Editing Lightship (section)

===American lightships===
[[File:Lightship Columbia.jpg|thumb|left|Lightship ''Columbia,'' WLV-604]]

====History====
The first United States lightship was established at [[Chesapeake Bay]] in 1820, and the total number around the coast peaked in 1909 with 56 locations marked. Of those ships, 168 were constructed by the [[United States Lighthouse Service]] and six by the [[United States Coast Guard]], which absorbed it in 1939. From 1820 until 1983, there were 179 lightships built for the U.S. government, and they were assigned to 116 separate light stations on four coasts (including the [[Great Lakes]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/maritime/|title=Maritime Heritage Program - National Park Service|website=www.nps.gov|access-date=21 February 2019}}</ref>

[[Image:Jsj-380-Light Ship Sandy Hook.jpg|thumb|right|Lightship #51 at [[Sandy Hook]], New Jersey, as it appeared in the 1890s.]]

The first United States lightships were small wooden vessels with without any propelling power. The first United States iron-hulled lightship was stationed at Merrill's Shell Bank, Louisiana, in 1847. Wood was still the preferred building material at the time due to its lower cost and ability to withstand shock loading. Wooden lightships often survived more than 50 years in northern waters, where the danger of rotting was reduced. Lightvessel 16 guarded Sandy Hook and [[Ambrose Channel|Ambrose]] stations for more than 80 years; she had both an inner hull and an outer hull with the space between was filled with salt to harden the wood and reduce decay. Several lightships built with composite wood and steel hulls in 1897 proved less durable than either wood or steel. The first modern steel lightship in United States service was lightvessel 44 built in 1882. One of the last United States wooden hulled lightships built, lightvessel 74, went into service at Portland, Maine, in 1902. The first United States lightships with steam engine propulsion were built in 1891 for service on the Great Lakes where seasonal ice required prompt evacuation of light stations to avoid destruction of the lightships.<ref name="proceedings">White, Richard D., Jr., LT USCG "Destination Nowhere - Twilight of the Lightship" ''United States Naval Institute Proceedings'' March 1976 pp.67-68</ref>

The official use of lightships in the United States ended on March 29, 1985, when the [[United States Coast Guard]] decommissioned its last such ship, the ''Nantucket I''. Many lightships were replaced with [[Texas Tower (lighthouse)|Texas Towers]] or [[Lanby buoy|large navigational buoys]]{{Snd}}both of which are cheaper to operate than lightvessels. In fact, lighthouses often replaced lightships.<ref name="cmich.edu">{{cite web|url=https://www.cmich.edu/library/clarke/Pages/default.aspx|title=Clarke Home - Central Michigan University|website=www.cmich.edu|access-date=21 February 2019}}</ref>

====Naming and numbering====
Up to and through the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] lightships were identified by name, usually that of the station where they served, but as they were moved from station to station, the keeping of records became confusing. In 1867 all existing lightships were given numbers by which they would be permanently identified, and the station at which they were presently serving was painted on their sides, to be changed as needed. Lightships held in reserve to serve in place of those in dock for maintenance were labeled "RELIEF".<ref name="USCG.early">{{cite web|
url=http://www.uscg.mil/history/weblightships/Early.asp|title=Early U.S. Lightships|publisher=[[United States Coast Guard]]|access-date=2008-07-16}}</ref> Surviving lightships are commonly taken to be named according to these labels, but for instance the "Lightship ''[[United States lightship Chesapeake (LV-116)|Chesapeake]]''" actually served at two other stations as well as being used for examinations, and last served at the Delaware Light Station. In another case, the ''LV-114'' was labeled "NEW BEDFORD", though there has never been such a station.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=617 |title=Lightship New Bedford LV 114/WAL 536 |date=2010-05-23 |publisher=Lighthousefriends.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004131113/http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=617 |archive-date=2012-10-04 }}</ref> In an attempt to sort out the early lightships, they were assigned one or two letter designations sometime around 1930; these identifications do not appear in early records, and they are to some degree uncertain.<ref name="USCG.early" />

There are three different and overlapping series of hull numbers. The Lighthouse Service assigned numbers beginning with "LV-" and starting from 1; however, not all numbers were used. When the Coast Guard took over the lighthouse service, all existing lightships were renumbered with "WAL-" prefixes, beginning with "WAL-501". In 1965 they were renumbered again, this time with "WLV-"; however in this case the numbers given were not sequential. Given that only six vessels were constructed after the Coast Guard takeover, the "LV-" series numbers are most commonly used.

====Surviving American lightships====
{{See also|List of lightships of the United States}}

It is estimated that there are 15 United States lightships left today. Among them:

* The [[United States lightship Barnegat (LV-79)|lightship Barnegat (LV-79)]] is moored in [[Camden, New Jersey]]. She was the [[Five Fathom Bank light station|lightship for Five Fathom Bank]] and [[Barnegat, New Jersey]].
* The [[United States lightship Swiftsure (LV-83)|lightship Swiftsure (LV-83)]] is moored at [[Northwest Seaport]] in [[Seattle, Washington]].<ref>{{cite web|title=1904 Lightship: No. 83, Swiftsure|url=http://nwseaport.org/historic-fleet/lightship-swiftsure|website=Northwest Seaport|access-date=7 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520100712/http://nwseaport.org/historic-fleet/lightship-swiftsure/|archive-date=20 May 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> She served at all five Pacific Coast lightship stations (Blunts Reef and San Francisco, California; and the Columbia River entrance, Umatilla Reef, and Swiftsure Bank, Washington).
* The [[United States lightship Ambrose (LV-87)|lightship Ambrose (LV-87)]] is moored at the [[South Street Seaport Museum]] in [[New York City, New York]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Lightship Ambrose|url=https://southstreetseaportmuseum.org/visit/street-of-ships/lightship-ambrose|website=South Street Seaport Museum|access-date=7 May 2016}}</ref>
* The [[United States lightship Portsmouth (LV-101)|lightship Portsmouth (LV-101)]] is moored at the naval shipyard museum in [[Portsmouth, Virginia]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Lightship Portsmouth|url=http://www.portsmouthnavalshipyardmuseum.com/lightship/about.html|website=Lightship Portsmouth Museum|publisher=City of Portsmouth, Virginia|access-date=7 May 2016}}</ref> LV-101 was built in 1915 by Pusey & Jones. She first served at [[Cape Charles, Virginia]], then Relief, [[Overfalls, Delaware]], and [[Stonehorse Shoal, Massachusetts]]. After being decommissioned, she was stored in [[Portland, Maine]], before being sold to the museum. Today LV-101 is dry docked and lettered as ''Portsmouth'', having never served there.
* The [[United States lightship Huron (LV-103)|lightship Huron (LV-103)]] is one of many that have plied the waters of the [[Great Lakes]].<ref name="cmich.edu"/><ref>Sellman, John J. Martin Reef: Lightship to Lighthouse. Cedarville, MI: Les Cheneaux Historical Association, 1995.</ref> In 1832 the first Lightship on the [[Great Lakes]]—the [[Lois McLain]]—was placed at Waugoshance Shoal.<ref>[http://clarke.cmich.edu/lighthouses/lhtime1.htm Wagner, John L., Chronology of Michigan lightship and lighthouses ''Beacons Shining in the Night'', Clarke Historical Library, Central, Michigan University.]</ref> After 1940, the Huron was the last lightship on the [[Great Lakes]]. She was decommissioned in 1970 and grounded at [[Port Huron, Michigan]] as a museum. The smallest surviving lightship, she is now a museum and a representative of the 96 foot class.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-15481_19267_20424-54594--,00.html|title=Michigan Government on Huron Lightship.|access-date=21 February 2019}}</ref>
* The lightship Winter Quarter (LV-107) is moored at Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City, New Jersey. She serves as the office building for a sailing school. 
* The [[United States lightship Nantucket (LV-112)|lightship Nantucket (LV-112)]] is moored in [[Boston, Massachusetts]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Nantucket Lightship/LV-112|url=http://www.nantucketlightshiplv-112.org|website=Nantucket Lightship/LV-112|publisher=United States Lightship Museum, Inc.|access-date=7 May 2016}}</ref>
* The [[United States lightship Frying Pan (LV-115)|lightship Frying Pan (LV-115)]] is moored at Pier 66 in [[New York City, New York]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Lightship Frying Pan|url=http://fryingpan.com|website=Lightship Frying Pan|access-date=7 May 2016}}</ref>
* The [[United States lightship Chesapeake (LV-116)|lightship Chesapeake (LV-116)]] is moored at [[Historic Ships in Baltimore]] in [[Baltimore, Maryland]].<ref>{{cite web|title=LV116 Chesapeake|url=http://www.historicships.org/chesapeake.html|website=Historic Ships in Baltimore|access-date=7 May 2016|archive-date=21 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160521092537/http://www.historicships.org/chesapeake.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* The [[United States lightship Overfalls (LV-118)|lightship Overfalls (LV-118)]] is moored in [[Lewes, Delaware]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Lightship Overfalls (LV-118)|url=http://www.overfalls.org|website=Lightship Overfalls (LV-118)|publisher=Overfalls Foundation|access-date=7 May 2016}}</ref> She has been painted for the "OVERFALLS" station, though she never served there.
* The [[United States lightship Columbia (WLV-604)|lightship Columbia (WLV-604)]] is moored at the [[Columbia River Maritime Museum]] in [[Astoria, Oregon]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Lightship Columbia|url=http://www.crmm.org/maritimemuseum_collection_lightshipcolumbia.html|website=Columbia River Maritime Museum|access-date=7 May 2016|archive-date=17 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417223408/http://www.crmm.org/maritimemuseum_collection_lightshipcolumbia.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The first lightship on the Pacific Coast, she marked the entrance to the Columbia River.
* The [[United States lightship Relief (WLV-605)|lightship Relief (WLV-605)]] is moored at Jack London Square in [[Oakland, California]].
* The [[United States lightship Nantucket (WLV-612)|lightship Nantucket I (WLV-612)]] is moored in [[New Bedford, Massachusetts]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Nantucket Lightship|url=http://www.nantucketlightship.com|website=Nantucket Lightship|access-date=7 May 2016}}</ref> She operates as a floating hotel and events venue. Built in 1950 and operated at various stations from 1951 to 1983, she was designated ''Nantucket I'' in 1979 and rotated at the Nantucket station with the ''Nantucket II'' until 1983. She was the last American lightship to be decommissioned in 1985.
* The [[United States lightship Nantucket II (WLV-613)|lightship Nantucket II (WLV-613)]] is moored in [[New Bedford, Massachusetts]]. She was the last lightship built in the United States and was laid down on February 4, 1952, at the Coast Guard Yard in [[Curtis Bay, Maryland]]. She was launched six months later and placed in service in September of the same year. Her first assignment was to the Ambrose Shoals off New York City and served at that station until 1967. After brief service as a relief lightship, she was assigned as one of two Nantucket lightships and served at that station until replaced by a buoy on December 20, 1983. She was moored at the Wareham Shipyard in [[Wareham, Massachusetts]] from about 1990 until 2014.