For my project, I was tasked with exploring and researching a specific lighthouse. I found a very interesting lightboat that also worked as a boat with a light at the top - therefore it was able to go out onto shore and move around while still projecting a light to be seen by other boats during very strong and bad weather in the north sea of the UK.
Commissioned by the Humber Conservancy Board in 1958 this boat has existed for 60+ years and while it is not used as its main original purpose anymore - it has had a long history of use in the North - stationed at Spurn Sandbank.
Most recently LV14 SULA was purchased in February 2020 by The Brooks Family and has been made as a place to book to stay and enjoy a time on the lightboat for an event or to relax in an interesting way.
Commissioned by the Humber Conservancy Board in 1958 this boat has existed for 60+ years and while it is not used as its main original purpose anymore - it has had a long history of use in the North - stationed at Spurn Sandbank.
Most recently LV14 SULA was purchased in February 2020 by The Brooks Family and has been made as a place to book to stay and enjoy a time on the lightboat for an event or to relax in an interesting way.
Once I had found this interesting lightboat, I called up the owners to be able to possibly visit the boat and take photographs, explore and research this interesting piece of history. The Brooks family kindly allowed me to board the boat and tour me around showing my fascinating details inside and outside the boat - even taking me to the light! Here are a few photographs I was able to take during the visit, some are up close details of the boat where as some just purely the structure and build.
LV14 SULA Lightship - Light Mechanics
During my tour of the lightship - I was taken to the top to see the mechanics of the light itself. It was very interesting to see so many different pieces are used to make the light work the way it was intended to - on violent seas - to keep other boats aware of its surroundings. To keep the light still - there was a hidden weight that was made below the light. This would work like a grandfather clock and sway from side to side to keep the light balanced and still. This huge piece of weight (called the pendulum) would hit the sides of the inside of the beacon - this would allow to keep the light still and straight to be able to project its light. This light would pulse two times with a duration of 10 seconds between both flashes. The light range is 17 nautical miles and is 46FT above the baseline - 136,000 candle power. This lighthouse uses a unique Fresnel lens which would project the small light out far for other ships to see when it was in used back in the 1960's. This would be used, in turn, with the huge horn that was in front of this latern where in foggy conditions, the fog horn would be used to alert nearby ships.