The 76-year-old Lightship New Bedford, one of a handful U.S. lightships remaining in the world, was put up for bid but got no takers as potential buyers grumbled about the conditions the city put on the sale.
The city said 20 historic artifacts - including the ship’s foghorn, beacon, mast and searchlight - would not be part of the sale, and the lightship buyer also would be liable for any damage done to the artifacts while aboard the ship that has been owned by the city since 1975.
“It makes no sense. The liability is crazy,” Conrad Roy, owner of C. Roy Enterprises in New Bedford, told The Standard Times of New Bedford.

Roy said he wanted to buy the lightship for scrap metal, and sell the historic artifacts.
While city officials said the vessel is worth between $100,000 to $300,000, bidding at the city auction Tuesday started at $25,000, and quickly was dropped to $10,000 before it was pulled off the block.
Built in 1930, the Lightship New Bedford is one of 13 U.S. lightships remaining in the world, according to the Standard Times. Lightships were once anchored in coastal locations where it was impossible to locate lighthouses.
The ship was originally named Pollock’s Rip. It was decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1971, and brought to New Bedford in 1975. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The lightship nearly sank at its berth after crew members left a portal open during heavy thunderstorms in early June. The ship took on water and soon began to list. C. Roy Enterprises was paid $212,000 to right the ship later that month.
City officials said the lightship will stay at its berth in New Bedford Harbor for at least another three months until another auction is held.

Posted: 09|28|06 at 8:12 am. Filed under: US News.