The U.S. Lightship Columbia In Oregon Once Guided Ships Through The Graveyard Of The Pacific
By Catherine Armstrong|Published October 03, 2020
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Catherine Armstrong
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Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
At the spot where the mighty, powerful Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean the two bodies of water crash together, creating some of the most dangerous water conditions in the world. Known as the Graveyard of the Pacific, the Columbia River Bar is the site of more than 2,000 shipwrecks.
The U.S. Lightship Columbia (WLV-604) once guided ships across this treacherous area, and though it’s been long retired, you can see it today in the coastal town of Astoria.
The U.S. Lightship Columbia was built on the other side of the country, in Boothbay, Maine. It was commissioned in 1951, and took up residence at the mouth of the Columbia River.
During their rotating tours, the Coast Guardsmen were on alert for the massive storms that sometimes pummeled the lightship. Other times, the crew tried to stave off boredom during the long hours when there wasn't much to keep them occupied.
The men read books, fished, and played lots of card games to keep themselves entertained. In the 1960s, a television was brought aboard, and the crew enjoyed watching tv shows and movies.
The lightship was the fourth of its kind to be stationed here to provide guidance to passing ships. The first lightship, the U.S. Lightship Columbia LV-50, was put into service back in 1892.
The U.S. Lightship Columbia was in service from 1951 to 1979. When it was decommissioned, it was replaced by a navigational buoy, which was also later retired. Today, both the lightship and the buoy are docked at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria.
Visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum’s website to see all that it offers, and give the museum’s Facebook page a follow to see the latest events there. Can’t make it to the museum? You can take a virtual tour of the U.S. Lightship Columbia here!
Have you seen this historic gem? Tell us about your tour in the comments!
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