LV
112 Nantucket Lightship U.S. Lightship Museum

LV-112

Photo Gallery

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A collection of historic and contemporary photographs of Nantucket Lightship / LV-112, her crews, and her restoration. Select any photo to view it larger.

Nantucket lightship station location (approximately 100 miles off mainland — 40 deg., 33 min., North / 69 deg., 28 min., West; 192 ft. depth of water) in relation to shipping lanes and the location of the SS Andrea Doria collision with the MS Stockholm. Nantucket lightship was the most remote location and was stationed farther offshore than all other U.S. lightships. LS 112-534; 1958-60 LV-112 crew. (Photo courtesy of crew member Bernie Webber) Radio Room, LS 112, 1936; Photo No. 214, photographer unknown. (Courtesy of USCG) LV-112, on Nantucket Shoals station, prior to 1960. LV-112 original structure, prior to receiving major damage caused by Hurricane Edna while on station on 9/14/54 (when the bridge was rebuilt, fewer port holes were installed — compare photo of LV-112 bridge as a Relief vessel). During Hurricane Edna in 70 ft seas and 110 mph winds, bow plates were damaged, bridge and pilot house stove in, small boats demolished and rudder severely damaged; minor injuries to several crew members. (USCG photo — courtesy of Bernie Webber) LV-112, on Nantucket Shoals station during a storm at sea with a wave breaking over the stern section. Photo taken from another vessel, prior to 1960. (Photo courtesy of Don Yeskoo) LV-112 — view from the top of the aft mast to the forward mast. Enginemen were replacing navigational lights. The anemometer is halfway out on the yardarm on the left. Photo taken by crewman Rich Racicot, 1964-66. The bridge of the LV-112; the photograph probably dates from 1936, the year she was built. (Courtesy of USCG) LV-112 on Nantucket Shoals Station, 1975. The Cunard-White Star liner SS Olympic, sister to the Titanic, passes very close aboard the LV-117 on the Nantucket station in early April 1934. The following month the Olympic collided with LV-117 and sent it to the bottom in seconds. Four crewmen went down with the ship while the Olympic rescued the remaining seven; three of these men later died from injuries and exposure. The British Government paid for the construction of LV-112 as reparation. (Courtesy of USCG) LV-112, 1936. (Photo by George F. Stewart, U.S.L.H.S.) Relief LS 112534 (LV-112 as Relief Lightship, 1958-60). (Photo courtesy of Bernie Webber) A volunteer at the helm of LV-112, while underway (c. 1990). (Photo courtesy of Don Yeskoo) Helping to protect the United States Atlantic coast during WWII, LV-112 was withdrawn from lightship duty, converted to an examination vessel (1942-45, designated as USS Nantucket), painted battleship gray and armed, serving Portland, Maine. Many lightships were temporarily converted to examination vessels during the war and assigned to inspect merchant vessels before they were allowed to enter U.S. ports. The examination vessels were also on constant watch for German U-Boats navigating along the U.S. coastlines. U-Boats that escaped the watchful eyes of the examination vessels sank hundreds of merchant ships along the U.S. East Coast. In October 1942, 105 U-Boats were reported off the Atlantic Seaboard. In addition, during the first six months of 1942, German U-Boats were responsible for sinking 171 merchant vessels, from Maine to Florida. LV-112 saved crewmembers of the USS Eagle-56, which was torpedoed and sunk off Portland by a German U-Boat, U-853. After sinking another U.S. merchant ship off Port Judith, Rhode Island, the U-853 was tracked down and sunk by the U.S. Navy in Rhode Island waters, where it lies submerged to this day. (Photo courtesy of Don Yeskoo, Maritime Maine) During WWII, while assigned to Portland, Maine, a crewman stands ready at a machine gun mounted on LV-112's foredeck. One 3" gun was also mounted on the stern section. (Photo courtesy of Don Yeskoo, Maritime Maine) LV-112, being christened at a launching ceremony in Wilmington, Delaware, 1936. (Photo courtesy of Don Yeskoo) Vocational school students participating in repairs during an instructional class on LV-112's 8-cylinder, 900hp Cooper-Bessemer diesel main engine. Three of the cylinder heads are shown in the foreground. (Photo courtesy of Don Yeskoo) A volunteer stands next to the Cooper-Bessemer 900 HP diesel main engine in LV-112's engine room. Nantucket / LV-112 being towed by the tugboat Lynx, heading east-bound from Oyster Bay, Long Island, NY to Boston on the Cape Cod Canal, May 2010. Photo: Courtesy of Ron Janard Nantucket / LV-112 being towed by the tugboat Lynx, heading east-bound from Oyster Bay, Long Island, NY to Boston on the Cape Cod Canal, May 2010. Photo: Courtesy of Ron Janard Nantucket / LV-112 berthed at the Boston Harbor Shipyard & Marina in East Boston, 2010. LV-112, bow / mushroom anchors, 7,000 lbs. each (2008). Bridge / wheelhouse (2008). Navigational chart table in wheelhouse (2008). Crew bunk area (2008). Navigational signal bell (2008). Entrance to Radio Room (2008). Radio Room / radio control panels (2008). Officers' quarters (2008). Galley (2008). LV-112 berthed at Oyster Bay Pier (2008).