... that the mobile
Lightship Exhibition BATOEXPO can be hired for maritime events? The
French Artist Râmine spent some years building a fictitious lightship
on a trailer, which he can transport anywhere with his van. The upper
fixtures of the lightship can be folded down, so it is no problem
to drive through tunnels and under bridges. Inside the ship an exhibition
about the history of lightships with models, pictures, news paper
cuttings and much more awaits the visitor. And of course the lantern
of this lightship sends out its beam as well. A great idea for maritime
events and school fetes. The exhibition is in French. More information
at: www.batoexpo.com .... the
lightship light tower in Albert Dock in Liverpool isn't actually part
of a lightvessel, but is an artwork at the Tate Liverpool? The piece
was part of an exhibition called "The Real Thing: Contemporary
Art From China" which ran 2007; the work is called "Light
Funnel" and is by the artist Gu Dexin. For The Real Thing, fascinated
with the idea of the flashing lights and bold red surface of the industrial
structure, Gu Dexin has chosen to recreate the grand funnel of the
boat that served as the last working mobile lighthouse in Liverpool.
A team of factory workers from a steel plant in the northern port
city of Tianjin worked from archived engineering plans to achieve
an exact replication of the original. The only modification the artist
has elected to make is to add the element of sound. The conjoining
of humorous, childlike sounds with such a potently virile form as
the boat funnel, reveals the artist’s understanding of how the juxtaposition
of opposites contributes to a consummately powerful whole.
.... Fresnel's
lighthouse lenses fell into "orders" based on their focal
length? ..... the cardanic
suspension was named after it’s inventor, the Italian doctor and mathematician
G. Cardano (1501-1576)? .... that as part
of the resauration work, the 4 ton latern mast of the German lightship
AMRUMBANK in Emden was lifted off by a crane on April 30th, 2003 and
brought to a ship yard for overhaul? Until June 21st, 2003 the lightship
was “headless” – but now it is finally complete again (15.07.2003)
Originally, the
beds of the crewmembers were only 70 cm wide. However, this was exactly
the correct width for nights on restless seas - so the sailors could
lay down at the side with their behind at the wall and their knees
wedged at the front edge of the bunk, completely safe in their beds.
Someday, somebody determined that these 70 cm are not especially philanthropic
and it was decided that a bonus had to be paid to the crewmembers.
So, the men earned money in their sleep. Later the widening of the
beds to 90 cm was decided. Not necessarily to the seamen’s joy, because
now, they could do with the hardship bonus as they were not able in
heavy seas to wedge themselves into their bunks any more. An "antique" of
a quite notable type was auctioned at the internet auction house eBay
on March 25th, 2000 at 1.59 pm - the U.S. lightship Nantucket 1. After
the Metropolitan District Commission of of the State of Massachussetts
had offered the ship for sale to the many different organizations
for more than eighteen month and everyone glady would have had it,
but unfortunately nobody had the money for restoration, the auction
on eBay was the last chance for the 50 year old lightship, which according
to statements of the MDC was not seaworthy any more and would require
considerable repairs of the engine. It was berthed in Quincy, Massachussetts.
Minimum bid: 25.000 U.S. dollars. Altogether, there were 15 bits at
this auction. The successful bidders were the local lawyer William
Golden and his wife Kristen, who bought the ship for 126.100 U.S.
dollars, restored it and today use it as a residential ship. At the
starboard side of the ship, there now is a waterproof steel door.
The interior is fitted for the needs of the Goldens. Furthermore passenger
cabins and a new motor were installed, because the ship can be rented
as a charter ship during the warmer summer month, when the Goldens
are not on board. All visitors
of the ship can participate by answering questions about the ship.
Size and displacement of the ship are asked about, as well as the
power supply at sea and about the predecessor, which sunk in a hurrican,
and the date of decommission. After the examination, the participant
gets presented with a document to certificate his qualification. A
great idea! .... that the
Nantucket Coast Guard has a quite unique Christmas tree? It is a Mini-Nantucket-Lightship!
This choir still
is relatively new and results from a very well known Shanty-Choir
from Cuxhaven and is equiped with very good voices. .... the Belgian
lightship "West-Hinder 1" had been preserved against saltwater with
a coat of zinc in 1996? .... the lantern
mast of the German lightship "Reserve Sonderburg" and present sailing
ship "Alexander of Humboldt" today can be found at the Shipping Museum
in Kiel (Germany)? ..... the smallest
lightship of the world can be found in Denmark? It is in the Legoland
Theme Park in Billund (Denmark) and built from Lego bricks, but it
even floats in the water... : -)) ..... the former
lightship "Fehmarnbelt - Reserve Kiel" had been designated for scrap
in Bremerhaven (Germany) in 1967 but the latern mast survived and
is now on display at the terrain of the German Shipping Museum in
Bremerhaven (Germany)? ..... the former
lightship Elbe 2 (Mayor Bartels) and present sailing yacht "Altantis"
had been used as practise ship by the fire brigade in Hamburg (Germany)
for fire-fighting? ..... the painter
Le Clerck always used to draw the lightship "West-Hinder" in the background
of his paintings as his trademark?
.... that
there is someone in the United Stated who is specialized in custom designed
cookie cutters? It is Frank Longmore of Frankencutters.
So I asked Frank if he would do a lightship cutter for me - and of course
he did. And here you can see what we did yesterday ;-)
920 mm = 1st Order
700 mm = 2nd Order
500 mm = 3rd Order
250 mm = 4th Order
187,5 mm = 5th Order
150 mm = 6th Order
.... only
lightships in Finland had women in their crews?
.... the
German lightship ELBE 1 (Buergermeister O´Swald II) is the world
largest lightship?
..... lightships can also be
found inland? This modell of the former English LV No. 13 was built
of Lego bricks and can be found in the Legoland Theme Park in Germany
:-))
.... how
the coat of arms of of the English lighthouse authority Trinity House
looks like?
....how "lightships" are called in other countries?
Denmark: fyrskib
Finland: majakkalaivat
France: bateau-feu
Germany: Feuerschiff
Great Britain: lightvessel
Italy: battello fanale
Netherlands: lichtschip
Spain: ponton faro
Sweden: fyrskepp
USA: lightship
GHIJKLM
NOPQRS
TUVWXYZ
... that pay included a bonus for too narrow beds on the German lightship
ELBE 1?
... U.S. lightship Nantucket 1 WLV 612 was successfully sold on eBay?
.... visitors on the German museum Lightvessel Elbe 1 in Cuxhaven
can acquire a certificate?
.... that the old capstan of the former German lightship "Reserve
Sonderburg" and present sailing ship Alexander von Humboldt can be
found in the museum harbour of Carolinensiel (Germany) today?
.... there is a choir in Cuxhaven (Germany) called Seemanns-Chor-Elbe
1 (Seamen Choir Elbe 1)?
With kind authorization of the company AGESO.
.... the last three unmanned lightships in Germany in the annual cycle
will be collected from their stations and brought to Wilhelmshaven
(Germany) for overhaul? Since the unmanned lightships don't have their
own propulsion engines, they are towed to position by the llightship
tender MELLUM as shown on this photo. (25.4.2001)
