LIGHT SHIP FRYING PAN

LIGHT SHIP FRYING PAN

This light ship is 1 of 100 light ships in service. The United Coast Guard owns these ships. They had used these ships as floating light houses. To guide the ships around in inclement weather such as:

A. Getting them to safe harbors
B. To keep them from running aground
C. Hitting shoals
D. From hitting rocks that are not seen under water
E. And keep them from getting too close to land

The Frying Pan was built in 1929. And her number was 115. This light ship has guarded her shoals which is 30 feet off (Cape Fear North Carolina). She had been used from 1930 to 1965.

The length of her was 133 feet in length and a 30 foot beam and weighs 632 tons. This unique shape of the light ships is that they are all built to withstand storms and hurricanes.

There were 15 men aboard this light ship. And this was to keep the light burning and the fog horn sounding. No matter what kind of weather there was.

The would be on-board the light ship for 3 months and on shore leave for two months.

Some of the men complained:

A. being bored
B. and some of them were really afraid

This light ship had a good life. But she was left alone for 10 years at an oyster cannery in the Chesapeake Bay area.

They believe she had sunk when a pipe broke in her. She was under water for three years. Instead of taking her to a salvage yard they had repaired her and she now is sitting at pier 66 in the Hudson River. While they repaired the outside of the boat the inside remains the same. And tells the story of her past.