Chesapeake Lightship Station (VA)
Historical Light List Characteristics
Historical Light List Optics and Structures
| 1893 | Reflector | Reflector | N/A | 45 | Two masts, schooner-rigged; red cagework day-mark at each masthead. Hull, red, with "CAPE CHARLES, No. 49" in large white letters and figures on each side. | Off Smith island, N. side of entrance to Chesapeake Bay, Va. | LHB Light List (Atlantic): 421 |
| 1898 | Two masts, schooner-rigged, no bowsprit; red cagework day mark at each masthead. Hull, red, with "CAPE CHARLES, No. 49" in large white letters and figures on each side. | Moored in 52 feet of water off Smith island, N. side of entrance to Chesapeake Bay, Va. | LHB Light List (Atlantic): 509 | ||||
| 1899 | LHB Light List (Atlantic): 522 | ||||||
| 1905 | Two masts, schooner-rigged, no bowsprit; red cagework daymark at each masthead. Hull, red, with "CAPE CHARLES, No. 49" in white on each side. A black smokestack and the fog signal are between the masts. | Moored in 39 feet of water, off Smith island, northerly side of the entrance to Chesapeake Bay, Va., about 11/4 miles east-southereasterly from the shoalest part of Smith Island Shoal, on a range line marked by the old and the new Cape Charles light-houses, and nearly 9 miles from the new light-house. | LHB Light List (Atlantic): 571 | ||||
| 1908 | Two masts, schooner-rigged, no bowsprit; red cagework daymark at each masthead; red hull, with "CAPE CHARLES, No. 49" in white on each side; black smokestack and the fog signal are between the masts. | Moored in 39 feet of water, off Smith island, N'ly side of the entrance to Chesapeake Bay, Va., about 11/4 miles ESE'ly from the shoalest part of Smith Island Shoal, on a range line marked by the old and the new Cape Charles light-houses, and nearly 9 miles 188° 40' (ESE 5/16 E) from the new light-house, 181/2 miles 188° 30' (S 3/4 W) from Hog Island Light-House, and 163/4 miles 59° 15' (NE by E 1/4 E) from Cape Henry Light-House. | LHB Light List (Atlantic): 615 | ||||
| 1915 | N/A | N/A | Red hull, "CHARLES" on sides; two masts, red grating at each masthead. | In 61/2 fathoms, off north side of entrance to Chesapeake Bay. | USLHS Light List (Atlantic): 800 | ||
| 1917 | N/A | Red hull, "CHARLES" on sides; red tubular mast with black lantern and gallery. | USLHS Light List (Atlantic): 828 | ||||
| 1920 | Red hull, "CHARLES" on sides; red tubular mast with black lantern and gallery. Station buoy LV/C about 400 yards 0° from light vessel. | USLHS Light List (Atlantic): 853 | |||||
| 1927 | Red hull, "CHARLES" on sides; red tubular mast with black lantern and gallery. Station buoy LS/C about 600 yards 0° from light vessel. | USLHS Light List (Atlantic): 918 | |||||
| 1931 | 500 mm ei | NA | NA | Red hull, "CHESEPEAKE" on sides; red tubular mast with black lantern and gallery. Station buoy 600 yards 0° from lightship. | In 63 feet, 15 miles 78° from Cape Henry Lighthouse. Off entrance to Chesapeake Bay. | USLHS Light List (Atlantic): 1111 | |
| 1935 | USLHS Light List (Atlantic): 1364 | ||||||
| 1946 | 500 mm e | Red hull "CHESEPEAKE" on sides; tubular mast with lantern and gallery. 1st-cl. nun station buoy lettered C/LS 600 yards 0° from lightship. | In 63 feet, 15 miles 78° from Cape Henry Lighthouse, off entrance to Chesapeake Bay. | USCG Light List (Atlantic): 1807 | |||
| 1947 | |||||||
| 1950 | |||||||
| 1951 | |||||||
| 1952 | |||||||
| 1953 | N/A | Red hull "CHESEPEAKE" on sides, two masts; lantern and circular gallery on each masthead. Red, 1st-cl. nun station buoy lettered C/LS 600 yards north of lightship. | In 63 feet. | USCG Light List - Vol. I-VI: 1889 | |||
| 1954 | |||||||
| 1955 | |||||||
| 1957 | Red hull "CHESEPEAKE" on sides, two masts; lantern and circular gallery on each masthead. Red, 1st-cl. nun station buoy lettered C/LS with red reflector 600 yards north of lightship. | ||||||
| 1959 | Red hull "CHESEPEAKE" on sides, two masts; lantern and circular gallery on each masthead. Red, 1st-cl. tall nun station buoy lettered C/LS with red reflector 600 yards north of lightship. | USCG Light List - Vol. I-V: 2214 | |||||
| 1960 | Red hull "CHESEPEAKE" on sides, two masts; lantern and circular gallery on each masthead. Red, 1st-cl. tall nun(R) station buoy lettered C/LS with red reflector 600 yards north of lightship. | ||||||
| 1961 | Red hull "CHESEPEAKE" on sides, two masts; lantern and gallery on masthead. Red, 1st-cl. tall nun(R) station buoy lettered C/LS with red reflector 600 yards north of lightship. | USCG Light List - Vol. I: 2214 | |||||
| 1963 | |||||||
| 1965 | Red hull "CHESEPEAKE" on sides, two masts; lantern and gallery on masthead. Red, 1st-cl. tall nun(R) with red reflector station buoy lettered C/LS 600 yards north of lightship. |
Historical Light List Audible Fog Signals
| 1893 | 12-inch steam whistle; blasts 5 sec., silent intervals 15 sec. | If whistle be disabled, a bell will be rung by hand. | LHB Light List (Atlantic): 421 |
| 1898 | LHB Light List (Atlantic): 509 | ||
| 1899 | LHB Light List (Atlantic): 522 | ||
| 1905 | If whistle be disabled a bell will be rung by hand. | LHB Light List (Atlantic): 571 | |
| 1908 | LHB Light List (Atlantic): 615 | ||
| 1915 | 12-inch steam whistle: Blast 5 sec. Silent 15 sec. Air siren [after July 1, 1915]: Blast 3 sec. Silent 17 sec. | Bell (hand) if whistle is disabled: 5 strokes 5 sec. Silent 15 sec. | USLHS Light List (Atlantic): 800 |
| 1917 | Air siren: Blast 3 sec. Silent 17 sec. | Bell (hand) if whistle is disabled: gp. 5 strokes every 20 sec. | USLHS Light List (Atlantic): 828 |
| 1920 | Bell (hand) if siren is disabled: gp. 5 strokes every 20 sec. | USLHS Light List (Atlantic): 853 | |
| 1927 | 12-inch steam chime whistle: Blast 3 sec. Silent 17 sec. | Bell (hand) if whistle is disabled: gp. 5 strokes every 20 sec. | USLHS Light List (Atlantic): 918 |
| 1931 | WHISTLE, 12-inch steam chime: Blast 3 sec., silent 27 sec. | Bell, hand, if whistle is disabled; gp. 2 strokes every 10 sec. | USLHS Light List (Atlantic): 1111 |
| 1935 | DIAPHONE, high-low tone, air: Blast 3 sec., silent 27 sec., repeated for 2 minutes. Every third minute, signal is: Blast 1 sec., silent 1 sec., blast 5 sec., following a 53 sec. silence. | Oscillator, if diaphone is disabled. | USLHS Light List (Atlantic): 1364 |
| 1946-1947 | DIAPHONE, two-tone, air; blast 3 sec., silent 27 sec. | Bell, hand, if diaphone is disabled. | USCG Light List (Atlantic): 1807 |
| 1950-1952 | |||
| 1953 | DIAPHONE, two-tone; when operating, is synchronized with radiobeacon ev 3 minutes for distance finding. | USCG Light List - Vol. I-VI: 1889 | |
| 1954-1955 | DIAPHONE, two-tone; when operating, is synchronized with radiobeacon ev 3 minutes for distance finding. | ||
| 1957 | |||
| 1959-1960 | USCG Light List - Vol. I-V: 2214 | ||
| 1961 | USCG Light List - Vol. I: 2214 | ||
| 1963 | DIAPHONE, two-tone; 1 blast ev 30s (3sbl). | ||
| 1965 |
Historical Light List Other Signals
| 1927 | None | Submarine bell; gp. 2 strokes every 10 sec. | USLHS Light List (Atlantic): 918 |
| 1931 | RADIOBEACON: Transmits gps. of 1 dot and 2 dashes, and 1 dot. | SUBMARINE BELL: Gp. 2 strokes every 10 sec. | USLHS Light List (Atlantic): 1111 |
| 1935 | RADIOBEACON: Transmits gps. of   . DISTANCE-FINDING STATION. |
USLHS Light List (Atlantic): 1364 | |
| 1946-1947 | RADIOBEACON: Transmits on 312 kc, groups of dot, 2 dashes, dot. (). DISTANCE-FINDING STATION. |
None | USCG Light List (Atlantic): 1807 |
| 1950-1952 | |||
| 1953-1955 | RADIOBEACON: 312 kc (Code: ). |
USCG Light List - Vol. I-VI: 1889 | |
| 1957 | |||
| 1959-1960 | USCG Light List - Vol. I-V: 2214 | ||
| 1961 | USCG Light List - Vol. I: 2214 | ||
| 1963 | RADIOBEACON. | ||
| 1965 |
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1888 - 1921 |
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1922 - 1927 |
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1928 - 1965 (Station vacant 1942-1945.) |