Happy New Year!

Ringing in the New Year with a tintype of the ships bell, lightship Ambrose . January first, and I’m out in a tee shirt! Had to take advantage of this unusually warm Winter day to pull out my wet plate gear, and capture this image.

Built in 1908, LV87 was the lightship stationed at the entrance to Ambrose Channel, the entrance to New York Harbour. She remained as the entrance beacon to one of the busiest harbours in the world until 1932 when she was put on station closer to Sandy Hook, and was renamed Scotland.

In 1908 ships plying the world’s oceans did not have the electronic equipment we have today. No radar, loran, satnav, or google maps on smartphones. Location was determined with a sextant by shooting various celestial objects, and through complex mathematical formulas a position was determined, this along with a compass, a watch , and a way to determine ships speed was all that was available. Being in the middle of the Atlantic, and a little off course is one thing, being closer to land it was of great importance.

The job of the Lightship was of great importance, and not without hazard. It was not uncommon to have very close calls with ships, and on several occasions to be rammed, and sunk.

The lightship, as the name implies, had lights to aid ships to see her, and fog horns when visibility made the lights useless, and when the crew heard a vessel nearing dangerously close the bell could be rung as an added measure.

Ambrose/Scotland was retired in the early sixties, and was fortunate to escape the scrap yard when she became part of the South Street Seaport Museum here in Manhattan. If you are in the area check the museum’s schedule, and come aboard. You can even ring the ship’s bell!