Cool Lightship Photo & Possible Diorama

Putting   Goonies aside ( good movie); Astoria is an interesting city.

It's namesake  John J. Astor built the city up as an out shipment port for fur harvested up river in Oregon. USS Astoria, a New Orleans class cruiser, was sunk at the battle of Savo Island in late 1942 when our 8" cruisers held the gun line against the IJN.

Several years ago Debra and I were at a fall BBQ at a winery we are partners in and sat with a nice couple. She is director of the maritime museum in Astoria where they have a great exhibit of a CG boat bucking a wave at the bar. He was a retired CG helicopter pilot.

I remember the San Francisco lightship.

I also remember a CG buoy tender named  Pine that was at a berth across the Embarcadero from our building in San Fransisco..

Bill

We did a lot of salmon fishing on the Columbia River Lightship.  We also had a crab pot that we would put over the stern.  On the Columbia lightship, about 1/2 of the stanchions had rod holders made from 2" pipe.  The starboard aft boat davit had a fish cleaning station attached to it.  Near the fish cleaning station was a 50 lb scale used to weigh fish and CO2 fire extinguishers.  There was also a roll of paper for wrapping the fish.  The ship provided poles and bait; in return we donated 1 fish to the ship for every 10 we caught.  The ship usually got the smaller salmon.  The MKC (Chief Engineer) brought his smoker on board and set it up in the engine room fidley, under the stack.  For about two months, the crew smoked fish on board.  

One night I was standing the engine room midwatch, when the bridge watch stander called me to check out some strange noises near the bow.  I went up on the main deck with a flashlight and found a pair of gray whales nestled along side the ship.  The strange noises were the whales breathing.

Hey Bill!

   That's for sure! Or fish?

Plenty of time to weave baskets.

Bill

You have to admire those guys.

        Imagine the lonliness of the duty for some. Plus it seems that in their history a few got run over by the ships they were stationed to protect! I always thought was an ungrateful way to treat those crews!

Humm...

 I see an evil opportunity to cause Mass Chaos by steaming along at night with the light on.

 Come on ...the rest of you thought of it too!

Cheers

Sharkbait.

Ad, that's why this is such a good site.

The lightship (WLV 115) is leaving  the Frying Pan station for the last time.  The "Texas tower" light platform was just commissioned and ready for operation.  The lightship appear to be flying signal flags Papa Charlie at the main mast.   Usually a Lightship Off station flies the signal flags Lima Oscar from the forward starboard yard, and the ships call sign signal flags from the forward port yard.  Lightship (WLV 115) call sign was NMJC.

My first USCG duty station was the Columbia River Lightship (WLV 604), homeported in Astoria, OR.  USCG Station Cape Disappointment,WA was our "taxi service" between ship and shore, usually via a 44' Motor Lifeboat.  Lightship (WLV 604) call sign was NEWP.  Columbia River lightship station's call sign was NNCR.  

mfsob

and going down the rabbit hole

LoL.

And, taking a magnifying glass to the photo just goes further.

Like noticing the lightship is not at anchor.

Like, looking at the platform the seas are moving left to right, but there's a bit of a bow wake on the lightship.

So that poses a uestion as to whether the lightsip is coming on or off station in the photo.  Perhaps one of our resident Coasties will know and opine.

At 1/350, a lightship is going to be arouns 4 inches long, which seems a touch dainty.

Oh, how the mind wanders

Yet another example of a modeler seeing a cool photo and going, Yeah, I can do that!

... and going down the rabbit hole ...

In a Dio, that would be very cool to see.....Cheers Mark

No pictures on the web, but Iron Shipwright offers a 1:350 scale resin & brass lightship along with a small ATON boat & a couple of rugs.   IIRC they also have the helicopter mentioned above 

The helicopter is a HH-52 Seaguard, built by Sikorsky as their S-62.  It is smaller than a Seaking with a single turbine engine, a three blade main rotor and a two blade tail rotor.

Cap'n - it's a cool pic, but the story of the Frying Pan Tower is even cooler - it's a luxury hotel in the middle of nowhere now!

GMorrison - I think 3D printing the Sea King is a good idea, but what the seller on Shapeways is trying to do is plain wrong - I mean he's got a simple 3D model which probably is perfectly OK if you want to print it in 1:400 or something like that, but the idea to scale it up to like 1:87 with no modifications to the 3D model is just cutting corners. Those rotor blades look like they are going to be like 3mm thick and square in cross section in bigger scales... Don't try it at home!

https://www.shapeways.com/product/HMRL85ZE8/westland-ws-61-sea-king

https://www.shapeways.com/product/JGFTQN8E4/sikorsky-sh-3-sea-king?optionId=171283316&li=marketplace

HO scale. I would probably build the dio HO and put the ship behind it.

Bill

I like that! The platform itself is surpisingly small, only 80 ft above the sea accd. to Wiki.

That's less than 11" at 1/95 scale.

Finding a 1/95 Seaking or whatever that chopper is might be a little tough.

Bill