The Light
What is a lightship?
A lighthouse that floats, it serves the same function such as:
- A light to aid navigation at night
- A horn to warn mariners in fog
- A radio beacon for longer range identification
Lighting the way
The Overfalls main aid to navigation was a 375 mm dual electric lantern located 57 feet above the water line. Rated at 15,000 candle power, (approximately 1,000 watts), it flashed every 3 seconds from dusk until dawn. On a clear night it could be seen for 12 miles.
The ship also had a dual diaphone fog horn with a range of 5 miles that sounded every 30 seconds in foggy weather.
A radio beacon with a range of 25 miles transmitted the call letters of the ship (NMJF) in Morse code. In foggy weather it was synchronized with the horn and broadcast every 30 seconds.
Click here to see Overfalls' full specifications.
Click here to read the about the history of lightships.
This is a slide show that documents the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers work in repairing the historic Harbor of Refuge Breakwater Wall and stabilizing the lighthouse on its south end. The project was designed with utmost attention to the historic value of the breakwater wall and the lighthouse, and combined modern technology and materials with repair techniques taken straight from the pages of old Lighthouse Service records in the National Archives. Even the type and color of new rock is historically accurate. 
Not only does the beat go on, it seems to be picking up the tempo a bit. Over the 11-year span, from 1999 until the end
of 2010, it is estimated that the Dirty Hands Gang put in 27,624 volunteer hours or roughly 2,302 hours each year. For 2011, the estimated hours is expected to total 2,450. At present, there are approximately 30 members in the "Gang". So, what did they do in 2011? 
