It doesn't seem possible, but the NLM has been a struggling entity since 1998 and the present operating team has been involved for nearly two of those years.

In looking back we would never have forecast a slight downturn was looming in the economy, or would we have anticipating living in a war on our own homeland. Either event makes the start up of a new, not for profit entity hazardous at best. The combination creates a situation almost unbearable for the new group on the block.

With conditions such as this we are faced with continuing pressures relative to fund development as well as cooperative activities on the part of government, corporate groups and charitable organizations.

We have made progress, albeit at a slower rate than planned. Certain elements on our business plan have been achieved but not always at the level we would have liked. Our support in government relations has been reasonably good across the board, local, state, and federal. We have had reasonable cash flow from a number of agencies to assist us in operations, education, exhibit planning and development. Our corporate benefactors have responded with dollars for education programs as well as aid in purchasing a historic lightship and delivery of a van to serve as an educational device in our ongoing program in the areas schools.

To add to our ability at fund development and to fill out our management team NLM announces the hiring of Dean Curry as Deputy Director. Dean brings extensive experience in the field of banking to his new assignment. He also has solid contacts in government, on state and federal levels, which will benefit the development of the NLM.

Additional good news today - Empire State Development Corporation has endorsed the New York State Commitment of $1.9 million to the NLM project. With this in hand, EDC will move ahead with the construction plans for our first building. A lease agreement is being finalized for our approval and with this in hand; we will have the true start up on the NLM. Details on this and our programming will be covered in another section of our newsletter. We thank you for all your continuing support.

2003 is the year that the National Lighthouse Museum changes from concept to reality. As I write this, the pier at our Museum is being repaired for reopening in late Spring. The Lightship Nantucket -112 will be available for tours! As Lewis Johnson notes in his adjacent message, the NY State Economic Development Agency confirmed to the NY City Economic Development Corporation Governor Pataki's commitment of $1.9 million to develop the Museum's facilities and to restore the site. Additional funds are to be provided by NY City and the Borough of Staten Island. We are in final negotiations with the City concerning the terms of the lease for the Museum's building. We hope to open the Museum in the Fall of this year. This newsletter contains articles on Nantucket-112. I would like to make clear to all our members and friends that our success in readying the Nantucket has been the direct resulty of our newest board member, Ben Butler. Ben's tireless efforts in recruiting volunteers and support from the maritime industry are turning a dream to a reality quickly. Finally, our education program is active and meeting with great success and enthusiasm. We bring the lighthouse-based education to the elementary schools daily. We are building a constituency of parents, teachers and students who will be our future supporters. We look forward to your continued support.

Progress Report Lightship Nantucket

During our stay at Red Hook Terminal we have been working continuously on the vessel. We were given the ship with much work to do. The first order of business was to change the main mooring line in order to prevent possible mooring breakaway from her present berth during the stronger tides of winter. Slowly we will change all the mooring lines on the vessel. Our Chief Engineer Willie Prange, who we named the "Dean of Diesel" has successfully re-worked and turned over one of the ship's three main diesel generators originally fitted on board. Our second generator is being repaired. We require all three in operational mode to safely take the ship to sea. The two large power batteries have also been put to work and it looks like our three main compressors are now fully functional followed by two out of three electric motors on stream. We require these to air pressure start the main engine. The main engine looks good and will require certain venting, purging and cleaning procedures prior to our initial start.

Lightship Nantucket #112 at pier No. 9A, Red Hook Terminal" The Ship Log"

Captain Bill Shephard and Bill Shephard Sr. are now working with us on this project as well as reinstalling the ships radar system. Fortunately for us, Captain Bill is the former master of the ship under the Rose Foundation ownership. I contacted him and both he and his father have agreed to rejoin the ship. Captain Bill knows the handling and operation of the ship quite well. This is our immediate goal. However, prior to all this work, we had to get basic electrical power on board. In order to complete the initial electrical work, which has been accomplished, we had to purchase a small mobile generator and utilize the good work of our electrical engineering crew. Arthur Faherty, George Rogers, Mike Jewell and Jim Albani, senior mechanics, teachers/instructors and engineers all, mostly hailing from the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Our thanks to Charles Burns's logistics and transportation manager at the Kings Point Academy. The senior experience of all these men has been brought to our project. Their contributions have, to say the least, been invaluable.

Captain Bill Shephard and Chief Engineer Willie Prange in the Enging Room.

Recently we ordered our first bunker stem, meaning partially refueling the vessels diesel fuel tanks to facilitate the engine and machinery startup. I believe, barring any unforeseen, we will have full power reinstalled on board shortly. In the future, through the good offices of Mr. Charles Burns, we can count on a crew of young cadets from Fort Skyler Main Academy to begin chipping, cleaning and painting up the ship. L/S Nantucket is in fairly good condition, but does need general reconditioning work to bring out her true beauty. This reconditioning work will begin to take place in late spring and summer of 2003. After we are permanently berthed at Pier 1 Staten Island, we will continue internal work at Pier 9a Red Hook throughout the winter. We will attempt charging the ship boiler to try for heat in the ship this winter.

Captain Bill and Ben butler in the Engine Room on the startup. A memorable moment in the saga of the NLM's Lightship.

Thus far, we have gathered a group of highly competent professional personnel to slowly begin to upgrade the vessel to fully operational status. Please rest assured we are performing all tasks correctly and professionally and we are arranging necessary equipment to do this job at the most economical level possible.

Looking ahead we must eventually pump and clean out the bilges, which now contain large amounts of water and oil. The cause and nature of how this material accumulated has yet to be determined. We must further establish through a hull survey, the condition of the entire hull and the machinery to clearly assess when or if the ship should be dry-docked in the future. This will be a step-by-step process geared toward not incurring any immediate extensive financial burdens.

Vessel safety issues are being considered carefully to conform to United States Coast Guard and (SOLAS), safety of life at sea regulations. Our intended itinerary is also being looked at with regard to vessel's liability. This being our first consideration, the first safety issue we face is installing a quality navigational radar system. The original system will be much too costly to repair. We have made orders for a new system at a very nominal cost through Cymeon Ship Supply's electronics distributor. Our cost is discounted deeply with no tax. This item and several other immediate and necessary items must be purchased to insure safety at sea and during our many fund raising functions ahead. The lifeboats must be recertified by Sea Safety as well. Fire extinguishers and carbon dioxide bottles must be updated to give you an idea of what it takes to bring the ship up to safety standards today.

This ship can create great interest in and of itself and our museum. We will do our very best to insure its full participation in all museum events and create revenue for the ship and museum in the future. Everyone associated with our operation is anxious to tour the vessel and so you shall, when she is safely operational.

Please keep in mind that we did not take delivery of the ship in anywhere near operation condition. We will proceed correctly, cautiously, and thoughtfully on to the great future ahead.

PS: Over the weekend we worked the vessel, "We have a heartbeat" finally. At two PM EST our chief engineer, Willie Prager, Captain Bill Shephard and crew, successfully started the main engine after three attempts. We were lucky the third time, as they say. The engine sounds good but for a slight knock in one of the cylinder heads, which is probably a sticky injector or valve. We will go into the engine head if necessary, however, for the present time, we have power and lights are on all over the ship. Our ship is alive and that's good. The old boiler looks bad but we will try to fire her up during the next work schedule. The old radar system is now history and the overhead water leaks have been corrected.

Hopefully, this was the cause of our bilges acquiring water.

If any one out there wants to help out financially on our work reconditioning effort, all donations will be gratefully accepted. Write the L/S Nantucket on the check. We will create a list of donors and supporters to the ships cause that will be placed prominently aboard the vessel for inspection. In the meantime we are working and reverting with continued updates.

For and on behalf of:
Ship's crew L/S Nantucket
Ben F. Butler

Teamwork Saves a Historic Lighthouse

Paul C. Mendes, nephew of chief John C. Corea, the savior of the lightship Nantucket, is following in his heroic uncle's footsteps, this time in using teamwork and persistence to rescue a once endangered historic treasure.

The Race Point Lighthouse, located at Race Point on the very tip of Cape Cod near Provincetown, had been first put in service on November 5, 1816. That original tower was demolished and replaced by the present tower in 1876.

The 45-foot lighthouse originally used a fourth order optic which was later replaced by a Vega VRB-25 solar powered optic. The tower and the nearby Keeper's House had fallen into disrepair when it came to the attention of Mr. Mendes and his organization, the Cape Cod Chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation. We recently took a tour of both structures with Mr. Mendes as our guide. As he brought us to the newly restored door of the conical white rubble stone tower he recounted to us the tale of his efforts, along with a group of dedicated volunteers, to restore the structure to its present state of beauty. He was once told by an architect that the estimated costs of restoring the tower would be approximately $60,000. Undaunted, he and a group of volunteers undertook the restoration project. Mr. Mendes approached a number of Provincetown banks and businesses, which generously donated the seed money necessary to purchase the materials needed for the restoration project. In 1998, in order to raise more funds, the Cape Cod Chapter began a program in which visitors would be able to stay overnight at the Keeper's house for a donation. Using these donations, the Keeper's house has been beautifully restored and maintained and today exudes the charm of a bed and breakfast by the sea, with a breathtaking view of Cape Cod Bay and the waters beyond. Those who enjoy fishing and times of relaxation and seclusion with family or close friends would enjoy a visit to this lovely location.

Thanks to the persistence and teamwork of Mr. Mendes and his volunteers, the Race Point Lighthouse tower is now beautifully restored with polished wood door and trim, freshly painted interior spaces and a fully operational optic, at a fraction of the cost originally estimated (costs include materials only because the labor was performed entirely by volunteers). It is accessible by four-wheel drive vehicles or boats only, as there are no paved roads to Race Point. Mr. Mendes and the Cape cod Chapter aren't stopping there. Their next fundraising drive is dedicated to obtaining $30,000 to install a solar powered electrical system to the Keeper's house.

The efforts of Mr. Mendes and the volunteers, and the results of those efforts are an inspiring example of what can be done by a group of "hands-on" volunteers who care deeply about the preservation of lighthouses and lighthouse history. It is an example that serves as a model for the efforts of the National Lighthouse Museum to establish itself as the premier repository of lighthouse history in the United States.

A Lighthouse Replica for the Plaza

NLM received a grant of $1,000 from the Council on the Arts and Humanities for Staten Island to erect a full size replica of a lighthouse in our lighthouse plaza. Additional support was provided by Northfield Savings Bank, John Alexander, President.

The replica will be located on the Plaza where we plan to bring back the Romer Shoal Lighthouse (sometime in the future). The structure will be designed by artist Scott Lobaldo and built as a class project by students from Staten Island's McKee Vocational High School and senior citizens retired from the construction trades.

With $2 million in funding provided by Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro, the NLM Museum pier is now being renovated in preparation for arrival of the Nantucket.

The work consists of replacement of several of the rotted pilings. Workers are cutting off the older, unusable pilings at the mud line, and drilling a two foot diameter hole over the spot where the replacement pile will be placed. (See photo) This work will bring the pier up to standards for several years to come and provide docking space for the Nantucket. Completion of the contract is scheduled for May 2003 and should coincide with the arrival of the Nantucket from its berth in Brooklyn. Overseeing the work is a structural engineer from DMJM-HARRIS and the construction crew foreman from SP BB Construction in the photo.

The National Lighthouse Museum is grateful for the financial support of New York State Senator John Marchi; Congressman Vito Fossella; SI Bank & Trust Foundation; Richmond County Savings Foundation; Northfield Savings Bank; The Louis Calder Foundation; The Florence Gould Foundation; The Council on the Arts and Humanities of Staten Island, and our many members across the country.

A NLM Museum in Building #11

The initial display, planned for the museum in building #11, will feature five distinct messages, supplanted by artwork and lighthouse artifacts, installed throughout the building. Orientation Theater: The presentation will give an overview of lighthouse technology through use of an audio visual presentation. Visitors view the presentation from the deck of an ancient ship when a storm blows up and a distant lighthouse provides guidance into a safe harbor.

Lighthouse Timelines: A large interactive plasma screen gives images and information on the history of lighthouses. A supportive soundtrack provides messages and signlas. It is easy to use and provides a wealth of data and images. Takes of the Lighthouse Keepers: Visitors step up to a gallery of 'computer characters' representing keepers of different ages. The choose from a menu of questions and have a conversation about the life and duties of keepers and their families. Keeper dialog is based on authentic journals, enhanced by sound effects.

The Science of Light: This interactive exhibit will enable visitors to manipulate prisms themselves to observe optic principles, and appreciate the steady progress of inventors who improved lighthouse technology over the ages.

Design and Engineering: This area brings the science of navigation up to date with displays of present day technology. All displays will be designed to be moved into Building #10, the 1907 Lamp Shop next door when that building is renovated as the final location for the museum. In the future, Building #11 will probably be used as a gift shop and restaurant for light refreshments.

you can click the picture to see it full size!