# Light Vessel 21 request for info, memorabilia, stories



## lightvessel21 (Aug 13, 2010)

Hello to all members. 

We are currently renovating Light Vessel 21 as part of a maritime heritage project. She was recently decommissioned from service having been stationed mainly at Varne and East Goodwin. We are hoping to build an archive of films, do***ents, images and anything relevant to LV21 or light vessels in general. We'd be very grateful for any contributions members may have. 

So far we have been fortunate enough to meet and gain the support of former crew member Brian Packham, who has been a great help and source of information. And we have had great assistance from the Association of Lighthouse Keepers who have located the vessel's original optic. Thanks to them it is due to be reunited with the ship in the coming weeks. 

We are also looking to source original fittings and fixtures (especially portholes and doors). As you can imagine these are difficult to locate so any help with this would also be appreciated.

If you'd like to know more about our project please visit us at www.lv21.co.uk

Thanks for reading and best regards from LV21.


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## Malky Glaister (Nov 2, 2008)

*Light vessel*

Hi, I noticed on Saturday a light vessel ied up but leaning heavily to port at the Dynevor Junction railway bridge at Briton Ferry. It looks to be awaiting demolition. Might be a sourceof parts for your renovation of LV21. Good luck with the project
Malky Glaister


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## lightvessel21 (Aug 13, 2010)

Thanks for the tip Malky. We'll do some investigation and see if we can find any info on it. 
All the best,
Gary


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## Malky Glaister (Nov 2, 2008)

Attached I hope is a photo of the light vessel awaiting demolition at Briton Ferry. Date was Sept 25th 2010. No further details I'm afraid however I have some more similar pics
regards Malky Glaister


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## Malky Glaister (Nov 2, 2008)

Further to the picture I posted. If you have Google Earth. Fly to BRITON FERRY and and low and behold there is a picture of the lightship from the downstream shore showing her starboard side. She does not float!

regards Malky


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## Hugh Ferguson (Sep 4, 2006)

I wonder if this could have been the same Lt. vessel that went adrift from the East Goodwin station on the night of 13th Nov. 1961.
On that day I had boarded the British Light at 1615 on the west side of Dungeness. At full speed it took until 1852 to pass the South Goodwin L/V.. About a mile past that I was astounded to see the Walmer life-boat standing by a vessel which turned out to be the E.Goodwin L/V.. The crew had just succeeded in getting a spare anchor down to which she had just brought up.
I have it in my log as a Night to Remember. The wind was in excess of force 10 and due N.E., so she had drifted dead straight, along the edge of the sand, from her station and would probably have fouled the South Goodwin had she not been brought up in time.
It took us until 2100 to pass the North Goodwin (an anxious time for us in the fully loaded British Light, as I recall her gyro was out of action) and that was 2hrs & 8 mins, to go 14 miles.
On turning at the Outer Tongue buoy a huge sea came aboard the starboard quarter and broke down the door into the sailors accommodation in the poop-they were flooded out.
It was the only time in my piloting career that I felt concern about what increase in draft may have been due to the heavy pitching on the leg N.Goodwin to Outer Tongue buoy.
I think everyone of that light-ship crew should have been awarded a medal for what they achieved in those horrendous conditions. Had the wind just been a point or two further to the east they would have gone on the sand and had they not brought her up when they did she would have struck the South Goodwin-a night for them to remember indeed!


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## lightvessel21 (Aug 13, 2010)

Thanks for the additional info and image Malky. I had looked at google earth but didn't spot her first time round - now I have. Initial searches didn't unearth any more information about that vessel but now we know exactly where she is we will investigate further. She's a different class to LV21 but I'm sure there are similarities in fixtures and fittings. Will be interesting to find out what is left and what may be salvageable, if anything.

And Hugh, thanks also for relating your story. If you haven't visited our website yet there is an account that may interest you of when LV21 was struck by another vessel when she was stationed at Varne. Another close call.

Thanks once again. We'll continue our search.


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## Hugh Ferguson (Sep 4, 2006)

The crassest bit of seamanship I ever witnessed occurred, one might almost say, right under my nose! I had in fact a bird's eye view of the whole sorry saga from my own front garden, living as I did at that time, high up on the white cliffs of the South Foreland just a few steps down the road from the Dover Patrol memorial. 
I'm sorry not to be able to put a date on this (I spent hours yesterday searching my records unsuccessfully) but I'm sure there will be somebody who will have better recall of that than I.
This is what I remember. It was a Russian tug towing a huge floating dry-dock which came into sight, surprisingly close inshore for a vessel bound up Channel,
and as she turned out to seaward, to round the South Goodwin lightship, it was more than evident that they were never going to make it!!
From my position the Lightvessel was just slightly to the left of my line of sight and between 2 and 3 miles off; the tide was flooding strongly and I would guess going a couple of knots more than the tug and tow were capable of making. My wife and I watched in increasing disbelief as this inevitable catastrophe evolved in slow motion.
I just could not believe my eyes when it became evident that the tug master was determined to round the lightship-he could have taken the more sensible option of passing under her stern and still have missed grounding on the Goodwin.
As they approached nearer to the lightship we saw it completely disappear behind the bulk of the dry-dock. The tug had evidently made it across the bows of the lightship but it was not to be for the dry-dock.
At that moment we stood there with our eyes glued to binoculars convinced that we were witnessing the end of the South Goodwin L/S. We could not believe that it was possible for her not to be rolled over and sunk by that collossal object.
After what seemed an eternity, and to our utter disbelief, she emerged into sight again. It was then I thought to rush into the house and switch on 2182 on the R.T. and sure enough I soon got the lightship master describing what had happened.
They had let go every last link of chain in the locker by the time they were struck, he thought they would stay afloat despite having collected about a ton of concrete on their foredeck which had fallen off of the dry-dock as they collided.
We continued listening to the R.T. and learned that the tugmaster had come aboard the lightship to get the master to sign a statement that no damage had occurred-no dice, I wonder if he's still in the Gulag!

In conclusion, one might well ask why did they consider it necessary to pass so close inshore on their passage up Channel.
(Our friend, John Callis, had been a lightship hand and when I asked him why he chose that for a job he always said that it was so that he could pursue his passion for taking photos of ships passing close and at sea. He had once done a stint on the South Goodwin and you can see, in my gallery, one of his splendid photos of the Glenroy passing the South Goodwin L/S in 1956. Click HERE


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## Hugh Ferguson (Sep 4, 2006)

I wonder where they dug out this old Lightship. It was used as a mark for the JUNO Beach during the Normandy landings It looks as though it may have been French.
I wonder if Stan (or any other who was there) could say what the insignia on the red ensign may have been.?


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## Billieboy (May 18, 2009)

Looks like an admiral of the red, Hugh!


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## Hugh Ferguson (Sep 4, 2006)

Billieboy said:


> Looks like an admiral of the red, Hugh!


 T'was certainly meant to be seen!


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## stan mayes (Jul 22, 2006)

Hello Hugh,
Another lightship was off the American beachheads - with large letters KANSAS.
They were positioned about two weeks after D Day.
I have no idea of their history and this photo is the first one I have seen.
Our first 12 days from Day2 was off Omaha beachhead and we eventually 
saw service off all beachheads for ten weeks.
I have seen hundreds of photos taken in those areas but I have yet to see
a photo of my ship Dolabella or of the other three large tankers involved -
British Statesman - British Princess and Gold Shell.
Stan


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## Hugh Ferguson (Sep 4, 2006)

Yes, Stan, isn't that frustrating-not to discover a photo of your ship which you feel sure must have been taken.
I know the U.S. C.G. took masses of photos of ships anchored off New York awaiting convoy. We arrived there once, and lay at anchor for about a week, in the Empire Capulet bound Italy. We had a massive deck cargo-mostly cased vehicles-literally half as high as the masts. I have seen any number of such photos but never of us! I would love to have had one but eventually I gave up trying.


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## Jacktar1 (Jul 17, 2005)

*LV No 72*



Malky Glaister said:


> Attached I hope is a photo of the light vessel awaiting demolition at Briton Ferry. Date was Sept 25th 2010. No further details I'm afraid however I have some more similar pics
> regards Malky Glaister


A long time resident of the River Neath, LV No. 72 has been berthed on the river bank just upstream of the Neath Abbey Wharf near Skewen for over 30 years, having arrived on 30th May 1973 when she was purchased by the Steel Supply Company (Western) Ltd. for scrap.
Her new owners decided against scrapping the vesse and had her painted yellow, and for a short time she was used as the company's office. Unfortunately this was short lived and the vessel has been left to slowly rust away. For many years the former light vessel has no longer floated, and with her hull now full of mud, her wooden decking is now awash during spring tides.
LV 72 was built in Sunderland during 1903 by John Green & Sons, with a builders tonnage of 210 tons and an overall length of 116'. The vessel's hull was constructed of wrought iron, with the original lamp run on paraffin oil, but this was later converted to generated electricity in 1948.
The vessel served on a variety of stations around the English coast up until the Second World War, when like most other light vessels, she was withdrawn from service. In 1944 she was towed across the English Channel as part of the D Day invasion and was used to mark the 'JUNO' station and indicate the mine swept channel to the landing beaches for the Normandy landings.
In 1945 the vessel was moved to the 'Le Havre' staion and later to the 'Seine' station to assist the landing of the invasion armies and supply lines.
During 1953 LV 72 was moved to the 'English and Welsh Grounds' station in the Bristol Channel, where she remained for the rest of her working life. During 1954 the vessel broke adrift from her moorings and tugs were required to reposition her before she ran aground.
The Cabot Cruising Club from Bristol were regular visitors to the light vessel whilst out cruising in the Bristol Channel during the summer months, and it became a tradition every Christmas for the club to take some Christmas fayre out to the crew of the vessel by way of thanks for their hospitality during the summer.
Over the years there were rumours that the light vessel would be taken to Florida and converted into a luxury home, and more recently, for the vessel to be returned to Sunderland, restored to her former glory and used as a museum near to where she was built.

The above information was supplied by Bill Moore, January 2007.

I myself served as the Trinity House Outport pilot for the Neath River, covering Briton Ferry and also up to the Neath Abbey Wharf for some years in the early/mid 1960's.

Cheers....Glan (Thumb)


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## Hugh Ferguson (Sep 4, 2006)

Definitely not the same Light vessel as depicted in post No.9, which I should have indicated, is a painting and NOT a photograph.


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## Rafal Zahorski (Jan 29, 2009)

Hello to everybody,

Gary congratulations - it looks that next nice vessel ax Trinity House fleet will be restored. I know that it will take a time to come back to her former "manned" look - but it will be great to show how looked a life of former light vessel's crew on such a vessel. There are much more do***ents and books concerning that part of TH activity. As far as I know it was 70' when all light vessels were converted to automatic ones - so no more people were required. So the same reason like a death of Cruising Pilot Cutters.

I am personally very fascinated in light vessels. It is for sure a great story to see on the middle of a river a working light vessel with own "guiding light".

It is a pity but in Poland we did not have such a vessels - one wooden one is still existing as museum object - but that's all. 

I saw last time in Harwich many of light vessels as spare ones. Nice to see their red hulls.

Best greeting Rafal


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

Rafal Zahorski said:


> Hello to everybody,
> 
> Gary congratulations - it looks that next nice vessel ax Trinity House fleet will be restored. I know that it will take a time to come back to her former "manned" look - but it will be great to show how looked a life of former light vessel's crew on such a vessel. There are much more do***ents and books concerning that part of TH activity. As far as I know it was 70' when all light vessels were converted to automatic ones - so no more people were required. So the same reason like a death of Cruising Pilot Cutters.
> 
> ...


I was a crew member on the Spurn Light vessell in 1978, also on the Middle Whitton light vessell in the same year on station in the Humber Estuary, when they were converted the Middle Whitton became a houseboat named Audrey, i think the Spurn Light vessell which was built in 1959 ended up in Bristol.(Thumb)'cueball44'


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## stores (Apr 8, 2007)

*lightships*

hi, i was with Trinity House 13 years on buoy and lightship tenders, joined in jan 1975 untill april 1988, all the lightships were still fully manned in 1975, and releived by tender, for at least 2 more years, after that they had helipads fitted and were automated, first automatic L V,s were Circular L.A.NB.Y Buoys. machines of torture if u had to board them in rough sea, the motion made the most hardened seaman seasick , then came the lightfloats, more conventional in shape, like a piece of 4x2 with pointed ends. best wishes , STORES(K)


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

stores said:


> hi, i was with Trinity House 13 years on buoy and lightship tenders, joined in jan 1975 untill april 1988, all the lightships were still fully manned in 1975, and releived by tender, for at least 2 more years, after that they had helipads fitted and were automated, first automatic L V,s were Circular L.A.NB.Y Buoys. machines of torture if u had to board them in rough sea, the motion made the most hardened seaman seasick , then came the lightfloats, more conventional in shape, like a piece of 4x2 with pointed ends. best wishes , STORES(K)


After serving on the ''Spurn Light'' then the ''Middle Whitton'' i went on to the ''Humber Guardian'' which was a bouy tender, we serviced all the navigation marks in the ''Humber Estuary'' and changed the crews on the Spurn Lightship,(Thumb)'cueball44'.


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## lightvessel21 (Aug 13, 2010)

Thanks to everyone for their stories and comments - we're gathering the information for our archives and will of course get in touch directly with contributors if we intend to post any on our website or want to publish them elsewhere.

Good to see you on this thread too Rafal. We have some catching up to do compared to where you are at with the great renovation of THV Bembridge. We hope to match your achievements on that front.

The latest news is that we have located a stock of original fittings and should have more news on that later this week. 

All the best
Gary


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## Malky Glaister (Nov 2, 2008)

JAKTAR1, Many thanks for the info on the River Neath lightship. I was crossing the river by special train on the former swing bridge and managed to photograph her. The following Saturday I was passing the same way behind a DELTIC loco and was prepared to phot LV72.
As an aside the former SPURN LV is preserved in Hull docks by the marina and can be visited.
Well done everyone
regards Malky Glaister


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## tedu (Nov 19, 2009)

Hi, I work for Trinity House and I remember taking No. 21 off station from the Seven Stones on November 6 th 2004. Patricia towed it to Swansea bay where I assisted in berthing her at Swansea docks with the assistance of local tugs. I remember it was a Sunday. As far as I recall she stayed layed up in Kings dock until you bought her. From records on the Patricia No. 21 was put on station at Seven Stones on April 3 rd 2002 where she took over from No. 19.


lightvessel21 said:


> Hello to all members.
> 
> We are currently renovating Light Vessel 21 as part of a maritime heritage project. She was recently decommissioned from service having been stationed mainly at Varne and East Goodwin. We are hoping to build an archive of films, do***ents, images and anything relevant to LV21 or light vessels in general. We'd be very grateful for any contributions members may have.
> 
> ...


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## Rafal Zahorski (Jan 29, 2009)

Gary - I am more than happy - you are in a perfect company. You will never find more interested people in your project like here. It is a perfect support to know that many other people are interested in you project - than you know that all your efforts and many difficult moments are worth to be. You will see soon you will met here a particular crew members who will tell you many interested stories about LV21 - but as far as I know it was a nice time when switching on and off the light was depending from human being - not from automatics units. I saw for a first time a red hull of a light vessel in Southampton when I was 19 years old. I remember that moment still today. Somebody can say - just a light - but everybody can imagine how it was to sail when radars and Transit or later GPS was not on the vessels - how it was nice to see in the night or to listen in the fog a recognized sigal from such a light vessel - than when you recognized it - you knew - I know where I am - so my navigation is correct. 

Best greeting Rafał


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## lightvessel21 (Aug 13, 2010)

Thanks for the information tedu. Really interesting to hear first hand accounts with actual dates. Some of our timeline is a bit sketchy in places so it's good to be able to fill in the gaps.

We have recently acquired a stock of original portholes and doors which we will be re-installing on the vessel in the coming weeks. Some modifications to make first so it's time for the plasma cutter to come out. External painting has been ongoing (weaher permitting) - just a second coat left on the deck furniture and then the deck to finish... at least until next spring!


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## wolflyn (Mar 16, 2011)

Hugh Ferguson said:


> Definitely not the same Light vessel as depicted in post No.9, which I should have indicated, is a painting and NOT a photograph.


A bit late to join the conversation but it is indeed the same lightvessel sat on the river bank in Neath and the one portrayed in the TH painting, in 1948 she was reconfigured. And her lantern swapped from a central mast to a lattice tower


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## loco (Dec 10, 2010)

lightvessel 21;

If you weren't aware, LV 18 is preserved afloat in Harwich as a museum.

There is also a section dedicated to the 'pirate' radio stations on the ship, and she herself appeared as a star in the film 'The boat that rocks'.

Martyn


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## kauvaka (Oct 11, 2009)

Very interesting thread. thank you to all contributors. I have some questions re L/Vs. What crews did they carry and how often was the crew turnaround? How did the crew spend their time, was it all watchkeeping? What was the tucker like, was it like coastal articles where crew paid for their food albeit subsidised on coasters I worked on.? Did the jobs come off the pool, was it a weekly wage, who was the employer? Just asking.


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## loco (Dec 10, 2010)

Not sure of the details, but the crew cooked and paid for their own food.

'Relief day' at Harwich, and no doubt the other Trinity House depots, was a busy time for the local shopkeepers, as the crew ordered their stores in advance, and then either called in to collect them, or in later years, had them delivered to the ship taking them out. I think, but can't remember if it was fortnightly or monthly.

Crew were employed by Trinity House; many stayed as lightshipmen or light house keepers, for many years. Some of my family were in the lightship service, with, I think in late Victorian times, some even achieving the rank of master.

Trinity supplied fuel for the generators, and presumably also the anthracite used for the galley range (and heating?).

Try checking with LV 18 website, or asking them the information required.
http://www.lv18.org/


martyn


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