She was a lightvessel stationed in the English Channel or La Manche. It is one of the 22 coastal weather stations whose conditions are reported in the BBC Shipping Forecast.
Built by Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée shipyard at Graville, Le Havre between 1947 and 1948. Launched in 1949 with the name BF 6 (Bateau-Feu 6 “Light Ship 6”). The light-ships were first given a provisional identity, a running number given by the yard in order of contruction, while the ship was waiting to be given the name of the sandbank it was to protect.
Displacement: 450 tons. Lenght: 47.5m (156 ft). Beam: 7.65m (25.1 ft). Draft: 3.5m (11 ft). Speed: 6 knots. Focal height: 12m (39 ft). Characteristic: Fl 5s. Fog Signal: 1 blast of 3 seconds every 30 seconds. Racon: T (-)
She is named after her location on the Sandettie Bank, to the north of Calais in the Strait of Dover. She is unmanned. Her lights are powered by solar panels.
Sandettie-II lightship was put out of service in 1989 and is now a museum ship, moored in Dunkirk harbour museum.
France, 1998, 3.00 F.
Source: Wikipedia.