LIGHT SHIPS ON THE ENGLISH BANK.
The English Bank was first know as Castellano’s Bank, and after the bank was discovered well know for the dangers to navigation, her depth less of 5 meter quickly diminished to 0.9m.
Many ships got wrecked on this bank due to the wind and tide mostly on the east and north end of the reef.
To solve the problems for the seamen, some beacons were put near the bank.
16 November 1857 the first lightship was placed, she carried a light, had two masts and was painted red.
The second lightship was the TRES MARIAS formerly a Spanish brig which was beached on the English Bank.
After a short period was she replaced by the PROSPERO E DAVID, which in 1915 was replaced by the ESMERALDA. At her times she was one of the best sailing ships what crossed the Atlantic, but after a collision about 30 miles off Montevideo she stayed idle at that port for a long period.
During an auction was she bought by the Uruguay Government, and was anchored as a lightship 3 miles of the North side of English Bank.
She did have all the characteristics of an old sailing ship; the light was fitted in the mesana ??? (mizzen) mast.
On the southeast of the bank a buoy was anchored, to prevent stranding on the bank during dark nights and fog, but the buoy drifted many times off position or was lost due to bad weather, and to replace her took mostly a long time.
During a 1909 study by C/N Jorge Bayley on the navigational bacons of the English Bank he came to the conclusion that the bell buoy was destroyed during a storm and not replaced, and that the light on the ESMERALDA was only visibly during good weather conditions. His advice was to place good buoys on the bank, (but of that happened is obscure.) Only a submarine bell was placed on the ESMERALDA.
1932 The ESMERALDA was fitted out with radio beacon.
She was in service till 11 May 1955.
Replaced by a black painted buoy Type B 300 II with a draught of 5 meter, the visibility of the light on the buoy was 7.8 miles.
1968 For six months the fishing vessel PAYSANDU was used, replacing the buoy.
In July 1969 the Uruguay Navy acquired a lightship, which was built in 1924 at Maine and launched in 1926 (the dates are a strange).
The Uruguay crew under command of Commandant C/C Carlos Olivera traveled to Boston to take over the lightship from the American Coast Guard.
Lightship the former LV-21??? (can not have the number LV 21, must be LV 111) PORTLAND (WVL-533) sailed from Boston in October 1969 and arrived Montevideo 10 January 1970.
The following details are given: Displacement 780 tons, length 42m., beam 0m. draught 4.50m. Powered by an 8-cyl engine of 500hp, speed 6 knots.
Two yellow painted masts, iron hull, painted red.
Did have a radio beacon, siren
She was built by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine as a light vessel for the US coast Guard.
16 August 1923 launched under WLV 109, christened by Elizabeth Davies of Portland.
Displacement 715 tons, dim. 132.4 x 30.0 x 14.7ft. (draught).
Powered by one compound reciprocating steam engine, 400 ihp, speed 9 knots. One propeller.
Two oil fired Scotch marine boilers.
Radio equipment fitted during building.
10 Nov. 1923 delivered. Contract price $200.000.
After delivery used as relief vessel in the US Coast Guard 6th District till 1954.
1929 Fitted out with a radio beacon.
½ October 1929 while on station Frying Pan Shoal, she rode out a hurricane with minor damage, her decks for two days continuously awash by the high seas.
During the Second World War used as relief lightship stationed at Charleston (SC), not any armament was fitted during that time.
1945 Fitted out with radar detection.
During the 50th refitted with a General Motor diesel engine 500hp., speed 8 knots.
From 1954 till 1964 based at Savannah, Ga.
From 1965 till 1966 based at New Orleans, LA.
08 Dec.1966 decommissioned and transferred to Agency for International Development on 20 Feb. 1967?, the web-site gives 1961 but that could not be correct.
Thereafter was she sold to Uruguay and renamed BANCO INGLES.
In Uruguay she was again used as a light vessel in position 35 06S 55 53W, showing a flash every 5 seconds, visible to a distance of 13 miles.
During a thunder squall her anchor chain parted and she drifted ashore west of Montevideo in 1973, afterwards she was scrapped.
Her bell used during fog is now fitted in the light tower José Ignacio, and her yard No plate you can find in the National Marine Museum, Montevideo.
Navicula gives she is the former U.S.A. light vessel LV 111 but according the Coast Guard website, light vessel 111 was after she was decommissioned in 1969 transferred to a private owner, and she was in 1984 on a shipbreakers yard of North American Metals at Bordentown NJ, and still there in 1988. Most web-sites give she is still there, but I can not find any proof she still exist.
There is a memo on her file, dated 11 September 1969 from a CDR Corson, inviting RADM Ellis, District Commander, to a ceremony on board the “former Coast Guard lightship” prior to her sailing to Montevideo, Uruguay.
A hand-written letter also in the file, noted” “the Coast Guard intends to transfer Coast Guard Lightship WLV-533 (Portland) to the U.S. Department of the Navy on a reimbursable basis ($7.500) for ultimate sale to the Government of Uruguay, on 11 July 1969 at the U.S. Coast Guard Base, Boston, Mass.” According to other documentation, the WLV-533 was accepted by the Navy at 14.30 on 11 July 1969 and the lightship was then transferred to LCDR Carlos Marx Olivera Axor, Uruguayan Navy, at 19.00 on 11 July 1969 at the Boston Navy Ship yard.
So which lightship is sold to Uruguay?. Comparing with the photo’s I found on the net of the two vessels it looks that LV 109 is depict, the funnel of LV 111 is much longer and smaller as the funnel seen on the stamp. The vessel on the stamp looks also an older type then LV 111.
Uruguay 2003 $10 sg?, scott?
Navicula 2005/8472. http://www.uscglightshipsailors.org/rel ... al_532.htm
http://www.nightbeacon.com/zlightships/pics/LV111c.jpg
