United States lightship Columbia (WLV-604)

Infobox_nrhp | name =Lightship WAL-604, COLUMBIA
nrhp_type =nhl


caption =
location= 1792 Marine Drive, Astoria, Oregon
lat_degrees = 46
lat_minutes = 11
lat_seconds = 25.48
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 123
long_minutes = 49
long_seconds = 22.82
long_direction = W
locmapin = Oregon
area =
built =1950
architect= Rice Brothers
architecture=
designated= December 20, 1989
added = December 20, 1989cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]
governing_body = Private
refnum=89002463

The United States lightship "Columbia" (WLV-604) was the first lightship on the Pacific Coast of the United States. The Columbia River lightships have guided vessels across the “Graveyard of the Pacific” from 1892 until 1979. This lightship, WLV-604, was essentially a small town anchored five miles out to sea marking the entrance to the Columbia River.

Everything the crew needed had to be on board. In the winter, weeks of rough weather prevented any supplies from being delivered. Life on board the lightship can best be described as long stretches of monotony and boredom intermixed with riding gale force storms. The crew of 17 men worked two to four week rotations, with ten men on duty at all times.

Thirty-foot waves were not unusual during fierce winter storms. Even the most experienced sailors got seasick. The lightship did not roll like a regular ship, but bobbed like a cork in all directions. The crew can recall many sleepless nights listening to the foghorn, but they took great pride in their duty: keeping ships safe and on course at the entrance to the Columbia River.

WLV-604 is now located at the Columbia River Maritime Museum—the official maritime museum of the State of Oregon.

The Columbia was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. [http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/or/Clatsop/state.html] It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989 under the name Lightship WAL-604, COLUMBIA.cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=2088&ResourceType=Structure
title=LIGHTSHIP Wal-604 "COLUMBIA" |accessdate=2007-11-19|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service] citation|title=PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/89002463.pdf National Register of Historic Places Registration: Lightship WAL-604 "Columbia" / Columbia WLV-604] |637 KiB |date=June 30, 1989 |author=James P. Delgado |publisher=National Park Service and PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Photos/89002463.pdf "Accompanying 5 photos, exterior, from c.1960, 1980, 1982."] |398 KiB ]

WLV-604 facts

* On Station: 1951-1979
* Displacement: 617 tons
* Anchor: 7,000 mushroom anchor
* Light: 600 kilocandela lens, 1,200 watt light (13 nautical mile range)
* Foghorn: Diaphone foghorn (5 mile range)
* Crew: 17 enlisted men, one warrant officer

References

See also

* List of lighthouses on the Oregon Coast
* Columbia Bar