At the spot where the mighty, powerful Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean the two bodies of water crash together, creating some of the most dangerous water conditions in the world. Known as the Graveyard of the Pacific, the Columbia River Bar is the site of more than 2,000 shipwrecks.

The U.S. Lightship Columbia (WLV-604) once guided ships across this treacherous area, and though it’s been long retired, you can see it today in the coastal town of Astoria.

The U.S. Lightship Columbia was built on the other side of the country, in Boothbay, Maine. It was commissioned in 1951, and took up residence at the mouth of the Columbia River.
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The lightship was manned by a crew of 18 Coast Guard personnel, who rotated in 2-4 week shifts of 10 men at a time.
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The warrant officer was the ship's captain, and he was given the largest quarters...
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...while the enlisted men made do with a much tighter living space.
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During their rotating tours, the Coast Guardsmen were on alert for the massive storms that sometimes pummeled the lightship. Other times, the crew tried to stave off boredom during the long hours when there wasn't much to keep them occupied.
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The men read books, fished, and played lots of card games to keep themselves entertained. In the 1960s, a television was brought aboard, and the crew enjoyed watching tv shows and movies.
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The lightship was the fourth of its kind to be stationed here to provide guidance to passing ships. The first lightship, the U.S. Lightship Columbia LV-50, was put into service back in 1892.
Columbia River Maritime Museum/Facebook
The U.S. Lightship Columbia was in service from 1951 to 1979. When it was decommissioned, it was replaced by a navigational buoy, which was also later retired. Today, both the lightship and the buoy are docked at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria.
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You can learn more about the history of the lightship at the museum, which is open seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum’s website to see all that it offers, and give the museum’s Facebook page a follow to see the latest events there. Can’t make it to the museum? You can take a virtual tour of the U.S. Lightship Columbia here!

Have you seen this historic gem? Tell us about your tour in the comments!

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