CLS-4 Carpentaria
Commonwealth Light Ship-4 (CLS-4) Carpentaria is one of four identical lightships designed in 1915 by the Scottish firm D & C Stevenson of Edinburgh. They were designated CLS-1 to CLS-4. The design is optimised for operating unmanned anchored at a stationary position on station offshore for prolonged periods of time, away from port.
Carpentaria has a riveted steel hull and no superstructure, with a single mast amidships mounting the beacon lantern atop. Being a stationary vessel, she has no installed propulsion engines in her and has to be towed to change position or return to port. In 1950, CLS-4 was equipped with a diesel engine to power an anchor windlass; it was protected by a steel deckhouse added at that time.
Carpentaria's lantern was powered by acetylene gas. She carried a 6-month supply in four tanks; the gas flow was controlled by a valve which would regulate the flashes of the light according to the code assigned to the station. The gas would shut down during daylight; the beacon light could be seen from 10 nm away. She also carried a bell activated by the rolling motion, so it could be heard in low visibility conditions.
CLS-4 Carpentaria was built at the Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney, Australia and launched in 1917. She was put in service that year, together with her sister ship CLS-2, in the Gulf of Carpentaria. They would alternate between being on station and in port for maintenance.
Later in her career, CLS-2 and -4 were assigned to a traffic separator role in the Bass Strait, where they narrowly avoided being hit by container ships. In 1985, both were decommissioned. Later they were destined for preservation: CSL-2 was given to the Queensland Maritime Museum in Brisbane, Queensland, while CLS-4 went to the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, NSW, where she is seen above in 2009.
Each vessel in the class displaced 164 tonnes. They were 21.94m long, 7.82m in the beam and had a 2.74m draught.
CLS-4 Carpentaria
Commonwealth Light Ship-4 (CLS-4) Carpentaria is one of four identical lightships designed in 1915 by the Scottish firm D & C Stevenson of Edinburgh. They were designated CLS-1 to CLS-4. The design is optimised for operating unmanned anchored at a stationary position on station offshore for prolonged periods of time, away from port.
Carpentaria has a riveted steel hull and no superstructure, with a single mast amidships mounting the beacon lantern atop. Being a stationary vessel, she has no installed propulsion engines in her and has to be towed to change position or return to port. In 1950, CLS-4 was equipped with a diesel engine to power an anchor windlass; it was protected by a steel deckhouse added at that time.
Carpentaria's lantern was powered by acetylene gas. She carried a 6-month supply in four tanks; the gas flow was controlled by a valve which would regulate the flashes of the light according to the code assigned to the station. The gas would shut down during daylight; the beacon light could be seen from 10 nm away. She also carried a bell activated by the rolling motion, so it could be heard in low visibility conditions.
CLS-4 Carpentaria was built at the Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney, Australia and launched in 1917. She was put in service that year, together with her sister ship CLS-2, in the Gulf of Carpentaria. They would alternate between being on station and in port for maintenance.
Later in her career, CLS-2 and -4 were assigned to a traffic separator role in the Bass Strait, where they narrowly avoided being hit by container ships. In 1985, both were decommissioned. Later they were destined for preservation: CSL-2 was given to the Queensland Maritime Museum in Brisbane, Queensland, while CLS-4 went to the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, NSW, where she is seen above in 2009.
Each vessel in the class displaced 164 tonnes. They were 21.94m long, 7.82m in the beam and had a 2.74m draught.