Joshua Hanlon is joined by Brian Auer for a tour of the LV116 Cheasapeake Lightship. Info for visiting can be found on the Historic Ships in Baltimore website: historicships....
Another reason to keep gasoline above deck is that, although liquid gasoline is lighter than water, gasoline vapors are heavier than air, so you want to keep your gasoline supply up where the vapors will flow down to the deck and overboard through the scuppers. The high coamings on doors and hatchways keep gasoline vapors as well as water out of the ship's interior.
Very Interesting video. We have locally a retired lightship - LV18 permanently moored at HARWICH port as a tourist attraction. It differs slightly from a normal lightship as it was used before the mooring for filming a picture about the swinging 60`s with pop pirate radio stations moored off our coastline so has a small display of pop pirate radio equipment on board.
The ramming of the Nantucket lightship by the SS OLYMPIC occurred in heavy fog while the OLYMPIC was homing in on the lightship's radio beacon. Unfortunately, a bearing from a 1930's era radio beacon was much less precise than a visual bearing.
Her sister the New Bedford (ex Pollock Rip) met a very sad end because of neglect, saw her at various piers in New Bedford Harbor for decades before she rolled and sank on her side by the old powerplant. She sat on her side like that for about a year before being righted and towed out for scrapping... Damn shame that was. Thanks for the look around always wanted to check her out now I sort of can.
To answer the weaponry question: Yes, USL116 was armed with 2 20mm rapidfire autocannons during WW2 Also: While the USCG is commanded by the Department of the Navy in wartime, it is still an independent branch of the Armed Forces.
