Lightship Portsmouth, LV 101 / WAL 524
(moved to) The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum, Portsmouth, VA, cir. 1916
This 102 foot ship was built in 1916 by Pusey and Jones in Wilmington, Delaware for a contract price of $108,507. Originally, powered by a 200 HP Meitz and Weiss 4 cylinder, direct reversing kerosene engine, she was capable 8 knots. She was assigned to several stations throughout her career, bearing the name of each station during her assignment: 1916 - 1924: Cape Charles (VA); 1925 - 1926: Relief / not used (VA); 1926 - 1951: Overfalls (DE); 1951 - 1963: Stonehorse Shoal (MA); During her career she was struck numerous times by other vessels (which was fairly common for lightships). She underwent several overhauls and in 1944 was re-powered with a Cooper-Bessemer 315 HP diesel engine. Its interesting to note that during World War II she stayed on station with no armament. Finally, exactly 48 years to the day, after her launch, she was decommissioned in 1964. She was donated to the City of Portsmouth, VA at their request and given the pseudo name "Portsmouth". (While Portsmouth was her original home port when stationed at Cape Charles, VA, there has never been an active lightship Portsmouth.) In 1986 she was set in concrete on shore and put on display as part of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum.
Location: Portsmouth, VA, 36°50'19" N 76°17'55" W
Access: See Lightship Portsmouth Museum
Date Built: Commissioned 1916
Cost: $108,507
Builder: Pusey and Jones, Wilmington, Delaware
Status: Decommissioned amd moved to a museum setting
