A Poetic Tribute to LV118, the Overfalls Lightship
5/30/2009
LV 118 (Written by Deborah J. Dasch, wife of Frederick (Rick) Dasch who served aboard the LV 118, as the Boston Lightship 1965-66.)
Out of service, decommissioned!
A sad day for this boat!
I was sailed south, to Delaware
And in this slip I’d float.
I’m old now, yet I remember,
The days when my foghorn and light
Served as life-saving beacons of safety,
Fair winds or foul, day or night.
Oh, for those glory days again,
My decks trod by young men and old,
Waves lapping gently, or crashing loud,
In the blistering heat, or frigid cold.
I’d pitch and roll, the chain was taut
Men felt their stomachs churn,
A strong Nor’easter was upon us,
All hands stood watch in turn.
For days and nights fog lingered,
The foghorn blaring loud,
All ships took heed and listened,
To go safely through this shroud.
A quiet day arrived at last,
The stars shone bright that night,
The ocean glimmered like a gem
In the full moon’s brightest light.
Many years I’ve lived with memories,
With dreams to be sea worthy again,
To float proudly in the Atlantic,
A beacon for all sailing men!
At long last, a glimmer of hope,
The OMMF was born, and grew,
Their tireless efforts on my behalf
Might make my dreams come true!
“She’s past her prime, long past!” some said
But others said, “Not so!
A piece of history we have here,
Make her shine as she did long ago!”
Chip and scrape, paint and polish,
“Dirty Hands” laboring long and hard,
All to share with others,
This old vessel of the Coast Guard!
The tours began in earnest then,
Many folks young and old came aboard.
Old “Coasties” even came to see
This old girl getting restored.
The tour guides share with visitors
The sea stories, recounted as true,
Of life aboard this old Lightship,
And the perils of her crew.
But new work is being done here now,
My hull will soon float free,
Are they taking me, once again,
To proudly serve at sea?
I’m towed away, but not to sea,
There’s more work to be done.
The “Dirty Hands” all hold their breath,
Will I survive the run?
At last, I’m here, in this new place,
It seems my hull is quite in need,
Of cleaning, patching, welding,
A boatload of work, indeed!
Slowly, slowly, the work progresses,
I’m looking almost new!
Am I soon going out to sea?
To shine as I used to do?
But no, that’s not my fate, I hear,
It’s better than that you see.
I will forever float in Lewes as
A museum of Lightship history!