United States lightship Huron ( LV - 103 ) The United States lightship " Huron " ( LV - 103 ) is a lightvessel that was launched in 1920 . She is now a museum ship moored in Pine Grove Park , Port Huron , St . Clair County , Michigan . Great Lakes lightships . " Huron " is one of many lightvessels that plied the waters of the Great Lakes . In 1832 the first lightship on the Great Lakes was placed at Waugoshance Shoal . That wooden light ship was the " Lois McLain " . In 1851 she was replaced by the Waugoshance Light , which is at one of the most hazardous areas near the Straits of Mackinac , Michigan . In Lake Huron , " Huron " was the third ship to be placed at Corsica Shoals , a station established in 1893 , replacing a gas buoy that was " somewhat ineffective " . Three vessels bore the designation of " Huron " Lightship ' from 1893 to 1970 . The first was " Lightship No . 61 " , a wooden - hulled ship , painted red with white lettering saying " Corsica Shoals " on her sides . " Lightship No . 61 " served from September 1893 until 1921 . She was lost during the November Great Lakes Storm of 1913 , which destroyed at least 12 ships and over 250 lives , when she was torn from her moorings and forced onto Point Edward on the Canadian shore . The grounding of " Lightship No . 61 " was a contributing factor in the loss of the " Matthew Andrews " at Corsica Shoals . In any event , she was reclaimed and repaired , and remained in service until 1920 , when she was retired and sold at auction . In the same storm , Lightship " Buffalo " ( LV - 82 ) foundered near Buffalo in Lake Erie , with the loss of six lives . See Shipwrecks of the 1913 Great Lakes storm and List of victims of the 1913 Great Lakes storm . " Buffalo " was salvaged and saw service with the Coast Guard until 1936 . In 1921 , Lightship No . 61 was replaced by Lightship No . 96 , the first vessel to actually be called " Huron " Lightship . In 1925 , there were ten lightvessels on the Great Lakes . Fifteen years later , only " Huron " remained . A list of Great Lakes lightvessel assignments is available . Lightship No . 103 construction and service . " Huron " was built by the Consolidated Shipbuilding Company in Morris Heights , New York . Her keel was laid in 1918 and completed at a cost of $ 147 , 428 . At long , in the beam , drawing , and weighing 312 tons , Ship # 103 was powered by a single compound reciprocating steam engine , driven by two coal - fired Scotch boilers . They put out . Commissioned in 1921 as " Lightship Number 103 " , she operated primarily in southern Lake Huron near Port Huron and the mouth of the St . Clair River . " Huron " spent the 1924 , 1925 , 1926 and 1929 seasons lighting Grays Reef . She was assigned in 1934 and 1935 seasons to the North Manitou Shoal . In 1935 she was transferred to the Eleventh District for one year , seeing duty as a relief ship . In 1935 , " Huron " was repainted ( with " Huron " on her sides , starboard side painted red and the port side painted black ) and transferred to Corsica Shoals , approximately north of the Blue Water Bridge ( connecting Port Huron and Sarnia , Ontario , Canada . ) " Huron " was equipped with one acetylene lens lantern , , a steam whistle fog horn , and a hand operated bell . After 1945 as " Huron " , she was the only lightship that was painted black . In 1948 , she was refitted to diesel power with twin six - cylinder GM 6 - 71 engines at the Defoe Shipbuilding Company of West Bay City , Michigan . The cost was $ 168 , 000 . After this conversion , her top speed was . On 7 May 1958 , Coast Guardsman Robert Gullickson perished when a wave swamped a tender from " Huron " Lightship that he was aboard . He is memorialized on the ship , as he was the only casualty during her many years of service . On August 20 , 1970 , she weighed her anchor the last time from Corsica Shoal . She was decommissioned at Detroit on August 25 . Upon decommissioning , she was replaced by an unmanned warning buoy light . Ownership of " Huron " was transferred to the City of Port Huron the following June . Retirement , honors and museum service . The following honors have been indicated : The ship is exceptionally well - preserved , and has an operable light and fog horn still on board . Her twin General Motors diesel engines are fully operational , having been brought back to life through the efforts of volunteer mechanics . Amateur radio station K8HLM operates from her . She is officially designated as Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society No . USA - 394 . The engines suffered damage as the ship awaited transfer to state ownership . The pistons and cylinders were restored through the contributions and efforts of local companies and volunteers . They powered every part of the shift , from lighting to fog horn . To keep them in working order , they are operated every thirty days . That this is a working ship , and not just a static museum , is seen as part of its charm . She was the last of her kind . It is the smallest surviving lightship , and is representative of the class .