Nantucket Lightship Question

Would anyone happen to know what are the three smaller boats called that go on deck of this lightship? I'm assuming that at least one would be a life boat. The directions are strictly a number system with no verbal listings as to what parts are for this model. I thank anyone for their help in identifying these boats. 

rcboater - thanks for naming that bottom fin as a bilge keel. I had a hunch that was used to help reduce rolling. As for the intake/discharge openings, I like your idea of making an indentation mark into the hull and using black paint. I found a rough cutaway drawing of a lightship and I would think that any openings would be around mid-ship where the engine was placed.

Fright,

That “stabilizer fin” is called a “bilge keel”. Their primary purpose is reduce the rolling when underway. I also wouldn’t bother with making actual holes for the through- hull fittings. (You are right- they are intakes/discharges for various systems.). In this scale if you want to show them, I’d drill a small hole about halfway through the hull. Then paint it with a dot of flat black paint. Remember- on this model, 1/8” equals a foot. So a 6” diameter discharge port would be 1/16” on the model. Most of the openings will be smaller than that, so a 1/32” drill bit would be appropriate. Will they show? Is it worth the effort?

I'm trying to determine what the color scheme for the three smaller boats onboard the Nantucket were in the 1950's. Most pictures of this vessel are  after her retrofit in 1960. I've seen some models showing black/red with red color scheme and others with black/ white colored hull. Some even straight white. I'm thinking they were white hull with black rails. Does anyone have any insight on this they can share with me?

Also, were the interior of the boats rails and seats wood color or were they painted USCG gray? Many thanks for any help on this one 

Lightship Alley - I've never tried video but CapnMac82 looks like some good information. For photos, I use https://postimages.org/  as my host. 

I usually save an image to my desktop screen. Then I use Photoshop to bring that image size to around 750. (some sites want smaller pictures) Then I go to postimages and use the 'choose image' to bring up my photo on desktop or files, and then left click on 'Thumbnail for forums' (it highlights in blue); right click mouse and hit 'copy'. Then go to your post and right click and choose 'paste' to insert photo in site or forum. 

Thanks for all of your help with answering my questions about this ship. Clarification is needed: So if I am understanding this correctly, the Nantucket did not have any of these 'exit' openings for it steam propulsion unit pre-1960? It was only after they installed diesel that they needed to cool the propulsion unit? I did add the secong rub rail to my model but am holding off on any drilling. 

Lightship Alley

How do you post video or photos? Ask

They need to be hosted (e.g. saved somewhere online).

Go to that location, copy the url (the bit at the top of the browser).  Generally, if you click on a url, it highlights.  You can them ricght click and choose Copy or use CTRL+C.

If a photo, click on the icon with a mountain on it.  When that opens, just Paste (or CTRL+V) in the source/url box.  Repeat as needed.

If a video, click of the icon that looks a bit like a bit of film, and Paste the url in the top box.

Photos will show while you are composing; videos not always.  Both should show after posting.

A video: 

After posting, I used the Edit function to go back to the video, and goose the display size from 300 to 600 pixels.

How do you post video or photos?  Asking for source? 

I took the photo while the 112cwas in dry dock. I was there every weekend taking photos

 I posted many on my FB Page Lightship Alley and FB Coast Guard Lightship Sailors

the openings your referring to above the waterline are exits for cooling water. Post 1960. There are 3 diesel generators and 4 diesel gm compressors.  The Coope Bessemer Diesel  engine starts by pumping Air into #1 Cylinder. When pressure is built up a valve releases the air into the cylinder and cranks the engine over.   The Anchor chain is also raised by Air. 

‘The mast lanterns are of course, electric, run by the Generator.

A rotating beacon. 

The small frame roof , like windows on each side, was located between the Stack and the Fog Horn Room, (the middle structure) That was removed in 1960 when thecStack was shortened do To a Diesel Engine installed. The Lip of that hatch or skylight still exists but with a flat steel plate welded on it. Nextvto that there is also a winch mounted to the deck.

‘All the rooftops are painted the same as the deck color today.

GMorrison - thanks for the terminology on the stripe! I'll learn this stuff yet LOL That's all the more reason why model companies should add the names of what parts are that are going on a ship! To give people like myself a fighting chance to learn something.

As for the openings along the lower hull, I'll hold off and try to find some older photos of the hull that are clear images (which are hard to find and often very dark which hides detail). I have zip-diddly-squat knowledge on how a ship of this nature would cool it's engine(s), but I know on my father-in-law's 36' sailboat that it drew in sea water and would expel the water out of an opening on the stern above the water line. So I'll have to hold off and do more research rather than guess at it like you pointed out. Thanks for th tips and feedback  Greatly appreciated !!!!

The U.S. Nantucket Lightship / LV-112 was built by Pusey & Jones Shipbuilders in 1936 at Wilmington, Delaware, as a steam-propelled vessel with a compound reciprocating engine that included two oil fired Babcock-Wilcox water tube boilers, producing a maximum speed of 12 knots. 

The ship as set up in the photo isn't the same as the era you are building, so I personally wouldn't add those openings, on the off chance that Lindberg had drawings of the older version and they weren't there.

Just seems like added work. The black stripe is a boot stripe.

Yes, sections of tube make good, if somewhat heavy port frames. A good task for a "Chopper" tool.

I found this photo of the Nantucket while she was in drydock in 2011. This photo clearly shows the black waterline strip running between two rub rails. At the very bottom of the hull is a 'stabalizer fin' that runs horizontal to keel. I will try to duplicate the missing 2nd rub rail with a strip of styrene on my vessel. 

Thanks to AlanF's photo that he shared with me (shown below), there are 7 round openings that run along the top of the black strip that are not on the Lindberg hull. I'm not sure if these are water intake or bilge drains, but I plan to drill these openings into my hull. I was thinking about possibly using a round styrene tube to create the port openins for these holes. 

Once the lamps changed from animal oil to acetylene, and later electricity, they usually were isophase flashes/ equal interval on-off. Whether the phases were different from ship to ship I have no idea. It's also my understanding that the range was pretty grossly overstated, in single digit mile distances. But there were also bells and foghorns, and those carry quite a ways, even in fog.

You can really get in the weeds studying the lightship baskets. There's a good museum about them on the island.

Out of curiosity, was it just a rotating beacon, or was there a distinct flash timing?

I once found a database that had drawings of a lot of Coast Guard boats. Don't remember if this was one of them. I need to find it again.

I have this model in the stash. It's pretty crude, don't you think? Look forward to what you do with her.

GMorrison - once again, thanks for the clarification as to what this smaller structure was. In that case, I plan to go with all white for this one structure.

More and more, it looks like the makers of models are using strictly this number system for their directions. I know it's a Universal way of doing things and probably helps cut down costs on printing, but is a poor excuse in helping a modeler learn what the name of the parts are and learning about the model being built. ARGH !!!!

Yers, that is/ was the engine room skylight.

PFJN - Yes, thank you for letting me know what this structure was and for the time period. So many of the photos that are available are of the post-1960 conversion. Thanks again for posting these sites to me and for answering my question. Cheers!!! 

Alan F - thanks for sharing these pictures. Very kind of you and I will keep these for referrence! Cheers!!!

Hi,

If you are talking about the small structure at the far left of the image below, I believe that is the engine room skylight, which appears to have been removed when the ship was converted to diesel (as shown in the 2nd image).

http://www.lightshipmodeler.iwarp.com/photo3.html

http://www.hnsa.org/hnsa-ships/lightship-nantucket-lv-112-then-wal-534/gallery/

Here are a few pictures I took last summer (2017) in Boston.  I hope they help.

Ron J. - I am wondering if you can clarify something for me on the superstructures on the Nantucket? In this Lindberg model, there is a small structure that has an a frame roof with two hatches on each side. Lindberg's directions give no written instructions (only numbers) as to what this small structure is. From all of the photos that I have seen of the actual ship, all of the superstructures have flat roofs (decks). Am I overlooking something in the photos or is this an error on Lindberg's part?

Also, can you tell me where the decks atop of the superstructures painted white or gray like the main deck?

I am trying to look up anything about this ship online and Youtube videos for my build on this kit. Thank you for any information that you can provide to me on this subject. 

LightShip Alley - thank again for the great tips on lighting and your insights into the history of these 'unknown' heroes!

Sorry for late reply. Yes, in the 1800’s there were no powered Lightships. Whale oil was used to light the multiple lanterns. There were many lanterns mounted on a ring similar to a wagon wheel mounted to each mast. The ring would be lowered into deck houses during the day to clean the Lens/globes and hoisted up at night. 

Each was anchored by a single Mushroom type anchor, with a back up if they lost one or broke anchor chain in a storm. 

Manned 24/7 crews would alternate, sometimes 30 days, later in the 20th century 3 weeks on 1 off.   Yes launches, Buoy Tenders, even Fishing Vessels for transportation.

many were struck by passing Liners, some Sunk.  1934 The Olympic , sistervof the Titanic hit the LV 117 NANTUCKET Lightship and sunk it. 4 Survivors. 1 Body recovered. 4 gone with Ship...   The LV 112 NANTUCKET was paid for by the Brits,  built in Delaware , largest U.S. Lightship ever built at just shy of 150’.  She is a Museum Ship berthed at the East Boston Shipyard & Marina in East Boston Ma. Open during Season on Saturdays 11-4ish.

Bill - thanks for sending me these additional links on the LED's and the Bakatronics contoller. I like the word 'simple' when it comes to electrical wiring LOL . Thanks again!!!

Here is the info on the animating the beacon, taken from post #15 in my rcgroups.com build thread:

I found a great little solution for the masthead beacon.  

Most LEDs have a limited viewing angle-- you need to look at them end-on to get the full brightness. Thirty or 45 degree LEDs are common. 

www.superbrightLEDs.com has an all-around white LED- they call it a 360 degree LED, though it is really more like 350 degrees because of the base. It is perfect for this application-- a 5mm white LED, that I can mount as the beacon on top of the mast. I've tested this LED--- it throws a lot of light.

I also found a great flasher circuit-- Bakatronics makes a unit designed to drive an LED to simulate a lighthouse beacon in an HO or N scale Lighthouse. It came as simple little kit-- it took me about 15 minutes (max) to assemble. Here's a link to their webpage-- they have a little video that shows it in action:  http://www.bakatronics.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=575

Bill - thanks for your feedback on the led lighting and the Bakatronics controller. I will research that item and take a look at your rc buildas well. Many thanks and a good weekend!

Robert,

I built this kit back in 2011, and converted it to RC.  Here’s a link to my build thread:

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?1454224-Lightship-Nantucket-%28LV-112%29-Build-Thread

I used LEDs for both running lights (when underway) and the Beacon (when anchored on station).  

I cut the deck into fore and aft halves. That allowed me to install the fore deck first, with  pilot house and foremast and still have access to the interior for wiring, etc.

I used a Bakatronics lighthouse controller for the masthead beacon. It is sold as an accessory for an HO or N scale train layout- it gives a convincing lighthouse effect.

Details on my conversion and lighting plan are in the build thread...

As others have pointed out, the kit represents the ship before her conversion from stream to diesel in the early 60s.   Please note that the color scheme on the Lindberg box art is wrong-  the deckhouses should be white, not Spar (the USCG buff color, FS 10371).

-Bill