Here is the Helwick Light Ship, for many years she stood guard by many of the sand banks in the Bristol Channel.
She is now preserved in Cardiff. She is a cafe/ restaurant, and a Chapel.
Last summer I climbed up the Light tower to take the photos of the fore and after decks.
Many of our light ships have been demolished so it is good that some have been put to an alternative use. She is owned by the Christian Society..
The Helwick Lightship
The Helwick LV14 was last stationed off Rhossili, on the Gower Peninsula, in South Wales. The beam from the Light tower could be seen from 25 miles away and warned sailors of the Helwick Swatch, a treacherous sand bank.
Weighing 550 tons with an overall length of 137 feet, the Helwick was built to withstand all the might of the sea. It took eleven people to crew the vessel with seven on board at any one time. In 1975 landing platforms were added so that the crews could be changed by helicopter
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks