Maritime History of the Lightship:
My unofficial webpage for the old, Baltimore Maritime Museum...
Using my years of serving aboard different vessels, I will be posting some sea stories and historical facts, I have learned over the years from personal experiences, to my conversations with some old mariners who are now gone. I will also be sharing my thoughts on a historical event that happend, yet no record can be found on it, because of a burocratic error.
Page currently under Construction;
I will be adding some personal photos connected with the Baltimore Maritime Museum, when I was employed by them from 1984-1989; after returning home from overseas duty with the U.S. Coast Guard. I started aboard the Lightship Chesapeake under the direction of CAPT. Robert Cooper, (USN Ret), (USNPS) Representative.
And ambassadore to the Baltimore Maritime Museum, durring my tender.
This is me as a young man serving aboard the Lightship Chesapeake about 1984. This ID plate is from the forward most crane, once facing the Baltimore Inner Harbor.
A shipyard view of the Chesapeake Still under Cammand of CPT. Robert Cooper, (USNPS) prior to paroramic cameras...
The above drawling from 1891 was the "sister ship" to LS-52, a steam powered vessel and predecessor to LS-116, Commissioned in Charleston SC 1930.
I had the pleasure of once speaking with Sven Olsen an original crewman aboard the Lightship in person, who transferred into the Coast Guard from the U.S. Lighthouse service. Mr. Olsen a seaman at the time served under CPT Alexander Andersen (both Norwegian) and was the first to man the Chesapeake, primarily stationed at Portsmouth VA. I was impressed by the shark bone cane he possessed once caught aboard the Lightship.
A cut away view of the Lightship Chesapeake: Propulsion system is 4 Detroit 671Diesel Electric Motors.
I will be posting some more photos once I scan them; and am able to find time to tell their story.