by Keith M Steffke » June 20, 2010, 8:24 pm
I am interested if anyone may know the name and origin of this interesting vessel stationed at the Detroit Lighthouse depot in the spring of 1932. Notice that it has an extreme length to beam ratio, a smokestack at each end (one is surely from a donkey boiler for powering lifting winches), and a large lifting mast for hoisting buoys, recovering weights and markers, etc. Historically, vessels of this kind are usually called some kind of lifting "hoy", i.e. an Anchor Hoy... I questioned if it was powered or simply towed to the site by one of the tenders, as needed, even though there is a rudder; note that many of the non-powered lightships also had rudders for stability and steering, while being towed. It does look like it could almost be an old cross river ferry hull that was converted, but I am having trouble pinning this one down, as it does not appear to be "purpose built".
Thanks for any help,
Keith M. Steffke
[email protected]
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I am interested if anyone may know the name and origin of this interesting vessel stationed at the Detroit Lighthouse depot in the spring of 1932. Notice that it has an extreme length to beam ratio, a smokestack at each end (one is surely from a donkey boiler for powering lifting winches), and a large lifting mast for hoisting buoys, recovering weights and markers, etc. Historically, vessels of this kind are usually called some kind of lifting "hoy", i.e. an Anchor Hoy... I questioned if it was powered or simply towed to the site by one of the tenders, as needed, even though there is a rudder; note that many of the non-powered lightships also had rudders for stability and steering, while being towed. It does look like it could almost be an old cross river ferry hull that was converted, but I am having trouble pinning this one down, as it does not appear to be "purpose built".
Thanks for any help,
Keith M. Steffke
[email protected]