U.S. Coast Guard Lightships
& Those of the U.S. Lighthouse Service
LV 102 / WAL 525
WLV-102 on
Brenton Reef Lightship Station, circa 1958.
Photo courtesy of Kenwood A. Thebodeau, USCG
YEAR BUILT: 1916
BUILT AT: Wilmington (DE)
BUILDER: Pusey & Jones
APPROPRIATION: $125,000 (Approp. Oct 22, 1913 for Southwest Pass light vessel)
CONTRACT PRICE: $110,065
SISTER VESSELS: LV 101 / WAL 524
DESIGN: Self propelled; steel whaleback hull; single large dia. tubular lantern mast forward; steel pilot house/bridge at foot of mast; small jigger mast aft
LENGTH: l0l'10" (loa); BEAM: 25'0"; DRAFT: 1l'4"; TONNAGE: 360 displ
PROPULSION: One 200 HP Mietz & Weiss 4 cylinder 2 cycle direct reversing kerosene engine driving 4 bladed propeller; speed 8 knots
ILLUMINATING APPARATUS: 500mm 5th order lens with 6 flash panels and kerosene lamp revolved by weight driven clockwork; large cylindrical lantern; 24,000 CP
FOG SIGNAL: 6" air siren; mushroom type horn on deck; compressor driven by two 40 HP kerosene engines; submarine bell; hand operated 700-lb bell
CONSTRUCTION NOTES - MODIFICATIONS - EQUIPMENT CHANGES &
IMPROVEMENTS:
Launched Nov 27, 1915; sea trials Dec 13, 1916; delivered Edgemoor DE
Jan 1917-
1917: Lamp changed to Incandescent oil vapor (IOV)-
1919: Equipped with radio-
1931: Equipped with radiobeacon-
1932: Illuminating apparatus electrified-
1935: Fog signal changed to 10" plus 6" air whistles-
1945: Fitted with detection radar-
1944: Repowered with Cooper-Bessemer 315HP diesel engine-
1955: Original lantern housing and 5th Order lens removed and replaced with
duplex 375mm lens lantern, i3,OOOcp-
1963 USCG lists vessel at l1'9" max draft, 393.9 tons; air diaphragm
horn (Leslie 17" typhon); CR-103 radar; other characteristics in line
with above-
Radio and visual call sign NMGR (1940-1963)
STATION ASSIGNMENTS:
1917-1918: Southwest Pass (LA)
1918-1933: South Pass (LA)
1933-1934: Relief (MA)
1935-1962: Brenton Reef (RI)
1962-1963: Cross Rip (MA)
(1918: Southwest Pass unusable due to silting; station discontinued and
LV 102 transferred to South Pass)
(1933: South Pass station discontinued)
(1942-1945: During WWII, remained on Brenton Reef station; no armament
provided)
HISTORICAL NOTES:
1917: Jan 10, departed Edgemoor (DE) Lighthouse Depot for New Orleans-
1917: Feb 24, placed on Southwest Pass (LA)-
1918: Moved to South Pass-
1926: Apr 18-21, while docked at Pensacola, during hurricane, stern stove in
and plating severely damaged by colliding repeatedly against the how of LV
81 which was tied up astern. Both vessels hauled and repaired-
1933: Transferred to 2d District; assigned as Relief while being overhauled-
1935: Placed on Brenton Reef (RI) until 1962 than moved to Cross Rip (MA)
RETIRED FROM LIGHTSHIP DUTY: 1963; AGE: 46
SUBSEQUENT DISPOSITION: Decommissioned at Boston Oct 25, 1963; towed to Portland (ME) for storage awaiting final disposition; sold Mar 2, 1965; then used as crab processing ship CROSS RIP in Seattle (WA). Listed in Merchant Vessels of the US 1970 as fishing out of Ketchican AK, named BIG DIPPER
COMMANDING OFFICERS: LV 102 / WAL 525
1916-1918: Albert C Scull, Master
1917-1918: Henry Olsen, Mate
1918-1919: Henry Olsen, Master
1918: Horace Gager, Mate
1919-1920: Dennis Morrissey, Mate
1919-1922: Frank Murphy, Master
1920-1921: Adolph Nordberg, Mate
1922: Henry Olsen, Mate
1922-1927: Henry Olsen, Master
1922-1927: William H Clements, Mate
1927-?: William H Clements, Master
1939-?: Norman Gray, Master
August, 1961 - October, 1963: CWO Edward Godlewski, CO
Courtesy of Art Richmond.
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