Lightship Columbia
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| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Builder: | Rice Brother Corporation, Boothbay, Maine |
| Built: | 1950 |
| Decommissioned: | 1979 |
| Fate: | Museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 317 displ |
| Length: | 128' |
| Beam: | 30' |
| Draft: | 11' |
| Propulsion: | 550 hp Atlas-Imperial direct reversing 8 cylinder diesel engine |
| Speed: | 10.7 knots |
| Armament: | none |
| Lightship WAL-604, COLUMBIA | |
|---|---|
| (U.S. National Historic Landmark) | |
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| Location: | 1792 Marine Drive, Astoria, Oregon |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Built/Founded: | 1950 |
| Architect: | Rice Brothers |
| Designated as NHL: | December 20, 1989[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | December 20, 1989[2] |
| NRHP Reference#: | 89002463 |
| Governing body: | Private |
The Lightship Columbia WLV-604 was the first lightship on the Pacific Coast of the United States. The Columbia River lightships have guided vessels across the “Graveyard of the Pacific” from 1892 until 1979. This lightship, WLV-604, was essentially a small town anchored five miles out to sea marking the entrance to the Columbia River.
Everything the crew needed had to be on board. In the winter, weeks of rough weather prevented any supplies from being delivered. Life on board the lightship can best be described as long stretches of monotony and boredom intermixed with riding gale force storms. The crew of 17 men worked two to four week rotations, with ten men on duty at all times.
Thirty-foot waves were not unusual during fierce winter storms. Even the most experienced sailors got seasick. The lightship did not roll like a regular ship, but bobbed like a cork in all directions. The crew can recall many sleepless nights listening to the foghorn, but they took great pride in their duty: keeping ships safe and on course at the entrance to the Columbia River.
WLV-604 is now located at the Columbia River Maritime Museum—the official maritime museum of the State of Oregon.
The Columbia was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[1] It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989.[1][3]
[edit] WLV-604 facts
- On Station: 1951-1979
- Displacement: 617 tons
- Anchor: 7,000 mushroom anchor
- Light: 600 kilocandela lens, 1,200 watt light (13 nautical mile range)
- Foghorn: Diaphone foghorn (5 mile range)
- Crew: 17 enlisted men, one warrant officer
[edit] References
- ^ a b LIGHTSHIP Wal-604 "COLUMBIA". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2007-11-19.
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
- ^ James P. Delgado (June 30, 1989), National Register of Historic Places Registration: Lightship WAL-604 "Columbia" / Columbia WLV-604PDF (637 KiB), National Park Service and Accompanying 5 photos, exterior, from c.1960, 1980, 1982.PDF (398 KiB)
[edit] See also
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