Lightship No. 114
Encyclopedia
Lightship No. 114 was a historic lightship
at the State Pier in New Bedford, Massachusetts
.
Built in Portland, Oregon, she left Portland on August 5 for her first station at Fire Island, New York. She arrived on September 20. Serving there until 1942, she was armed for war and placed into service as an examination vessel
for the remainder of World War II. Her log reports how real the threat to shipping on the east coast was as the log mentions flares being spotted from a German U-boat.
Following the war, LV 114 was reassigned to Diamond Shoals. She only served there for two years before becoming a Relief lightship. For the next eleven years she served on relief duty until assigned to Pollock Rip station in 1958. When the Pollock Rip station was discontinued, LV 114 was moved north to Portland, Maine where she served for the final two years of her career. She was decommissioned in 1971.
The Coast Guard originally planned to use LV 114 as a museum but those plans fell through. Instead, she was awarded to the city of New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1975. In 1976 the lightship received a cosmetic overhaul and played a starring role in the city's bicentennial celebrations. In 1990 LV 114 was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, but little was done to preserve or promote her after the Bicentennial, and in 2006 she sank at her pier.
Shortly after her sinking, LV 114 was refloated and the city of New Bedford tried to auction the ship off. The starting bid was $25,000, but no one bid on the ship. Even after the city reduced the starting bid to $10,000 no one stepped forward to bid. After the failed attempts to sell off the lightship, the city had historical artifacts removed from the ship, then placed the ship on eBay. After four days, the ship sold for $1,775 to Sea Roy Enterprises. The city however decided not to dispose of LV 114 for such a small amount. Eventually, Sea Roy Enterprises agreed in May, 2007 to pay the city $10,000 for the lightship. The following month she was broken up and her remains sold to salvage yards.
Lightvessel
A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship which acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction...
at the State Pier in New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
.
Built in Portland, Oregon, she left Portland on August 5 for her first station at Fire Island, New York. She arrived on September 20. Serving there until 1942, she was armed for war and placed into service as an examination vessel
Examination vessel
An examination vessel is a vessel used to inspect ships and boats entering a port during wartime.An examination vessel would typically be responsible for examining and verifying all merchant ships and small craft entering or departing a port...
for the remainder of World War II. Her log reports how real the threat to shipping on the east coast was as the log mentions flares being spotted from a German U-boat.
Following the war, LV 114 was reassigned to Diamond Shoals. She only served there for two years before becoming a Relief lightship. For the next eleven years she served on relief duty until assigned to Pollock Rip station in 1958. When the Pollock Rip station was discontinued, LV 114 was moved north to Portland, Maine where she served for the final two years of her career. She was decommissioned in 1971.
The Coast Guard originally planned to use LV 114 as a museum but those plans fell through. Instead, she was awarded to the city of New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1975. In 1976 the lightship received a cosmetic overhaul and played a starring role in the city's bicentennial celebrations. In 1990 LV 114 was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, but little was done to preserve or promote her after the Bicentennial, and in 2006 she sank at her pier.
Shortly after her sinking, LV 114 was refloated and the city of New Bedford tried to auction the ship off. The starting bid was $25,000, but no one bid on the ship. Even after the city reduced the starting bid to $10,000 no one stepped forward to bid. After the failed attempts to sell off the lightship, the city had historical artifacts removed from the ship, then placed the ship on eBay. After four days, the ship sold for $1,775 to Sea Roy Enterprises. The city however decided not to dispose of LV 114 for such a small amount. Eventually, Sea Roy Enterprises agreed in May, 2007 to pay the city $10,000 for the lightship. The following month she was broken up and her remains sold to salvage yards.
External Links
- "Strange Life Of A Big Ship That Never Goes Anywhere", Popular Science, February 1931