Светящий корабль "Севенстоунз": История маяка в открытом море.

Sevenstones Lightship is a lightvessel station off the Seven Stones Reef which is nearly 15 mile (24 km) to the west north west (WNW) of Land's End, Cornwall, and 7 mile (11 km) east north east (ENE) of the Isles of Scilly. The reef has been a navigational hazard to shipping for centuries with seventy one named wrecks and an estimated two hundred shipwrecks overall, the most infamous being the oil tanker Torrey Canyon on 18 March 1967. The rocks are only exposed at half tide. Since it was not feasible to build a lighthouse, a lightvessel was provided by Trinity House. The first was moored near the reef on 20 August 1841 and exhibited its first light on 1 September 1841. She is permanently anchored in and is 2.5 mile (4 km) north east (NE) of the reef. Since 1987, the Sevenstones Lightship has been automated and unmanned. A series of Trinity House lightships stationed near the Sevenstones Reef have measured significant wave heights (Hs or SWH)—the periodic average of the highest one third of waves in a spectrum—since the early 1960s using Ship Borne Wave Recorders (SBWR). The Sevenstones Lightship is in a very exposed location and is open to most North Atlantic storms.

As early as 1826 the government was petitioned to build a light on the reef and a second petition in 1839, supported by the Chamber of Commerce of Waterford, merchants from Liverpool and the Bristol Channel ports resulted in a meeting being held in Falmouth on 21 February 1840. It was declared that a light on or near the reef would shorten the passage around Scilly by up to thirty six hours. As a result, the first lightship was moored, in on a slate and sand bottom, near the reef on 20 August 1841 and shone its first light on 1 September 1841. Originally there was a crew of ten with five on station at a time. On 30 January 1873 the London barque Athole came too close and caught her rigging on the lightship's bumpkin carrying away her main and mizzen halyards, and the starboard light.

Built by William Pitcher of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Blackwall, the cost of the hull came to £3,128 8s and the fully equipped vessel £4,416 8s 7d. Built of wood, with a tonnage of 162, her length was 80 feet (24 m), breadth 21 feet (6 m) and her two masts for the lights were 69 feet (21 m) and 60 feet (18 m) tall. She carried one lug sail, a staysail and a jib. Red balls were fixed on each mast to distinguish her from other lightvessels. The two lights were displayed at 38 feet (12 m) and 20 feet (6 m), were of the catoptric system and could be seen from 10 mile (16 km) away. She also carried a gong fog signal. Trevose Head Lighthouse, on the north Cornish coast, also had two lights and the Sevenstones light was reduced to one, to stop confusion between the two. The single light was originally intended to be installed in 1878 but was postponed to May 1879 By 1891 only one white light was displayed at 38 feet (12 m) with three quick flashes followed by thirty six seconds of darkness.

The temporary lightvessel was removed on 18 September 1879 and towed to Milford by Vestal. The new light was successfully moored the same day, with the latest in fog warning machinery and a revolving light, instead of the two fixed lights on the old vessel. Number 50 was removed to London in 1883 for repair and a thorough overhaul and was replaced by lightship number 35.

Lightvessel 80 took up her position during the Second World War and was replaced with a lighted buoy after being frequently bombed and strafed by the Luftwaffe.

Lightvessel 80 was built by H & C Grayson, of Liverpool in 1914. She was 116 feet (35 m) long, had a breadth of 26 feet (8 m) and was 318 tons. In 1954 she undertook a refit with the provision of hot water, electric lighting, refrigerator, one and two berth cabins and a roomy mess deck. Daily work on the ship such as watch keeping and maintenance of the 600,000 candle power lantern could be carried out without going outside. Before, the refit crew had to climb up the mast every morning to trim the lamps, hauling their supply of oil with them; a dangerous task in rough weather.

Lightvessel 22 was built by Richards (Shipbuilders) Ltd of Lowestoft in 1967 with a displacement of 390 tons. Her length is 114 feet (35 m) and breadth 26.5 feet (8 m) and she was on station from 1998 to 2001. LV22 was back on station in 2021

Lightvessel 2 was in position in October 2004.