Photo and information provided by Michael Wade, Vice Commodore of Royal Northumberland Yacht Club
Our House Yacht (Club ship) is recognised as the oldest floating timber lightship in the UK and almost certainly in the World. She is registered on the Historic Ships Register of the UK of being of national importance.
Built by Trinity House,the Government Department responsible for Coastal navigation, in 1879, she was designated LV (light-vessel) 50 and she was stationed on some of the most dangerous reefs and sandbanks around the Southern part the United Kingdom, where her crews had to endure fairly primitive living conditions of up to 8 weeks at a time in some of the harshest & stormiest of conditions to ensure safe passage of other vessels. These stations included Severn Stones between the Scillie Isles & Cornwall, Shambles of Weymouth, Dorset in the English Channel, Warner, near Bembridge, Isle of White, Calshot Spit in Southampton Water and latterly on Outer Gabbard off the Essex Coast before decommissoning She was built without propulsion which made the task of her crew even more arduous to hold her on station and is a direct link in her design and build to the last of the wooden fighting ships of the 18C. regrettably all records of her builder, crews and duties were lost during a bombing raid in 1940. Today she is also the most original of her type in that she still retains the mast and lantern lifting equipment. Her superstructure has been altered to the extent she is considered as being 'In Ordinary' a Naval term for a vessel which is laid up and protected from the weather elements.
This has undoubtedly helped to preserve in good order for all these years. She is now named as H.Y. Tyne 111, being the third House Yacht we have owned with this name.