prevented the construction of a fixed structure. They could also be anchored off shore in deeper waters, enabling them to indicate shipping lanes for general oceanic traffic. Another benefit to lightships was that they were not fixed structures and were able to be repositioned or relocated to better serve the particular need of each station.

Lightships marked their particular station in a number of ways. Each station was given a specific name, This name would be painted on the hull of the ship so that the station could be identified during the day, just as lighthouses have their own daytime characteristics (or paint scheme). At night, the light of the lightship would not only signal the location of the ship, but also have its own flash pattern or nighttime characteristic, making it possible for mariners to identify which station they were approaching. Likewise, lightships were eventually equipped with sound devices, such as foghorns, to be sounded in times of low visibility.Although the Lighthouse Board brought about vast improvements to lightships . Today, a few lightships still remain, some being lovingly restored and opened for the public to tour and learn about this piece of our maritime history.textbeachbum1616@yahoo.com;

Lightvessel no. 8 Waddenzee

Technical Data

Length o.a.: 137.25 feet (approx. 41.83 m)

Length: 119 feet (approx. 36.27 m)

Beam: 25 feet (approx. 7.62 m)

Draft: 15 feet (approx. 4.57 m)

Authority: Trinity House, London

Year of construction: 1949

Builder: Philip & Son, Dartmouth, Devon, England

Yard no.: 1171

Contract price : 61,062 £

Material: steel

Lightning apparatus : Multi-Catoptric electrical 34.5 bhp Gardener H.S. Diesels, Fixed lantern, Fitted R/T

Fog signal: Gardener Diesels driving Reavell QR Compressors 2 x 38 HP, G Diaphon

Lichtschip nummer 10 TEXEL

active lightship from 1952 to 1994

Position: 53°1,5' North - 41°21,5' East

Position today: 52° 57' North - 04° 46' East

Ship data

Length overall.: 45,40 m

Length: 39 m

Beam: 7,92 m

Depth: 2,88 m

Displacement: 493 t

Builder: Rijkswerf Willemsoord, Den Helder, Netherlands

Year of construction: 1952

Elevation: 16 m

Character: Fl (3+1) W 20 s

Focal distance: 300 mm

Anchor: 3 mushroom anchor of 750 kg each

Crew: 11 men

Since 1995 museum vessel in the harbour of Den Helder. The lighthip is the oldest lightvessel of the Netherlands. Volunteers under supervision of Nanne Voska and Lyda van der Steen are rebuilding and restoring the lightship to its condition from the times before it had been automated

Lightship No.11

On 1 October 1991 a severe storm swept the lightship "Texel". The chain broke and the light ship went adrift. After an unsuccessful attempt to distract people by helicopter and by ship to put a connection to bring the light ship stranded in the early morning of 2 October at the Dog Bosschen Seawall at Petten. Salvage companies saw no chance to the battered ship to store. It was decided to ship the light spot to demolish. The work lasted until December 5, 1991. The first week was a visit to the wreck is a popular outing. The function of the light ship is stranded for a short time acquired by lightship no.10 to the large buoy, which is already under construction, is taken,The Nautical Monuments Foundation from Den Helder, the tower of the

schip acquired and is installed at the Old Navy Willemsoord