U.S. Coast Guard Lightships
& Those of the U.S. Lighthouse Service
VESSEL DESIGNATION: LV 45
"WINTER QUARTER SHOAL LIGHT-VESSEL, NO. 45, VA." Scanned from the 1901 Light List, Plate XXIII. Photographer unknown, no date listed (circa 1900).
Office of the Lighthouse Board. List of Lights and Fog Signals on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States. Corrected to June 30, 1901. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1901.
YEAR BUILT: 1887
BUILT AT: Linwood (PA)
BUILDER: Houston & Woodbridge
APPROPRIATION: $60,000 (Approp. 1885 & 1886"for completing lt-ship (iron) with fog signal")
CONTRACT PRICE: $58,500
SISTER VESSELS: LV 46
DESIGN: Composite- steel frame, iron hull sheathed with yellow pine; fastened with iron rivets and screw bolts; 2 masts, daymark on main; stack ahead of main; 2 aux. boilers and steam pump
LENGTH: 124'6" (loa); BEAM: 27'6"; DRAFT: 12'; PROPULSION: Sail-schooner rig; fore and main carried on spencer masts
TONNAGE: 401 displ
ILLUMINATING APPARATUS: 2 lanterns, each having 8 oil lamps w/reflectors
FOG SIGNAL: 12" steam whistle; hand operated bell
CONSTRUCTION NOTES - MODIFICATIONS - EQUIPMENT CHANGES & IMPROVEMENTS:
1887: Sep received from contractor; hull leaking; hauled at Wilmington DE
and hull stripped, outer hull caulked and resheathed; deck recaulked
1890: Deck recaulked on station by shipyard crew
1891: Boilers retubed on station by engineers of the vessel
1891: Aug 29-Oct 22, hauled for repairs to hull, boilers, and standing rig
1895: Jan 17-Oct 18, compressed air fog signal installed using 12' Crosby
chime whistle, 2 Hornsby-Ackroyd 3 1/2 HP oil engines, and air compressor
1906: Sep 15, submarine bell signal installed for test; operational May 29,
1907
1908: Fog whistle changed to 8"
STATION ASSIGNMENTS:
1888-1908: Winter Quarter Shoal (VA)
1908-1918: Thirty Five Foot Channel (VA)
(Thirty Five Foot station marked by a buoy Jul 1918 when LV 45 partially destroyed by fire; station discontinued 1919, replaced by lighted buoy)
HISTORICAL NOTES:
1888: Mar 18, placed on Winter Quarter Shoal (VA)
1889: Apr 7, parted chain, picked up 38 miles off Hatteras by British
steamer VIOLA & towed to Portsmouth (VA) then towed to Delaware
Breakwater for replacement of anchor & chain; resumed station Apr 29.
British salvage claim for $10, 000 resulted in an award of $900
1891: Aug 29-Oct 22, relieved by C&GS schooner DRIFT while being
repaired
1894: Apr 20, steam fog signal discontinued due to boiler failure bell used
until withdrawn for repair Jan 1895. ("relieved by LV 9" from 2nd
District)
1896: Dec 15, parted chain & driven to sea; picked up Dec 30 by British
steamer BIRDOSWALD and towed to Hampton Roads; returned to station Jan 8.
1897
1899: Nov 50Dec 14, relieved for repair by LV 16
1901: Nov 17-Dec 16, relieved for repair by LV 11
1903: Jan 28, in collision with schooner
1903: Apr 29-Jun 15, relieved for repair by LV 71, repaired at Philadelphia
1903: Jan 28, in collision with schooner
1906: Sep 15, submarine bell signal. installed for test; placed in regular
operation May 29, 1907
1908: Jan 4, damaged in gale; brought in for survey. (Relieved by LV 91)
More notes: LV 45
1908: Mar, surveyed and considered unsuitable for further use on exposed
stations; reassigned to Thirty Five Foot Channel (VA)
1918: Mar 3, while being- repaired in shipyard, another ship caught fire and
drifted against LV 45 starting a fire aboard; damage estimated at $28,875
plus loss of mess stores- and crew's personal effects; considered
uneconomical to repair vessel; station marked by buoy
1918: Oct 26, surveyed, condemned and laid up
RETIRED FROM LIGHTSHIP DUTY: 1918; AGE: 31
SUBSEQUENT DISPOSITION: 1918 Oct 26, surveyed and condemned 1920 Apr 27, sold
COMMANDING OFFICERS:
1888-1893: James H Mason, Asst Keeper
1893-1898: James H Mason, Mate
1898-1913: James H Mason, Master
1898-1913: Harry H Vaughn, Mate
1913: Anelius Anderson, Mate
1913-1914: Robert H Bertram, Master
1913-1915: A T Loss, Mate
1914-1917: John B Johnson, Master
1915-1916: Gus Montague, Mate
1916: C E 0'Neal, Mate
1917-1918: Robert A Dixon, Mate
1917-1918: Arthur K Hudson, Master
No caption/date/photo number; photographer unknown.
The LV-45. Photo provided courtesy of Marty Krzywicki. Copyright: U.S.C.G. Lightship Sailors Association.
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