Volume Eight - Pre-Victorian to the present day - more aspects - A brief history of Trinity House lightvessels . .

I was particularly interested in the large winch in the stern of the vessel. Electrically wound on this equipment, as on a huge cotton reel, is about five hundred feet of stout wire cable. This is run out through leads in the stern when the moment comes to tow a lightship.

Impressive too is the strong derrick with tackle and rollers for lifting in the giant buoys for servicing aboard. Handling these in rough seas and icy weather can be a harsh and dangerous job. They must be scrapped clean of barnacles and regular checks made to see that all the lights are in order."

A photograph of the hull of a ship in Norfolk Navy Yard in the US showing the nature and extent of encrustation of a ship's hull which occurs below the waterline in a few months of service in coastal waters. [283]