. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. LIGHTSHIP ERA Before light towers, lightships were the sentinels of the ocean. At least six lightships were in use off England's coast before the United States even ventured into the concept of lightships. The first "light boat" was launched in 1820 off Willoughby Split, Va., to aid Chesa- peake Bay commerce, according to the Coast Guard Web site. Four years later, a lightship was assigned to Diamond Shoals about 15 miles from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. This vessel was an extremely import
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. LIGHTSHIP ERA Before light towers, lightships were the sentinels of the ocean. At least six lightships were in use off England's coast before the United States even ventured into the concept of lightships. The first "light boat" was launched in 1820 off Willoughby Split, Va., to aid Chesa- peake Bay commerce, according to the Coast Guard Web site. Four years later, a lightship was assigned to Diamond Shoals about 15 miles from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. This vessel was an extremely important marker for north-south coastal traffic. However, it wasn't until 1860 that a station was established at Frying Pan Shoals nearly 17 miles |T south and east of Cape Fear. The last North Carolina lightship station was opened at Cape Lookout Shoals in 1905, miles from Cape Lookout Lighthouse. At one time, there was a fleet of more than 100 lightships maintained by the government. Lightships satisfied multiple requirements — from day beacons and light platforms at night, to sound signal stations in times of reduced visibility, and around-the-clock transmitters for electronic signals. Ivey Gaskill of Southport served on the Diamond Shoals lightship for 18 months during the mid-1960s. "The ship was 128 feet long and drew 15 feet of water," says Gaskill. "It was like being in an auto- matic washing machine. You were looking at water going round and ; Time passed slowly on the lightships. When not on watch, crews watched westerns three or four times a week, according to Capt. David Melvin, who maintains the Lightship Sailor Association Web site. "We would also enjoy the fresh taste of bread, milk and vegetables," says Melvin. But at the end of the two weeks, the food got old, he adds. In addition to watching movies and eating, the crew did a lot of bottom fishing. They ate some of the fish and gave the rest away to party boats, according to
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