United States lightship Portsmouth (LV-101) facts for kids
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|} The United States Lightship 101 is a special kind of ship that used to guide other ships. Today, it is known as Portsmouth and is a museum ship. It helps people learn about its history.
This ship was first placed near Cape Charles, Virginia. Now, you can find it at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum in Portsmouth, Virginia. Even though the city of Portsmouth never had a lightship station, the ship was given the name Portsmouth when it became a museum there. It is a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a very important historical site. It is one of only a few lightships still around today.
Contents
- Building a Lightship
- Early Service Years
- New Stations and Names
- World War II and Later Service
- Becoming a Museum Ship
| History | |
|---|---|
  United States |
|
| Name |
|
| Builder | Pusey & Jones |
| Laid down | 1915 |
| Launched | 12 January 1916 |
| Acquired | 2 September 1916 |
| Decommissioned | 23 March 1964 |
| In service | 1916 |
| Out of service | 1963 |
| Identification |
|
| Status | Museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Lightship |
| Displacement | 360 long tons (366 t) |
| Length | 101 ft 10 in (31.04 m) |
| Beam | 25 ft (7.6 m) |
| Draft | 11 ft 4 in (3.45 m) |
| Propulsion | Meitz & Weiss 4-cylinder kerosene engine, 200 hp (149 kW) 1944: Cooper-Bessemer 315HP Six Cylinder Diesel |
| Speed | 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (4 Cylinder) 8.2 knots (15.2 km/h; 9.4 mph) (6 Cylinder) |
| Armament | None |
|
Lightship No. 101, Portsmouth
|
|
 Location in Virginia
|
|
| Location | Portsmouth, Virginia |
| Built | 1916 |
| Architect | Pusey & Jones Lightship; US Lighthouse Establishment |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001080 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | 5 May 1989 |
| Designated NHL | 5 May 1989 |
A Ship's Journey: The History of Lightship 101
Building a Lightship
Lightship Portsmouth (LV-101) was built in 1915. It was made by a company called Pusey & Jones. This ship was designed to be a floating lighthouse.
Early Service Years
From 1916 to 1924, the ship was called Charles. It served in the Chesapeake Bay near Cape Charles, Virginia. After that, Portsmouth spent about a year helping other lightships. It acted as a backup when other ships needed repairs.
New Stations and Names
From 1926 to 1951, the ship was stationed in Delaware. Here, it was known as Overfalls. In 1939, the United States Lighthouse Service joined the United States Coast Guard. The ship's official number changed to WAL-524. However, it still kept its station name painted on its side.
World War II and Later Service
During World War II, many lightships were armed to protect themselves. But LV-101 was not given any weapons. In 1951, the ship moved again. It went to Stonehorse Shoal, Massachusetts. It stayed there until 1963, when it was taken out of service. After that, the lightship waited in the harbor at Portland, Maine. People were deciding what to do with it next.
Becoming a Museum Ship
On September 3, 1964, LV-101 was given to the City of Portsmouth, Virginia. The city wanted it to be part of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum. The ship was placed in a dry dock at the London Pier in Portsmouth. Even though it never worked as a lightship there, it took on the city's name. In 1989, Portsmouth was named a National Historic Landmark. Today, you can visit this historic ship and learn about its past.
Lightship Names and Locations
Lightships have numbers, but the places where they work have names. Light Vessel 101 worked at these stations:
- Charles, Cape Charles, Virginia (1916–1924)
- Relief, Relief 5th District (1925–1926)
- Overfalls, Overfalls, Delaware (1926–1951)
- Stonehorse, Stonehorse Shoal, Massachusetts (1951–1963)
- CrossRip, Cross Rip Shoal, Massachusetts (1963–1964)
More About Lightships
See also
