Life and Times on the San Francisco Bar Station – Lightship 612
On December 20, 1983, Lightship 612 picked up her anchor and sailed off into oblivion. As she departed Nantucket Station, a curtain fell on the last of the little red ships and over 160 years of tradition. As often happens, traditions are relegated to dusty shelves and soon forgotten. I suspect there are young sailors out there who never saw a lightship and even some that never heard of one. For me, the passing of this era held a special meaning and a little sadness.