U.S. Coast Guard Lightships
& Those of the U.S. Lighthouse Service
VESSEL DESIGNATION: LV 54 / WAL 502
"BOSTON LIGHT-VESSEL, NO. 54, MASS." Scanned from the 1901 Light List, Plate V. Photo by N. L. Stebbins, 1895.
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: 1892
BUILT AT: West Bay City (MI)
APPROPRIATION: $70, 000
BUILDER: ?
CONTRACT PRICE: $53,325 ($213,300 for 4 ships)
SISTER VESSELS: LV 51,52,53
DESIGN: Iron hull and fastenings; 2 masts with spencers, 2 daymarks; stack ahead of mainmast; flush decked aft to foremast; hawsepipe thru stem, aligned with center line
LENGTH: 1190" (loa); BEAM: 266"; DRAFT: 120"; TONNAGE: 375 displ, 310 gross
PROPULSION: Steam screw-single compound condensing engine, 14" & 24" bores x 16" stroke; 150 IEP; 2 Scotch boilers 8'dia x 9'lg; 90 psi; max speed 6 knots; coal capacity 52 tons; also rigged for sail carried on spencer masts
ILLUMINATING APPARATUS: 2 lanterns, each with 8 oil lamps and reflectors
FOG SIGNAL: 12" steam chime whistle; hand operated 1000-lb bell
CONSTRUCTION NOTES - MODIFICATIONS - EQUIPMENT CHANGES & IMPROVEMENTS:
One of the first group of 4 lightships to have hawsepipe through the stem
1893: 25 tons pig-iron ballast added
1910: Equipped with submarine bell signal
1914/15: Masts removed; replaced with single short lantern mast topped with
incandescent oil-vapor (IOV) lens lantern; repowered with diesel main
engine.
1915: Fog signal changed to air siren
1919: Equipped with radio
1921: Illuminant changed from 107 to acetylene
1923: Equipped with radio-beacon transmitting Morse "N" every 15
seconds
1929: Acetylene lens lantern converted to electric operation
1945: Fitted with detection radar
Radio & Visual Call Sign NNGQ (1940-1946)
STATION ASSIGNMENTS:
1892-1894: Nantucket New South Shoal (MA)
1894-1940: Boston (MA)
1940-1943: Relief (MA)
1943-1946: Boston (MA)
(1892: Nov l3, Nantucket position moved 10 mi SW of former position)
(1900 Boston position moved 1 mi northerly from former station)
(During the period 1892-1894 some sources indicate that the vessel remained
on the Nantucket station only a short time, and that Relief LV 9 and/or
Relief LV 39 may have marked the station. Since no conclusive evidence is
available showing this, dates of assignment above are taken from the Annual
Reports)
(1943-1946 Although no absolute proof has been found, it is very probable
that this vessel was assigned to the Boston station during this period.
Light Lists of the time give information in line with the characteristics of
LV 54, and the vessel regularly assigned to Boston station (LV 81/WAL 507)
was in the Fifth District during 1942ã1945
HISTORICAL NOTES:
1892: Oct 5, delivered to Woods Hole MA by contractor;
"alterations" made; fitted out and supplied
1892: Nov 13, placed on Nantucket New South Shoal; repositioned 10 mi SW of
former station. (Relief LV 9, marking former station since Jun 14,
withdrawn)
1893: Apr-Jun 21, off station for repairs; 25 tons pig iron ballast
installed; new propeller installed; considered unsuitable for such an
exposed station
1894:Sep 15, withdrawn and repaired (replaced by LV 58)
1894: Oct 1, placed on Boston (MA) showing 2 FR lights; 42-19-23N /
70-45-04W in 84 feet
1894/1895 Appropriations totaling $105,000 approved for new vessel for the
Boston station; contract awarded
1896: Jul 15-29, relieved (by LV 39) for bottom painting and repair
1897: Dec 8-20, ditto
1898: Nov 27, dragged off station in gale; steamed back to station 2 days
later
1898: May 10-25, hauled for bottom work and engine repairs
1900: Jan 9, position moved 1 mi N (6 mi E 1/2 5 from Boston Light) in order
to better mark deeper water access to Boston harbor
1901: May 31-Jun 25, relieved (by LV 58) for boiler work and engine room
repairs.
1902: Aug 1-15, relieved (by LV 58) for repair
Same entry for 1903 May 11-20; 1904 May 8; 1905 Jun 14-30
1906: Aug 31-?, Relieved (by LV 53) for repair (LV 53 had been brought from
Charleston SC on temporary loan to 1st and 2d Districts)
Up until 1906 there were newspaper accounts of the lightship being bumped,
butted and scraped by passing vessels, apparently without serious damage.
1915: Apr, Rammed by steamer QUANTICO
1935: Dec 20, rammed by British steamer SEVEN SEAS SPRAY, which had just
dropped the pilot and when 800 feet from the lightship, steering gear jammed
causing collision. LV 54 was holed at water line, crew stuffed bags of coal
into gash and remained afloat until towed to drydock by tender ARBUTUS.
1940: Mar 8, withdrawn from Boston station and assigned relief duty,
stationed at Woods Hole. Served again on Boston station 1943-1946
RETIRED FROM LIGHTSHIP DUTY: 1946; AGE: 54
SUBSEQUENT DISPOSITION:
Decommissioned Jul 23, 1946; sold Sep 15, 1947
COMMANDING OFFICERS:
1892-1894: David B Ray, Master
1892-1894: James C Remsen, Mate
1894: James Jorgensen, Master (Jan-Sep)
1894: Albert W Matthews, Master (Sep-Oct)
1895: Alexander F Snow, Mate (Mar-Apr)
1896-1897: Alexander F Snow, Mate
1897-?: Alexander F Snow, Master
1906-1913: Charles E Acorn, Mate
1907-1913: Harry D Nickerson, Mate
1913-1915: Manuel T Chantre, Mate
?-1915: Hermann Lack. Master
1915-?: Walter H Warnock, Master
1915-1917: William G Collins, Mate
1917-1921: Benjamin F Chase, Mate
1923 -1923: Lars. 0 Johnson, Mate
1923-?: Charles S Parsons, Mate
1937-?: Lewis E Woodman, Master
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