The Lightship Nantucket was the name given to the lightship that marked the limits of the hazardous Nantucket Shoals south of Nantucket Island.
Established in 1854, the ship's beacon was the last thing seen by vessels departing the United States, and the first light seen upon approach. The position was 40 miles southeast of Nantucket Island, making it the farthest lightship from shore in North America.
Lightships and their crews were exposed to many dangers. In addition to the obvious hazards posed by the weather and sea conditions, vessels marking shipping lanes on occasion were struck by the very traffic they existed to protect. This has led to several different lightships guarding Nantucket Shoals over the years.
In fact, the LV-112 you see next to you was paid for by the White Star Line as compensation for the collision and sinking of Nantucket Lightship LV-117 in 1934. The lightship was destroyed when it was hit by the RMS Olympic, sister ship to the Titanic, killing 11 of its crew.
The LV-112 was the last functioning lightship in the US until the station's discontinuation in 1985. The ship now resides here in the East Boston Harbor as it undergoes restoration. The ship is open to the public on Saturdays in the summer.