Commonwealth Lightship 4, Carpentaria, was 1 of 4 unmanned lightships built at Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, in 1916-17. Painted red with its name in huge letters on the side, it was easily recognisable to navigators.
The light on CLS4 was powered by a six-month supply of acetylene gas held in tanks. The flow of gas, which was ignited by a pilot flame, was controlled by an automatic mechanism to produce the characteristic code of flashes. A warning bell tolled with the rolling of the ship.
The lightships felt the fury of the sea and were frequently rotated between pairs and returned to port for maintenance. CLS4 spent much time in the Gulf, hence the name Carpentaria emblazoned along the side, but was last stationed in the Bass Strait oilfields serving as a traffic separator. The lightship retired from service in 1985 after several close encounters with container shipping in Bass Strait, one of which almost sent the sturdy, steel-hulled vessel to the bottom! A more modern design of lightship has replaced CLS4.
@johnfalconer@beachdog@graemestevens keeping the colour of the lightship was integral I think but I liked the b&w for the rest - thank you for the positive response - I am pleased it works
@vignouse I did toss it around Richard but went with the SC because it was part of the light boats character..... I love that we can all have our own ideas and interpretations
Terrific use of selective color. Gives the image a focal point and also to someone who has never seen one of these boats a better way to imagine it in action.
