April 16, 2004
Texas Towers
That lighthouse and ATON post got me to thinking about other aids to navigation. In the bad old days lightships would anchor offshore, with a powerful beacon on top, as semi-permanent positioning markers for sea-going vessels. These were expensive to operate, however, requiring crews, fuel, and foodstuffs, and they were eventually replaced by permanent towers that could operate with smaller crews, or even be remotely operated from shore. Loneliness and wanton buggery no doubt contributed to their demise.
The greatest of the offshore platforms were the so-called Texas Towers, which were designed after the oil platforms off the coast of Texas. They only built 6 Texas Towers: Buzzards Bay, MA (1961), Savannah, GA (1964), Frying Pan Shoals, NC (1964), Chesapeake, VA (1965), Diamond Shoal, NC (1966), and Ambrose, NY (1967).
The Savannah Tower was destroyed in 1996 when a containership, the Neptune Jade, collided with it. A damned bummer.
When I was a kid hitting the Savannah Texas Tower was the ultimate in an offshore fishing trip. I only recall making it all the way out to the Tower once, because it was many miles offshore, a dangerous trip for a pleasurecraft with no radio. It was a behemoth, though.
A Texas Tower would probably be a good place to burn one. I'll have to check into that. In the meantime, keep watching the History Channel, and one day you'll catch the story of the oil platform Alexander Keilland, which collapsed and capsized in the North Sea in 1980 after getting slammed by a hundred foot wave during a storm. Unbelievable footage as the storm whipped up and they tried to helivac workers off, with no luck. 120 men dead. Significantly worse than a damned bummer.
I was told by my mother, that my grad farther "Dale Blair Grinols" and my Uncle Dale Blair Grinols II" helpedtobuild and set-up some the "Texas Towers". Do have any information about them? Or any photos? I would sure like to know more about my family's history.
Posted by: Jon Piva at February 23, 2005 1:10 AM
I was stationed at USCG Light Station Ambrose
1983/84. It was an amazing experience. We were a
crew of six Coasties. We were very professional in our dedication to keeping the Light shining.
It was a hazardous duty assignment though, with storms, fog, high wind and seas, lightning, sharks, and The occasional close call with passing ships, and landing the USCG Helicopter on that small flight deck. In 1993 two Coast Pilots were lost in crash landing at Ambrose. In 1996 the Tower was damaged beyond repair when the Tanker Aegeo sheared off one of legs.
Despite all that it was a great experience ! I am proud to have been a USCG Tower Sailor.
Posted by: Michael J. St. John at June 21, 2011 12:23 PM