LV14 SULA Lightship (formerly HCB LV14 SPURN)

1959

This is a Light Vessel (not a light house) built in 1959

United Kingdom

Humber Conservancy Board

5th order

Revolving

Active

Triple flash every 15 seconds

Lightvessel - with name of 'station' spelt on both sides - in service SPURN. Painted RED Wireless Beacon transmitting at all time. (RACON)

Diaphone Type C - believed to be the last of its type. Currently being restored. Chance also built the lantern secondary optic drive clock and support structure. (not fully operational)

This Light Vessel (or Lightship), is one of the last manned Light Vessels built. It is the Beacon Class and similar in design to Trinity House’s “Royal Sovereign” vessel.

She was constructed in 1958 by Cook, Welton & Gemmel in Beverley, Yorkshire for the Humber Conservancy Board (HCB), Hull and was given the identification of “Light Vessel 14 (LV14) and originally called SPURN. She replaced an earlier SPURN vessel (LV12), which is now being restored in Hull. Constructed to a very high specification to withstand ‘all weather without straining’, she was the largest of three classes of light vessel built. Stationed off Spurn Point, on the River Humber estuary, approximately 5 miles off shore.

She weighs 590 tonnes and is 114ft long x 26ft wide, with 12ft draught. The very rare Chance 5th Order Optic lamp on the light tower is 46ft above the water line and the light is visible (in good weather conditions) for 17.5 miles, emitting a triple flash every 15 seconds. A gimbal enables the light to remain upright even in the stormy weather of the North Sea.

The Chance Diaphone Fog Horn, located above the Look Out Shelter, is run using compressed air and can be heard up to 2.5 miles away in the fog – a 2 second blast every 18 seconds.

The crew also provided off-shore Auxiliary Coastguard support and the inshore Coastal Weather Report for the Humber Shipping Area, for the Shipping Forecast. She was crewed two weeks on and off, by two crews of 7 men, comprising a Master, Chief Engineer, Wireless Operator and four crew.

Withdrawn from service in December 1985, and replaced with a cheaper GPS Navigational Buoy. Sold but then saved from scrapping in Portsmouth, she was towed to Beaucette Yacht Club, Guernsey in 1987. Subsequently moved in 1989 to Conwy, North Wales, briefly named Conwy, then sold to Milford Haven Port Authority in 1990, named Haven. Sold again in 1997, she was towed to Bantry, Ireland, where plans for her use failed to materialise, so laid up for six years. Towed to a scrap yard in Waterford in 2004. In 2006/7 she was being cut up for scrap.

In 2007, purchased and towed back from Ireland, a three year extensive refit took place in Sharpness Docks. She was also renamed ‘SULA’ – meaning ‘ Little Peace’, and then moved to this current mooring position in 2010.

The current owners, Vivienne & Colin Brooks, purchased ‘SULA’ in February 2020. She has been converted to provide self-catering holiday accommodation, filming and events facility and will be opened to the public on selected days or specific dock events.

Private owned - Colin & Vivienne Brooks

n/a

The Light vessel is on good condition, following a major restoration and refit in 2007-2010. It is currently being externally repainted. The Optic , lantern room and Murrette (small room housing the counterbalance for the lantern assembly, utilising a gimble, together with the access shaft have been fully restored in 2021 and the light is operation - and run up on selected occassions. The Chance Diaphone Type C is currently being restored and hope is that it will be operation by the end of 2022.

Closed

Closed

www.sulalightship.com

The Light Vessel is open for external tours only on selected dates, mainly September as part of Gloucester History Festival. If you stay onboard then private tours are offerred internal to the Light Vessel, including the lantern tower.

Original Humber Conservancy Board Specification Own Historical records - C J Brooks 'Discovery Lights' by Anthony Lane