Lightships

Light boats, light vessels, lightships�before radar, depth-finders and satellite-guided navigation, mariners relied on floating lighthouses that lingered offshore as warning beacons in perilous waters.Moored near shifting shoals and treacherous reefs, lightships remained on station during all weather conditions and played a vital role in keeping America�s waterways safe for navigation. From 1820 to 1985, light vessels warned of treacherous seas and pointed the way to safe harbors. In Lightships,