Restoration of the Lightship Overfalls in Lewes, Delaware
Thanks to generous contributions from our members, our community, and several recent grants, as well as to Bill Reader and his dedicated "Dirty Hands" crew, the lightship Overfalls is looking pretty good these days. A picture is worth a thousand words, so please check out these archived "Before" and "After" images of our restoration! Consider joining Bill and his group at the lightship on any Tuesday morning from April through October. No experience necessary, they'll find some honest work for you, and give you a free lunch!
The latest (November 2009) restoration update from Bill covers the 2009 season, after the ship returned from Norfolk with her hull completely restored. This report includes a photo of the 2009 season "Dirty Hands Gang."
Here's an older report in Bill's own words from September 5, 2006, for those who enjoy history:
" The restoration of the Overfalls Lightship has been progressing quite well this summer. The “Dirty Hands Gang” has been very busy and through August has put in 1,400 hours of restoration work. Since the year 2000 we have put in over 9,000 hours.
There have been two major tasks this summer. First, the OMMF organization acquired an old bait shop from the City of Lewes. The “Dirty Hands Gang” completely refurbished the shop with a new roof, new exterior cedar shingles, rebuilt the existing windows, new wooden door, a complete renovation of the interior and final painting. The old bait shop now houses “The Ship’s Store” which is a gift shop and visitor information center for the Overfalls.
Second, restoration work on the Ship included repainting the entire ship from the top of the mast to the deck. It's been 5 years since we painted these areas. We also started to paint the exterior hull of the ship, down to the water line. This area has not been painted in 32 years. We should complete this task by the end of September 2006.
As you can see, we have a very dedicated group of men (the Dirty Hands Gang). These volunteer men are fantastic and the work they accomplish is first class. If you would like to join us, please give me a call, Bill Reader, at (302) 645-9290."
By the end of the 2006 season, thanks to the "Dirty Hands Gang," the OMMF had completely rehabilitated the Overfalls lightship with the exception of the hull below the waterline. That final stage of the Overfalls restoration is beyond the capabilities of the "Dirty Hands Gang." Early in 2007, OMMF contracted with the engineering firm of Duffield Associates to determine possible approaches to stop the ongoing corrosion of the lightship's steel hull. This is necessary to stabilize the ship and save it from continuing, and possibly fatal, deterioration. After studying the situation, Duffield Associates defined three feasible alternatives. With input from both the Lewes City Council and the community at large, the best option was selected: towing the Overfalls to a shipyard for repairs to the hull. Current plans are to tow the lightship to a shipyard and after the hull is refurbished return it to Lewes where it will be placed in a permanent, newly constructed berth in the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal. Achieving these goals depends upon a successful capital fundraising campaign, which OMMF has now initiated, and of which we hope you will be a part.
In 2008, the Dirty Hands Gang completed their 10th year. During that time, they invested over 15,000 volunteer hours in restoration labor on difficult and dirty tasks. They restored the entire ship, inside and out, with the exception of the deteriorating hull below the water line, which required professional, and expensive, workmanship. The next step was bringing the lightship to a shipyard (Colonna, in Norfolk, VA) to repair the hull, and the story of that exciting adventure is posted on our webpage, "Saving the Hull."