Ambrose Light Tower Destroyed In Collision
By Sue Clark on Dec 6, 2007 in News 
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Three Strikes and You’re Out?
Talk about an unlucky tower. The Ambrose Light Tower, located at the entrance to New York Harbor about 12 miles southeast of Staten Island, was rammed on November 3, 2007, by a Bahamian flagged tanker, the 799 foot Axel Spirit, which was enroute to the Chevron facility in Perth Amboy. The tower suffered substantial damage to its legs, the stanchion and the revolving light is bent and no longer rotating. There were no reported injuries or pollution as a result of the collision. The weather at the time of the incident was reported at 20-25 knot winds and four-foot to five-foot seas. The Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.
The Previous Tower Was Also Rammed
The current tower was built in 1996, to replace the previous tower, which had been placed into service in 1967. The earlier one was called a Texas platform, which looked like an oil rig and was built for $2.4 million dollars. The platform was two decks high, with the lower deck housing the fuel and water tanks. The upper deck provided living quarters for the 6 permanently assigned Coast Guard members and had room for 3 transient members. It was supported by a framework of four 42 inch diameter steel pipe legs and cross braced with 18 and 20 inch diameter steel pipes. The structure was designed to withstand even the worst hurricane.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a hurricane that brought it down. It was another oil tanker, the Aegeo, which in October, 1996, collided with the station and damaged it beyond repair. The Coast Guard demolished its remains and built the new one.
Lightship vs. Freighter
But what, you say? That’s only two times, not three. Well, if you want to count the Relief Lightship for the Ambrose, then this is the third time. The hulk of that sits on the ocean floor just Northwest of the tower.
The Relief, filling in for the regular lighthship while it had its yearly overhaul, was on duty June 24, 1960, during heavy fog. Shining her beacon and blasting her foghorn, she was struck on her starboard side amidships by the class C-2 freighter, the Green Bay. The Captain of the Green Bay, Tom Mazzella, had apparently misinterpreted the location of the Lightship on his radar. The Green Bay, which had been navigating through a thick fog at the time, was not seriously damaged, but the Lightship went down within ten minutes. All of her crew of nine was rescued without injuries. The Lightship now rests upright in 100 feet of water.
Coast Guard Puts Up Temporary Light
The Coast Guard plans to replace the Ambrose Light, but for now a temporary fix is in place. The crew of CG Cutter Willow, based out of Newport, RI, has installed a temporary navigation light buoy about 300 yards from the tower and will leave it in place until repairs can be completed. One has to wonder if this temporary aid to navigation will suffer the same fate as its predecessors in the weeks to come.
Photo Credit of Ambrose Light Tower RU COOL on Flickr.
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