Columbia River Maritime Museum

The Columbia River Maritime Museum will repair and preserve the Lightship Columbia, which was an active U. S. Coast Guard lightship from 1951-1979 that served the public by facilitating the safe passages of thousands of ships across the Columbia River Bar. During the grant period, the Columbia will be towed to drydock at a Portland, Oregon shipyard where preservation activities will be performed, including installing modern bilge pumps and alarms; inspecting the ship’s electrical system; replacing all zinc anodes; conducting maintenance on the fore and aft capstans; and removing remaining refrigerants and hydraulic and lubrication oils. In addition to this work, the project team will inspect, clean, sandblast, repair, and repaint the hull, decks, superstructure, masts, fittings, and rigging. The project will result in a vessel which is both safe as well as historically accurate and visually appealing.