What's Happening?

What is happening in the world of Anchor Bay? Has anybody heard any good rumors about what is coming out? Will we get an icebreaker this year? How about a high endurance cutter or another lightship? Harbour Lights is sure being mum on what they are planning. I still have a few extra glass cases left to fill so I hope something is being planned this year. I myself would like to see an older high endurance cutter class such as a 327' Secretary Class Cutter(Campbell that survived Pearl Harbor), a Wind Class Icebreaker(East, West, North or South) or the Mackinaw. Older Coast Guard ships have more appeal to me(like the early Harbour Lights) then the rubber life rafts with a outboard attached to them. I might even like to see the Titanic which started the Coast Guard's International Ice Patrols(referred to as Ocean Stations or "winter cruises").

Let me hear your wishes and hopes for the Anchor Bay Line and if you have any rumors, let's hear them also.

I just could never get excited about the USCG "rubber boat" made by Harbour Lights. I was on autoship so I got one but I don't think I would have bought it otherwise.

I wonder if the manufacture of it was an experiment by Bill that was filed under, "If we make it, they will come and buy it". Maybe it should have been put in the "I'll buy anything they make" file. A definite white elephant as far as I'm concerned.

Bob

P.S. Expect another lightship and possibly another USCG boat. Both are decent sellers in slow times.

This would be an ideal year to introduce a model of the Mackinaw. Reunion in the area, the Mackinaw is set to retire in the near future if plans stay as projected.

How about the Brother Jonathan or an old tender like the Shubrick? These modern CG vessels are boring...

Good point, Dave. Your vision may become a reality, as you say.

Bob

The Black Thorn as a memorial!!!!

Hey Rich,

The Campbell wasn't at Pearl Harbor. You might be confusing it with the Taney which is now in Baltimore. Campbell was always an Atlantic Ocean cutter. Just FYI.

The left coast Rich

I stand corrected on the Campbell. The Campbell was on my mind from VietNam. The Campbell(327') and Androscoggin(255') made the cruise over to Nam together. I was on the Andy bouncing and rolling around and the Campbell slid through the water like a knife slicing through butter. My next ship was the Ingham and she sure rode better then the Andy.

Mackinaw would be great. Definitely the best year. I wonder if HL is already thinking these things, and is working on an AB? It's famous enough, too, that it would sell well.

Maybe a lost lightship? HL is running out of existing boats, they are going to have to reach back in time.

Or, did they do the LS Ambrose?

The LV-189 "Diamond Shoal" would be a good "lost-lightship," for starters. It's design incorporated a lot of "firsts" for its time and served faithfull for many years off the coast of Cape Hatteras.
I recently did an article on her, and had the opportunity to interview three crewmen who served (at different times) throughout the 60's.
'Neat boat/interesing crews!

Had to go and find what LV 189 looked like ... Here are a couple of pages.

From the Lightship Sailors Association

Nightbeacon web site - You will have to click onto the LV189 page, but there are some interesting pictures.

Dave,

Thanks for the post. The photos were extremely interesting.

bobo

Dave - thanks. I found the photo of the launching especially interesting. Maybe it's because the only launch photos I've seen are of giant ocean liners, but I didn't know that they launch ships sideways. The ship looked like it was about to flood.

I definitely would love to see this piece. Plus, it looks like it was sunk on my fourth birthday (1/28/94), which is funny. Another thing to add to the "stuff that happened on my birth date" list...okay...this and Challenger...need more!

I'm sure this isn't as interesting to others as it is to me....but the LV-189 was built at the Defoe Shipbuilding Co. (on the Saginaw River, in Bay City, MI) and was commissioned on the day that I was born. Ironically, Defoe, which no longer exists, was located approximately 25 miles from where I was born, as well.
I stumbled on this bit of trivia as I was doing research for the article, last year.

Interesting that LV-189 was built on the Great Lakes for an assignment off the southeastern coast. Did you learn why it was built inland, Brent?

No Dave, I sure didn't. Ironically, the LV-189 and her sister ship, the LV-196 were the only two lightships built at Defoe.
While the LV-189 was intentionally sunk, the LV-196 still exists today out on the west coast, and is used as a research vessel. Both vessels were identical.