ABOUT LV21
National Historic Ship No.2330
LV21 is a 40 metre, 500 tonne, steel-hulled lightship transformed into a floating cultural hub - an arts space and performance facility with a difference - designed to provide a range of innovative services, both aboard and ashore, promoting and supporting the creative industries while celebrating and honouring the maritime traditions of the historic vessel.
As an iconic landmark located at the Historic Dockyard Chatham and a prime platform for showcasing activities across artistic disciplines, LV21 endeavours to act as a beacon - a leading light in Kent’s cultural offer - bringing together diverse communities, visitors and businesses with unforgettable arts, culture, education and heritage experiences.
Who Are We?
We’re a couple of experienced and award winning creative professionals, delivering arts management, consultancy and creative documentation services to both the private and public sector. We think big, aim high and have a track record of getting things done, well.
If you’d like to talk to us about hiring our skills, or if you are interested in booking LV21 for an event or performance, please get in touch.
TIMELINE
1963 Jun
1963 Dec
Handed over to Trinity House
1976
Stationed at East Goodwin
1980
1981 Jun
Collision at Varne
1988
Converted to automatic lightvessel, Newcastle
1995
Stationed at Channel
1997-01
Stationed at East Goodwin
2003
Stationed at Seven Stones
2008
Decommissioned by Trinity House, Swansea depot
2009 Dec
Acquired by Gary Weston & Päivi Seppälä | Gilingham Pier, Medway
2016 Sep
St Andrews Quay, Gravesend
2024 Nov
Historic Dockyard, Chatham
Technical data
Length o.a.:
133 feet (ca. 40,54 m)
Length:
114 feet (ca. 34,75 m)
Beam
26.5 feet (ca. 8,08 m)
Draft:
12.5 feet (ca. 3,81 m)
Commissioning Authority:
Trinity House, London
Year of construction:
1963
Shipyard:
Philip & Son, Dartmouth
1330
Material:
Brian Packham recounts the events of Sunday June 28th 1981 when LV21 was involved in a collision with the Ore Meteor.
With the help of the Association of Lighthouse Keepers and the Friends of St. Mary’s Island LV21’s original optic was donated back to the ship in February 2013.
Derek Grieve, the last Master of LV21 on the Newarp station, recounts stories of life onboard the lightvessel.
Heritage and maritime memories
HMS2 (Heritage and maritime memories in the 2 seas region) was a cross-border cooperation between Nord/Pas-de-Calais in France, Sout-East England in the United Kingdom, West-Flanders in Belgium and Zeeland in the Netherlands. The main aim of the project was to establish a tight, layered and complementary cross-border partnership, in order to jointly improve, develop and promote our common maritime heritage and shared history.
As an independent partner of the HMS2 project the crew at LV21 secured some initial funding for particular aspects of the vessels development during the period December 2009 to June 2012.
"Lightvessel 21 served the mariner superbly throughout its period of service with Trinity House. We are pleased to see the vessel be put to a use in which future generations will appreciate the important role this vessel played throughout her working life. "Trinity House
