Lightship 91

Lightship 91 Lightship
Name:
Lightship 91
Year Built:
1937
Year Retired:
1977
Length (ft):
119
Beam (ft):
26
Shipyard:
Philip & Son of Dartmouth
Operator:
Trinity House

Lightship 91 was ordered by Trinity House in 1936, and was built and launched by Philip & Son, Dartmouth. She was handed-over on 27th November 1937, going on to spend her early life in service at the Humber station, where she was damaged in two separate collisions with other vessels in 1942.

The vessel was moved to the Bristol Channel, mostly serving along the south coast of Wales. In 1944 the vessel was located at Scarweather and went on to serve at Breaksea in 1966, E.W. Grounds, and off of Bull Point on a temporary basis in 1972 following the cliff colapse that destroyed the original lighthouse there. For most of the time between 1971 and 1977 the vessel served at Helwick, before being retired and given to the City of Swansea Maritime and Industrial Museum.

Now located alongside Victoria Quay in Swansea, the vessel remains as a museum ship and is opened to the public on certain dates. The vessel is owned and maintained by Swansea Museum, and due to the early date of it's decommissioning it is one of very few complete lightships that didn't undergo conversion for helicopter reliefs, retaining both of it's masts and an open deck space towards the rear of the vessel.