Lightship Columbia
Lightship Columbia is a time capsule from 1979! 🤩 From 1951-1979 the ship was anchored 5 miles off the mouth of the Columbia River as a floating lighthouse to assist in navigation through the massive sandbar within a zone once named the "Graveyard of the Pacific." Manned by a crew of 18, she had no propulsion system of her own aside from sails in the case of emergency (i.e. the anchor chain breaking). Life aboard a lightship like this was apparently particularly rough compared to normal sailing vessels, since you're stuck anchored in place, constantly bobbing about at the mercy of the rough seas. Not to mention the scenery never changes... Today the ship serves as a museum in Astoria, OR, perfectly preserved as she was when decommissioned in 1979. Lightship Columbia WLV-604 was the fourth and final evolution of vessels which marked the river's entrance since 1892. 🏴☠️
