# Lightships Trinity House



## david freeman (Jan 26, 2006)

My dim past remembers some where the GOODWIN Lightship breaking free from her moorings, and running aground in a storm on the sands and the crew (3 Or 4) having to be rescued.
I also remeber in later life being off the Humber Light vessel, before the British Gas Platforms ( Nameescapes me) Took over the Humberlightship duties.
Are any of you old timers out there Trinity House Lightship crew mwmbers, and how long were you on station with your crew mates. Did you talk? and if you had a disagreement could you swim for home? Answers on a post card please, It might be interesting to know ( Their position ), and the fact that there were and proberbly are (Frogger)still a number of lightships about?[=P]:sweat:


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## tedu (Nov 19, 2009)

*Lightships*

I was on the Patricia in 1989 when we withdrew the last 2 manned lightships at the Dowsing and Channel stations. Since then technology has progressed and now they are just hulls containing batteries charged by solar panels. All lightships are monitored at Trinity House monitoring base by telemetry. The Met office also utilise some lightships for remote automatic weather stations. They are visited regularly by ETO's, and serviced. Since the south Goodwin disaster in the early 50's there has always been a planned mooring maintenance regime performed by Trinity House. The moorings are calibrated regularly. Most lighthouse authorities have discontinued lightships, and no doubt the future will be sophisticated super buoys with telemetry and ais. There have been some interesting articles written by journalists who have sailed on Patricia as passengers describing visits to lightships.

Regards
Tedu


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

David, as far as I know the Bull LV and Spurn LV in the Humber estuary were operated and manned by the Humber Conservancy Commission. I think the Humber Light Vessel was operated by Trinity House, but not sure about that.

Just for something different, the Spurn LV was painted black. It is tied up in Hull now and open to the public.

One of the vessels which spent many years on the Humber LV station is now in Hamburg and has been converted to a small hotel.

I knew one of the blokes who worked on the Bull LV (I think) and he used to do a month on and a month off. He stayed in Anchor House, Hull, during his time off. Can't remember his name. He always wore a suit and he really liked a drink!

John T


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## Dickyboy (May 18, 2009)

I remember Calshot LV, long gone now of course. I used to think "What a fantastic job they must have" when I passed by on the Red Funnel Ferry. There's now an automated buoy in its place. Not interesting at all.


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

Was on the Spurn LV, then Middle Whitton, then the Humber Guardian buoy vessel. The light vessel that is in the Marina at HULL was the original Spurn LV, then became the Bull LV. When they were automated the old Spurn/Bull LV was saved and is in the Marina.


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## pilot (Jan 8, 2006)

*Humber L/v*

The Humber Light Float's stationed off the Humber. Don't understand the reference to a Humber L/V being replaced by a Gas Rig.
Rgds.


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## sibby (Aug 23, 2010)

My stepfather was on the Newarp lightship in the late fifties early sixties. It had an eight man crew. They did 28 days on and 28 days off. They supplied their own vittels. They took the first fortnights food with them and the rest of the food was delivered a fortnight later. the crew cooked their own food. They got extra pay for supplying their own bedding and laundry. I have his book that he used to order his food from the chandlers in Gt.Yarmouth. Re:- the Goodwin tragedy, all crew lost their lives. There was one survivor, he was a " bird watcher". My stepfather always said there was a conspiracy theory doing the rounds, that the birdwatcher was actually on board spying on Russian ships traffic.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

cueball44 said:


> Was on the Spurn LV, then Middle Whitton, then the Humber Guardian buoy vessel. The light vessel that is in the Marina at HULL was the original Spurn LV, then became the Bull LV. When they were automated the old Spurn/Bull LV was saved and is in the Marina.


Thanks Cueball. Am I right that Spurn, etc were operated by the Humber Conservancy Commission? Any chance that you might know of the bloke I was on about. I knew him in the early '70s and I'm pretty sure he was Irish. He cracked me up.

John T


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

trotterdotpom said:


> Thanks Cueball. Am I right that Spurn, etc were operated by the Humber Conservancy Commission? Any chance that you might know of the bloke I was on about. I knew him in the early '70s and I'm pretty sure he was Irish. He cracked me up.
> 
> John T


Before I joined the Spurn LV I went to the Kingston House Tower in HULL and was interviewed for the job. I was then employed by what was then British Transport Docks Board which later became ABP. When I applied for a place on the Humber Guardian I was taken off the Middle Whitton LV and driven back to the Kingston House Tower and was interviewed by three men in uniform, who after asking me several questions gave me the job. The buoy vessel Humber Guardian did not have the same colour funnel has the buoy yacht Patricia. HG had the docks board logo on the funnel. Whether Humber Conservancy Commission had any say in the running of the LVs and BV I don't know. I thought they dealt with the Pilot Cutters. I will try and find out. I joined in 1978 and can't remember the person you asked about.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Thanks Cueball. I'm guessing you're referring to Trinity House (of London)'s "Patricia".

Hull is a pretty independent city with it's own lightships, it's own Trinity House and it's own telephone system. I've got a few happy memories of the place.

John T


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Cueball, just a thought .... I worked for Trinity House years ago and I'm pretty sure, if you'd been employed by them, you would have known about it!

John T


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

trotterdotpom said:


> Cueball, just a thought .... I worked for Trinity House years ago and I'm pretty sure, if you'd been employed by them, you would have known about it!
> 
> John T


Had a sort through my old letters. The ones from when I was on the LVs & BV were headed British Transport Dock Board.


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## david freeman (Jan 26, 2006)

david freeman said:


> My dim past remembers some where the GOODWIN Lightship breaking free from her moorings, and running aground in a storm on the sands and the crew (3 Or 4) having to be rescued.
> I also remeber in later life being off the Humber Light vessel, before the British Gas Platforms ( Nameescapes me) Took over the Humberlightship duties.
> Are any of you old timers out there Trinity House Lightship crew mwmbers, and how long were you on station with your crew mates. Did you talk? and if you had a disagreement could you swim for home? Answers on a post card please, It might be interesting to know ( Their position ), and the fact that there were and proberbly are (Frogger)still a number of lightships about?[=P]:sweat:


The gas Platform i was thinking of in my day was the BG Amythyst Fields? and one of the Unmanned Patforms instead of the 'U' Light signal had the Humber light signal, and a fog horn? May this has gone now?(Hippy)
Maybe this was the South Dowsings Light Station?


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## Robert Durrant (Nov 3, 2007)

I was on the Outer Dowsing LV in 1969,there was six crew plus the master.He was on one month on/one off and crew one month on/two weeks off.We were relieved fortnightly from Gt Yarmouth by Trinity House tenders.The crew were classed as two lamplighters,two drivers and two seamen but basically done the same tasks with two members on each watch.Each crew man would prepare his own food and the Peggy for the 8-12 morning watch cooked the food.Fog horn was LOUD and was situated directly above look out shack,but soon became accustomed to it.You would automatically stop conversation mid sentence when somehow you knew it was about to blow.


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

When turned in you could hear the propellers of ships approaching the Humber estuary. Took a bit of getting used to when I first joined the Spurn LV. Of course we could not get out of the way if one was baring down on us (no engines). I could imagine what it was like in a submarine waiting to be depth charged.:sweat:


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## NicoRos (Aug 24, 2008)

*Patricia*

This lovely model ship is offered to me by a Foshan workshop for professional replica's because the UK principal is no longer able to follow up. Only 15" long, yet well detailed, on wooden base with dust cover. 








https://picasaweb.google.com/103692380584041990607/Patricia15ShipModel?noredirect=1

Rgds,
Nico


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## Dartskipper (Jan 16, 2015)

It was the South Goodwin Light Vessel in 1954.

www.britishpathe.com/video/storm-havoc

Roy.


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## wolflyn (Mar 16, 2011)

If anyone has photos, memories to share, I have a page of Facebook dedicated to the lightvessel service https://www.facebook.com/lightvesselsandlightships


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## wolflyn (Mar 16, 2011)

sibby said:


> My stepfather was on the Newarp lightship in the late fifties early sixties. It had an eight man crew. They did 28 days on and 28 days off. They supplied their own vittels. They took the first fortnights food with them and the rest of the food was delivered a fortnight later. the crew cooked their own food. They got extra pay for supplying their own bedding and laundry. I have his book that he used to order his food from the chandlers in Gt.Yarmouth. Re:- the Goodwin tragedy, all crew lost their lives. There was one survivor, he was a " bird watcher". My stepfather always said there was a conspiracy theory doing the rounds, that the birdwatcher was actually on board spying on Russian ships traffic.


Hi I have a project on Facebook archiving photos and info on the lightvessel service I would welcome any contributions https://www.facebook.com/lightvesselsandlightships


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## wolflyn (Mar 16, 2011)

Hi I have a project on Facebook archiving photos and info on the lightvessel service I would welcome any contributions https://www.facebook.com/lightvesselsandlightships


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## wolflyn (Mar 16, 2011)

sibby said:


> My stepfather was on the Newarp lightship in the late fifties early sixties. It had an eight man crew. They did 28 days on and 28 days off. They supplied their own vittels. They took the first fortnights food with them and the rest of the food was delivered a fortnight later. the crew cooked their own food. They got extra pay for supplying their own bedding and laundry. I have his book that he used to order his food from the chandlers in Gt.Yarmouth. Re:- the Goodwin tragedy, all crew lost their lives. There was one survivor, he was a " bird watcher". My stepfather always said there was a conspiracy theory doing the rounds, that the birdwatcher was actually on board spying on Russian ships traffic.


hi would you consider copying some pages from his book,,, would be nice to add it to the archive


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## sibby (Aug 23, 2010)

Hi Wolflyn, i will gladly copy some pages as soon as i have scanned them. Regards Sibby


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## wolflyn (Mar 16, 2011)

sibby said:


> Hi Wolflyn, i will gladly copy some pages as soon as i have scanned them. Regards Sibby


Cheers much appreciated


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## cleansweeploch (Nov 13, 2010)

Somewhere on U Tube is a video (very short) of a light vessels skipper demonstrating a fog signal. it's so old it's actually a cannon.


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## wolflyn (Mar 16, 2011)

cleansweeploch said:


> Somewhere on U Tube is a video (very short) of a light vessels skipper demonstrating a fog signal. it's so old it's actually a cannon.





cleansweeploch said:


> Somewhere on U Tube is a video (very short) of a light vessels skipper demonstrating a fog signal. it's so old it's actually a cannon.


im not sure when the use of the canons was withdrawn,, but i have photos of them still on deck in the 50s


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## sibby (Aug 23, 2010)

Hi Wolflyn, here are the pages for your collection. Note the prices. This was in 1960. my stepfather was on the Newarp lightship for 18 months then left to become mate on the Norwich Trader. His name was George E Dray.


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## sibby (Aug 23, 2010)

Sorry but i must have done something wrong. I will try to put them on life on board section in the gallery.


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## wolflyn (Mar 16, 2011)

sibby said:


> Sorry but i must have done something wrong. I will try to put them on life on board section in the gallery.


where would i find it?


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## sibby (Aug 23, 2010)

Hi wolflyn, The pages seemed to have appeared on my post 26.


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