Lightship Overfalls, LV 118 / WAL 539
(moved to) Lewes, DE cir. 1938
This 115 foot ship was built in 1938 by Rice Brothers in East Boothbay, Maine for the contract price of $223,900. She was powered by a Cooper-Bessemer, 8 cylinder, 400 BHP, diesel engine and was capable of 9 knots. She was assigned to several stations throughout her career, bearing the name of each station during the assignment: 1938 - 1957: Cornfield Point (CT); 1958 - 1962: Cross Rip (MA); 1962 - 1972: Boston (MA); This was the last lightship built by the Lighthouse Service before it was merged with the U.S. Coast Guard. Like other lightships, during Word War II she remained on station with no armament. After 34 years of service she was retired in 1972. The following year she was donated to the Lewes Historical Society in Delaware and put on display with the name "Overfalls" even though she had never been assigned to that station. She is now located off Front Street, west of the Cape May Ferry Terminal in Lewes, Delaware. Volunteers are working to preserve the vessel. (It is interesting to note that the lightship "Portsmouth", now on display in VA, bears the name of a station that never existed, while it had actually served at the Overfalls station.)
Location: Lewes, DE, 38°46'40.44" N, 75°8'27.96" W
Access: See Lightship Overfalls (LV118)
Date Built: Commissioned 1938
Cost: $223,900
Builder: Rice Brothers. East Boothbay, Maine
Status: Decommissioned amd moved to a museum setting
