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Nantucket/LV-112
Proudly made in USA
 
All electronic donations will be processed by PayPal.
 
LV-112 Note Cards Available
 Now available for purchase are colorful LV-112 note cards, featuring a stylized illustration of LV-112 and other notable Boston landmarks. These new cards are packaged in a gift box of 10 with matching envelopes. The cards measure 4.5" x 6" (folded) and include a brief history of LV-112 on the back. Volunteer Susan Oliveira initiated the design of the cards with a local graphic artist and with her husband, Fred, generously donated the production costs. As the primary purpose of the cards is for fundraising, we are requesting a donation of $10 per box, plus $5.35 for shipping and handling. To order, please make checks payable to: USLM-Nantucket//LV-112 and mail to USLM, P.O. Box 454, Amesbury, MA 01913. Attention
Lighthouse Lovers!
 If you love lighthouses and want to learn about these guiding lights and navigational aids from 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Rowlett tried to maintain a list of lighthouses from his many friends and contacts, but it had grown too long (and too out of date) to display on the comprehensive site.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.
The Maine
Lighthouse Museum
 Another unique educational resource for U.S. Lighthouse history, Lifesaving and Lightship Service is The Maine Lighthouse Museum (MLM), located in Rockland, Maine. This past 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 United States Coast Guard through the conservation and interpretation of the nation's most significant collection of lighthouse and lifesaving artifacts. The Maine Lighthouse Museum is located in Rockland, Maine, the heart of the Midcoast. From sparkling 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
Amex Industrial Services, Inc.
Association of Public Safety Communications Officials - Atlantic Chapter
Bluefin Robotics
Boston Harbor
Shipyard & Marina
The Boston Foundation
ThreeBees Fund
California Public Safety Radio Association
Cameron International Corporation
Claflin & Son
Nautical Antiques
Crandall Dry Dock Engineers
Capt. Robertson P. Dinsmore Fund
Donahue, Tucker & Ciandella, PLLC East Boston Foundation BAE Systems Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation
Fitzgerald Shipyard
Foss Maritime
J. Hewitt Marine
Electrical Services
H.F. Lenfest Fund
McAllister Towing & Transportation Co.
Joe and Pepette Mongrain
Fund
National Trust for
Historic Preservation
New England
Lighthouse Lovers
New London Maritime Society and Custom House Maritime Museum
Sherwin-Williams
Industrial Marine Coatings Division
T & M Services
Town of Oyster Bay,
Long Island, NY
U.S. Coast Guard Lightship Sailors Association
West Marine
USLM Members
Verizon Foundation
Zuni Maritime Foundation
USS Zuni / USCG Tamaroa
Individual Donors
USLM is a Member of the Following Organizations
 
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Season's Greetings!
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Nantucket/LV-85 on station during
winter storm, c. 1912
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It's that time of year again, with winter's onslaught of freezing temperatures, howling winds, freezing rain, blinding snow and fog. Just imagine yourself on the Nantucket Lightship, anchored in the transatlantic shipping lanes, 100 miles off the U.S. mainland during a furious Atlantic winter storm in the darkness of night and at risk of being struck by other ships much larger. Mountainous seas are crashing over your ship, forming tons of thick jagged ice that stick to the hull and rigging, requiring removal during the storm before the top-heavy weight causes the relentlessly pitching and rolling floating lighthouse to capsize. The crew is being thrashed around like beads in a baby rattle and stricken with seasickness. The ship is not allowed to leave its anchored station, regardless of weather conditions. A specter looms: Will the groaning hull break up and dump you into the freezing sea? When so far from land, virtually no lifesaving services are available during such violent storms. This was the perilous life of sailors assigned to U.S. lightship stations, men who risked their lives to help guide others to safe waters.
 The Pilgrims should be thankful they encountered the Nantucket Shoals early in their planned voyage to the mouth of the Hudson, turning back before it was too late. As a result, on December 16,1620, the Mayflower dropped anchor in Plymouth Harbor, their alternative settlement site. Many future seafaring voyagers were not so fortunate to avoid the dangerous shoals and currents, later gaining the reputation as a "graveyard of the Atlantic." More than 700 reported ships navigating between Europe and the U.S. east coast were wrecked with lost lives. With increasing transatlantic traffic, a navigational aid was needed to be positioned on the edge of the treacherous shoals to guide ships away. Nantucket Shoals Lightship Station was established in 1854. Located in international waters, it was the most desolate and dangerous lightship station in the world. Through 1983, the beacons from 12 different Nantucket Lightships helped guide mariners to safety.  | |
Harpers Weekly engraving of Sandy Hook Lightship on station, 1879
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The U.S. Lightship Service began in 1820 and was discontinued in 1985. At one time there were 56 (peaked in 1909) lightships operated by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). They were stationed throughout the U.S. including the Great Lakes. Nantucket Lightship was the last beacon seen by vessels departing the U.S. and the first seen on approach. Eventually, new technologies allowed for more efficient navigational aids, making lightships obsolete. Nantucket Station was the last U.S. lightship station to be discontinued. LV-112, the largest U.S. lightship ever built, now proudly serves as a museum and floating learning center in Boston Harbor. We thank all lightship sailors for their dedicated service to our nation and the world. |
LV-112 Crewmember Reunites
with Ship
 While visiting Boston, Everett Goodwin visited LV-112 with his family, shown holding a signed limited-edition print of LV-112 and the SS United States won in a raffle drawing. His daughter-in-law, Julie Kiernan, purchased the raffle ticket at the U.S. Lightship Museum's exhibit booth at the Antique Classic Boat Show this past August in Salem, MA. Coincidently, Everett served on LV-112 from 1955-57 as the lightship's cook. This was the first time he had been back to LV-112 since his service in the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) in 1957. Originally from Marblehead, MA, he presently lives in Florida.
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Donor Spotlight:
Capt. Robertson P. Dinsmore
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Volunteers Bob Dinsmore (right) and Bill Shepard, of Long Island, on weather deck of LV-112 in Oyster Bay, January 2009
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 Capt. Robertson P. (Bob) Dinsmore, USCG, USMS, Ret, has been a committed LV-112 volunteer and financial contributor since the USLM assumed ownership of the historic lightship in late 2009. His diverse background in the USCG and at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute has been a tremendous asset. His passion for maritime history also has been invaluable to our mission. In addition to serving on our Board of Directors, he is a guest speaker at learning institutions and maritime organizations, sharing his knowledge and passion for lightship history. Bob entered the Coast Guard Academy in 1943, having served briefly in the U.S. Navy. Graduating in 1946, he served on the frigate USS Muskegon, rescue cutters, weather ships and lighthouse tenders, becoming captain of the lighthouse tender Firebush, based at New London, CT. Coming ashore, he did graduate studies in oceanography at Scripps Institution, followed by assignment to the International Iceberg Patrol based at Woods Hole and Argentina, Newfoundland. This led to studies in the Arctic, where he headed expeditions on the icebreakers Eastwind, Northwind and Evergreen. Other assignments included navigator on the cutter Duane, instructor at the Coast Guard Academy and the USCG's bark, Eagle, commander of the weather ship Cook Inlet and head of the USCG Oceanographic Unit. His expeditions to Greenland glaciers in 1967-68 found early evidence of global climate change. In fact, Capt. Dinsmore was witness to the tallest known iceberg in the North Atlantic: 550 feet high, extending out of the water to almost the height of the Washington Monument. He sighted this iceberg in Melville Bay, Greenland, from the USCG icebreaker Eastwind in March 1957. Seven-eighths of an iceberg's volume is below sea level. But the most dangerous icebergs are not the largest, as they are easily detected by ship radar. The more dangerous ones are about the size of a ship.  After retiring from the Coast Guard, in 1971 Capt. Dinsmore became director of operations at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and occasionally captained the research ships Atlantis II and Oceanus. Retiring again in 2001, he remained a consultant on research ship operations to the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research. He holds two USCG medals for ocean rescues: the President's Meritorious Service Medal and the National Science Foundation Distinguished Service Medal. He now resides in Falmouth, MA. We sincerely thank Capt. Dinsmore for his service to our nation and his timeless efforts and commitment to preserving Nantucket Lightship/LV-112, an important National Historic Landmark and National Treasure. |
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Fourth-graders Get Lesson in Maritime History, Weather and Sharks
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Satellite photo of a hurricane
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During this year's hurricane season, fourth-grade students from the Curtis Guild School in East Boston listening in amazement on the foredeck of LV-112 to John Rogers, their teacher and an LV-112 volunteer, who explains LV-112's horrific experience on Nantucket Shoals lightship station during Hurricanes Carol and Edna in 1954. Both Carol and Edna occurred 11 days apart, creating 115 mph winds and 70-foot seas. LV-112 sustained a crippling amount of damage
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Damage to LV-112's wheel during Hurricane Edna
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as a result of Hurricane Edna, was towed into port for repairs, and then steamed back to Nantucket Shoals Station for duty. As shown in photo at left, the wheel of LV-112 sustained severe damage, due to waves smashing through the pilot house portholes, breaking off the ship's wheel and shorting out electrical systems. Although LV-112 was built to be virtually unsinkable, this was the closest during her 39 years of service that she came to foundering.
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A student poses with mako shark jaws found on LV-112. When off duty, shark fishing was a common pastime for LV-112 sailors. The jaws were removed and the sharks were prepared for meals
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Crewmember Lasha Pell catches shark while on board LV-112 on Nantucket Shoals Station, 1959. Some sharks were as long as 15 feet (photo: Bob Gubitosi)
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Lightship to Provide
Unique Way to Learn
 Inspired by the positive experiences of his students who visited LV-112, fourth-grade teacher John Rogers (featured in spring 2013 Preservation magazine), with other education professionals, is helping the USLM develop a unique learning system for elementary school students. Coupled with a field trip to our lightship, the curriculum will build basic learning skills and also help youngsters prepare for required assessment tests.  Now in development, we envision the system becoming an online interactive teaching tool, accessible to teachers everywhere.
"I've been working with the USLM to create a curriculum that aligns with state and national standards," says Rogers. "Teachers, especially in urban schools or schools with large numbers of English language learners, constantly think about standardized tests. Test preparation has the potential to be dry, but it doesn't have to be.
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Students talk to each other throughout LV-112 on an
on-board sound-powered telephone
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"By connecting a lightship curriculum to state assessments, the goal of our program is to have a positive impact on students' scores, creatively packaged around a field trip to a famous lightship."
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'Boston By Foot' Guides
Visit LV-112
A group of Boston by Foot tour guides recently visited LV-112 to learn more about its history and availability for tourists. Boston By Foot is a nonprofit educational organization founded in 1976, the year of America's Bicentennial, with a mission to promote public awareness of Boston's rich architectural and historical heritage through guided tours, lecture series and other activities.Over the course of its 33 years, more than 225,000 residents and visitors from around the world have participated.The tours are conducted by a well-trained enthusiastic corps of over 200 volunteers, some serving Boston By Foot for as many as 25 years. They welcome people who share their passion to become a guide. Celebrate Boston by taking one of their tours. For more information, call 617.367.2345 or visit their website.
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| Remembering Oldest Member of U.S. Lightship Service
Stanley "Bob" Barboza, 100, of New Bedford, passed away on November 1, 2013. He was the husband of Mary (Reis) Barboza, with whom he shared 73 years of marriage. Born in New Bedford, he grew up in Boston and returned to New Bedford where he has lived ever since. Stanley recently celebrated his 100th birthday at Hawthorn Country Club with more than 100 guests, where he was also honored by the U.S. Coast Guard and Lightship Service as its oldest member.  Stanley originally began his career in the U.S. Light House Service (the USLHS merged with the USCG in 1939), serving on Pollock Rip lightship as an engineman, as well as other USCG vessels for 28 years, retiring in 1957." |
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Support Nantucket/LV-112 by Donating a Vehicle
 Considering selling or trading in your old or collectible car, truck, or even a boat or camper? Give it new life by donating it our museum. Our national car donation program is a hassle-free way of putting your used vehicle to work, supporting our efforts to preserve Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 as a floating learning center. Plus, you may be eligible to receive a tax deduction.
 How it works:
We have teamed with Charitable Auto Resources, Inc. (CARS), to accept vehicle donations across the U.S. Once you contact our customer service representative about making the 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. If the car sells for less than
$500, the receipt provided when the car is towed away will  serve as your tax receipt. If the car sells for $500 or more, you will receive a 1098-C form for tax purposes. Donating your car to the U.S. Lightship Museum (USLM) is as easy as calling our representative toll-free at 855-500-7433, or visit the website by clicking here.
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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/LV-112, signed by marine artist Gerald Levey
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When you become a member of the U.S. Lightship Museum (USLM), you will be helping rescue and preserve Nantucket Lightship/LV-112, a National Historic Landmark and National Treasure that is an important part of our nation's maritime heritage. Plus you will have the satisfaction of knowing you are a contributing partner in the legacy of the world's most famous and largest U.S. lightship ever built. The USLM is a member of the Council of Maritime Museums (CAMM) and the Historic Naval Ships Association (HNSA). 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.
All electronic donations will be processed by PayPal.
We thank everyone for their contributions
and support during 2013
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