In 1934, the ocean liner Olympic rammed and sunk the Nantucket lightship.
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Man Overboard Lights
There are several life rings located on the Overfalls weather deck. These rings were to be tossed to someone who had fallen overboard. Right beside each life ring is something that looks like a large mustard-colored flashlight. These are man overboard rescue lights. They are battery powered and are designed to be tossed, with the life ring, to the person who has fallen in. It’s interesting to note that they are mounted upside down in their holders. They are weighted so that when they enter the water they invert and float upright. A switch inside automatically turns the light on when it inverts to help show the location of the life ring in the water at night.
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So What Kind of Clock Is That?
Located above the helm on Overfalls, this is a 24 hour Chelsea Clock. The United States military uses 24 hour timekeeping because it make it easier to differentiate between AM and PM. Two thirty in the morning is 0230 hours (usually referred to as “o-two-thirty”). Two thirty in the afternoon is 1430 (or “fourteen-thirty”). This avoids confusion about what time one needs to do something but it takes some getting used to. Obviously the face of the clock on our bridge takes some getting used to as well. The picture above shows the time as just shy of 10:20 in the morning.
We have three mechanical Chelsea clocks on board Overfalls and one of the routine duties of someone who was on watch was to keep the clocks wound. The seaman on duty would have to note in the log that he “wound escapement clocks”. The term escapement clock simply refers to any spring wound mechanical clock.
The Chelsea Clock Company was founded back in 1884 but still manufactures clocks at its factory just outside of Boston in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Like many companies during WW2, they shifted much of their production to government contacts, providing clocks for most all Navy and Coast Guard vessels of the day.
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Happy Birthday LV118!
LV118 under construction in 1938 Today is the 85th anniversary of the launching of Lightship Overfalls (LV118) and her christening. First named “Cornfield” to associate her with her first duty station at Cornfield Point, the event marked the first time the ship touched the water and is traditionally known as her birthday. Come on down today and have a tour to learn more about the different names that LV118 has had. You can also check out the Lewes Historical Society Sea Glass Festival in Canalfront Park and at their main campus. It’s a beautiful day to be outside!
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What on earth is that?
CP-95/PD
This is an artifact from the Cold War and was on LV118 when she arrived in Lewes in 1973. The CP-95/PD (commonly called a Radiac unit) was used to read the amount of radiation an individual had been exposed to. A small pendant on a chain (a “personnel dosimeter”) would be worn around the neck of an individual to be monitored. After exposure, the dosimeter would be placed inside the Radiac unit and the “ROENTGENS” meter would read the amount of radiation to which the wearer had been exposed. This particular unit dates from the early 1960’s.