LV18 was the last manned Lightvessel to be decommissioned by Trinity House. She was commissioned from Phillips of Dartmouth in 1956 and was one of the last five Lightvessels to be built. There are now no manned Lighthouses or Lightvessels serving around the coast of Great Britain; all the Lighthouses have been automated along with the remaining serving Lightvessels which have had all original cabins, galleys, mess rooms and living quarters removed; these sites are now controlled remotely by radio telemetry from the new operational headquarters of Trinity House at Harwich. LV18 stands alone as the last example of a Trinity House Lightvessel in original, unaltered condition to come off station.
The vessel is currently on a free mooring, provided by Trinity House, in Harwich Harbour and is fast approaching completion of restoration prior to becoming a permanent museum feature. The project has been supported by local organizations, community groups and received grants from the East of England Development Agency to assist in the long-term goal of the vessel becoming a permanent museum feature and community resource in its home port. LV18 was host to the 2004 and 2007 'Pirate BBC Essex' radio broadcast event, raising the profile of the project to a global audience.
LV18 is owned by the PHAROS Charitable Trust, Registered charity No 1090325.
