I think we all have to just face it that the New Bedford is not going to be with us much longer. It's beyond help, whether or not anyone wants to help. The next place you're going to see it is as part of your car.

As an ocean liner geek, I have to deal with this all the time. So many wonderful ships go off to the beaches of India and Pakistan to be turned into little metal rods 1" thick. They're just too expensive to keep around, so they're better off being cut up. Very few ships have any value after their useful life - there's even some doubt around us ship geeks about what to do with QE2 when she's retired, and she's probably the most famous and historic liner ever.

The New Bedford's really got no chance because of the repairs that would be required to just - please pardon the pun - get it in "ship shape." Face it, this thing SANK at one point. It's been neglected for decades. To get it even seaworthy enough to float on its own is going to be a challenge, and that's before thinking one iota about any kind of restoration.

I know how much it hurts to see this happening to one of our beloved lights, whether -house or -ship. And I know that it's even more of a blow because of the so few left in America, let alone the world (looking at Iris/LightshipFan's website, hands-down the best resource, you can see how few lightships there really are in the world, compared to the grand scheme of things).

But sometimes, it's just not worth it to repair it. Is it despicable that the Town of New Bedford didn't do anything about it all these years? Yeah. Is it sad that they turned down help and let it get into the shape it's in now? Yep. But is it worth the millions and millions it would probably take to restore it? Not really.

I personally think that the money that would be spent on the New Bedford could be much better spent restoring other, less basket-casey lights across America. There's a lot of lighthouses that aren't lost hopes, but still need money for essential repairs. I think it's better to send money there than on a lightship that's obviously worth more in a Chevy than as a historical object.

That's my 44 cents, adjusted for inflation.